The smile somehow etched on her face is so obviously faked its scary. The laughter echoing all over the place so obviously forced its a scream. The song tumbling from her tongue is so obviously pained it hurts us all. The nighttime tears that dry her out are so obviously wasted we cry along. The gashes she thinks she hides well with a sleeve are so obviously watching us we can't help but stare. The hands we discreetly offer to her daily are so painfully ignored we wait, we wait, we wait.

Analise.

All legs, curves, hair, smiles and eyes, every boy follows her, including me. I, however, follow in secret, watching along with everyone else, following, waiting for disaster to arrive. We only follow because we each have our own fantasy that we will be her hero; the one who extracts her from her curse. But we all feel this will be the last summer for everybody. 

I hop on my bike with my Nikon camera dangling off my shoulder and pedal down to the park where she sits and plays guitar for anyone who will stop and listen. She has her guitar case open next to her with a sign propped up by a rock with the words, "Spare happiness?" written in purple Sharpie. People stop and scrunch their eyebrows up in confusion at the sign while she sings, but I sit nearby leaning against my bike watching her fingers and mouth, entranced, ignoring the loud emptiness of the guitar case. Read more »

Cali groaned as the raido sent out waves of angry buzzing. 6:40. 'I have to get up now if I want to make it to school on time,' she thought to herself. She contemplated hitting the snooze button once more. She checked her phone. The brightness of the screen gave her an instant headache. "Crap." She said aloud. Two missed calls. Already. 'It's too early for this,' Cali said to herself as she swung her legs over the edge of the bed. She hit the call back button. Zack answered on the first ring. "Where the hell have you been?" He said in a steady tone. It was filled with anger. "I overselpt." Cali responded, trying her best to wipe the sleep out of her voice. "I hate when you don't answer me, Cali. My mind wanders when you ignore me. And neither of us want my mind to wander." Zack replied. His voice was still steady. He sounded like a dad. "Okay. I'm sorry." Cali responded, trying not to voice the sarcasm that sat in her throat. "I'll be over when you get out of school. I gotta go to work, I'll talk to you later. I love you." Zack paused. He was waiting for her to say it back. Dread consumed her. "I love you too." Cali managaed to spit the words out. They were obviously insincere. Zack didn't care. He got what he wanted. Click. Cali laid back down. 'Just a few more minutes.' She thought as she closed her eyes.  Read more »

I sat by the pier, toes skimming over frigid water. The moon was high in the night sky, glowing brighter than ever before. It beckoned me to plunge in to the water. I stood up, glancing at my horrid reflection in the water. My dark chocolate skin was covered in burns and scars I caused. My ribs were beginning to show through my skin-tight shirt.

I backed up to the beginning of the pier, and ran. Thump, thump, thump, thump... My feet hit the wood loudly. I jumped, I seemed to float for a moment. I stared into the face of the moon. It contorted into this evil thing. Sneering at me, it began to laugh, drowning out my screams

As I hit the glacial water, I felt something pull at my legs. I kicked and struggled against this being pulling me down. As I went farther down, my lungs felt like exploding. I took a breath and my lungs filled with water, yet it didn't hurt. When I hit the bottom, I had reached the lair of the evil being. Each cut began to reopen, each burn began to get licked by flame

I sat straight up in bed, and stared up at my ceiling. It wasn't dripping so why was I wet? I turned my head to the side. Oh! My cup had fallen over. I must've fallen asleep again.

I am trapped. I have been for as long as i can remember. Not physicaly trapped, but mentaly trapped. Day in and day out i try to be "normal". But i am not normal. I never will be as long as these scars dance over my arms. It will be summer soon and i will be required to cease wearing long sleeves in fear of overheating. When that happens, how will i hide these dancing scars? From experience they fade over time, but i have no time! Should i continue wearing my long sleeves? Or should i disregard the gasps and stares and wear short sleeves? I am ashamed of my scars. They show weakness. They show pain. They show me. My bloodied arm is scattered with old, brown scars, fading white scars, and fresh, new, raised, red scars. They intermingle in a complicated mess of pain. They dance tauntingly, teasing me into adding another to the tangle. I cannot tell a soul for if i do, they will gasp and stare. All these problems as a result of my scars. All these problems adding to my scars. The only solution is one that i have never once contemplated as of yet.
Suicide.
Yes, it seems horrid, but it is the only pemanent escape from the demons of life. Yes. That is the answer. Goodbye dancing scars. Goodbye everyting. Goodbye. Goodb---