DISCLAIMER: Contains mature thematic content (i.e. mentions drunk driving, one strong word edited with asterisks)

Yesterday, I took my little sister to the woods for the night. We were supposed to sleep in our small but sturdy tent. A summer wind blew across our hot and tired face.

As we walked to find a perfect spot, my sister let out a loud and horrified scream. She jumped up and down till I grabbed her by her small hands and calmed her down. She told me she just saw an ugly dwarf behind a creepy tree.

DISCLAIMER: Mild language, edited out with asterisks :).

Monday.
At 1:15am the moon will rise over a greenish Uranus, I don’t know what to say to him, I say I’m in love but yet I hate these awkward pauses, football football farmer’s almanac, maybe I’m not as desperate as I thought, yes he is attractive and wonderful, but this is sort of liberating, we’re just friends I am declaring it as true.

Monday.
He made things happen for me today
His blue eyes smiled from dawn till dusk
He told me I’d do good things
I believed him and I still do
I’m on cloud nine right now
I’m feeling so much less empty
Not so alone
Things are finally coming together.

Tuesday.
I like my new friends
I’m busy
All the time
With school, with work
They fit into my schedule
Conveniently
Like puzzle pieces

1. First Dates
I’ll never forget the first time he ran his hand through my hair. I was engulfed in the way he looked at me: like I was a treasure, like I meant something. I’ll remember the chilly autumn air and the shudder in my bones when his chapped lips met mine. I’ll remember how embarrassed I was when I pulled away from him in surprise. “Nonono, I didn’t mean to, do it again!” I recall crying, shoving my hands in my pockets. I remember how he laughed at me and after a period of begging, he kissed me again with his chapped lips and I didn’t pull away.

Since others also seem to be catching the omgimgettingolderialmosthavenochildhoodleftwhyamisoangstyidontknowwhatiwantanymore bug, I figured that I would toss in my two cents on the subject.
Ever since I was about twelve, I’ve known what I wanted to do with my life. You know what’s funny is that I don’t even remember what that was anymore.

1. Snapshots
I sometimes wish I could catch
those special moments with a camera
plant them in my mind and never stop seeing them
replay them over and over in my head
you are beautiful
when you look at me that way
my heart does things that a human heart shouldn’t
have the ability to do while I’m still breathing
like stop for a few breaths
then let it go again
please just let me
love you like you know I can

Notes: I have been working on this for about two months. It's been a journey, and still I am not satisfied with this final draft. But I still feel like I should post this. I am asking that if you comment, to please, please give your most honest feedback. It may hurt, but it will build. I need advice on grammar, content, and mainly how to write more powerful short stories. I've put my heart and my soul into this story, and I have prayed and prayed on how to write this, because some parts were just - so - hard.

1. Freckles
you have a lot of freckles
i had never been close enough to notice
they all kind of join together
i like them

2. Oops
i thought i was over you
seriously, this time
but she said you were cute
and i wanted to claw her eyes out
oops
here we go again

3. Well Okay
letting go
is harder
than i thought

4. Oh Well
i can miss you
with all my might
but you won’t
miss me back
it’s okay
no big deal
i’ll keep missing you anyway

It started with folding clothes.

My mother enlisted my brothers to help, and after a small lesson on the proper folding of shirts, they were off. We stood around, quietly working, our eyes occasionally flashing to the episode of Supernanny that was playing.

My brother was handed one of my shirts-- an Orange Crush, vintage-y looking thing. He held it up. "Oh my gosh. Look how small this is compared to all our clothes!"

I laughed. "It's an XL. It's not small."

"It's an XL? That's disgusting!"

My mom told him to please keep folding, and he did.