If You Tell a Lie

by Lucinda Berry

Our very small circle—me, Thera, Blakely, and Meg. Cabin Naomi. Nine consecutive summers together.

I shot my inner child a long time ago, along with the white horse she was waiting for someone to come riding in on to save her.

The best way to live your life was to learn to love yourself—really, truly love yourself—and accept yourself exactly as you were.

Regina Crosby paroled after twenty-five years behind bars for the brutal murder of her husband and attempted murder of her two children

I’d never forgotten what I caught her doing in there when we were eleven. She might be fooling everyone else, but she wasn’t fooling me.

Because the truth? If a group of teenage girls had done what we did? I might’ve wanted to hurt us too.

Do you know how freeing it was to live in a world where you didn’t give a fuck what people thought about you? Especially as a woman? There’s no better feeling on the planet. At least I haven’t found one yet.

Do you know how much work it takes to pretend like you’re fine every day? To be the sunshine when you’re really the darkness?