I'll Be the One

by Lyla Lee

I’ve gotten in the habit of saying “mhm” over and over again until she stops talking, even though every word she says feels like a sharp needle piercing my skin.

Plus, she’s really pretty in a way that makes my bi heart squeeze a little. If I were allowed to date girls, and if my parents knew I wasn’t straight, I’d totally date her.

One moment, they’re telling you that you need to lose weight, and the next, they’re shaming you for not eating.

And what she went through in the past doesn’t give her an excuse for how she treats me now.

“Nah, I’m kidding. I’m a total Hufflepuff. No backstabbing here. Just a lot of emotional crying.”

“You are beautiful,” I whisper to myself. “Don’t let anyone, not even yourself, tell you any different.”

But I can still change myself and what sort of impact I have on other people. So I’m going to try to become stronger as a person and keep having a positive impact on people, like I have here.”