Lullabies for Little Criminals

by Heather O'Neill

The home is the most ritualized place in a society; each house is like a religious order with its own ceremonies.

Childhood is the most valuable thing that’s taken away from you in life, if you think about it.

“Oh, my holy shit! You’re like a thief. That’s cool. I love girls who are thieves. Sitting out here reading a book and eating stolen candy. Do you even realize how cool you are?”

Xavier got caught drawing a portrait of me in math class. The teacher held it up for everyone to see, and they all laughed and laughed. He held his head up because he didn’t care at all. He was different from my friends. I liked that he was immature and that he seemed naïve, as if he was actually acting his age. He didn’t have a chip on his shoulder. We had caught each other’s attention. Who knows why? We were probably the most different kids on earth, but I felt like we were the same and so did he.

“What does your dad do for a living?” “He’s a spy.” “Wow! That’s so neat. My dad’s an accountant.

I had thought every single thing about me was something seedy, but really, there was nothing wrong with me.