“That was the day I became this. When I started to believe that a hundred people’s fickle adoration was worth more than one person’s love. And for a while it felt kind of good.” Tears stream down my face. “I was lost in the novelty of it. Being mean, slipping in a quick insult, making a joke of others and of my teachers . . . I felt respected. Adored. My new skin suited me.” And then more images creep in, still so vivid after all this time. “But months later, when I’d see Delilah playing alone, being laughed at, not having anywhere to belong . . . I started to hate that skin I was so
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