young-adult

No matter what, my chest always tightens up before a race. A rush of adrenaline spikes all the way down my spine, and it's like I'm right there. Right on top of Kali, squeezed in that metal stall, looking out at the dirt with my heart in my throat. The starter opens the gates, and the bell rings.

I couldn__ compete with Honesty, With her dark blonde hair streaked with auburn, With her captivating blue eyes, With her legs that stretched into forever. She had the brains, The body, The perfect resume for girlfriend. And me? I had the perfect resume for Best friend. All the boys said so.

I don__ like days that end without answers. I__l just keep my eyes open and we__l see what happens. I look up. One of the streetlights fades, disappearing as quick as it shone, the light sucked out of it. Life can be so hilarious sometimes I don__ have time to laugh.

I lovehow grown childrenwill still nametheir mothersthe mostbeautiful.It isas though,their eyeshave met the cascadingcurvesand goldensilhouettesof every woman.Yettheir soulsstilldrumto the beat_ of theirmother'swarmth and care.

If I say that you are mine, then I am yours.

I will not give up. I must not fail."Burt, Book 1 "Making it

It__ up to you to make your dreams real.

I stared at my lap. I wished I were confident, I wished I were brave. I wished he didn__ scare me. But the more he spoke the less I wanted to look away, and the more I did.

They all memorized a simple phrase, __e helpful, be useful, be scarce.

...to the world you may be one person, but to one person you may be the world_. You__e one of the lucky ones. You__e the world to far more people than you think.

I can feel my face growing warm, and I hope I'm not flushing in my terror. The feeling of helplessness and fear hits me hard, and once my mind validates the emotion, the physical fear of being maimed and eaten hits my skin as goose bumps in the heat.

I get what he means, because I think I've played pretend my whole life. I don't know when, but a really long time ago, I decided who I wanted to be. And I've been acting like her -- whoever she is -- since. But I think the act is fading, and I don't know if I like the person I am beneath it all. I wish there were some kind of magic words that could bridge the gap between the person I am and the one I wish I could be. Because the whole fake it till you make it thing? It's not working for me.

This is an epiphany moment, I can either sink or swim

Show yourself to the darkness, they said, and then you will see your face." --Nero SlyvenskiALL LIGHT WILL FALL

Whatever you just thought of, I__ not doing it._ Egg

Why spend your whole life on the high seas looking for treasure,' Peter asked, talking to the clouds as he scaled a rope up what remained of the half-crumbled mast, 'when you could have a promised pay check in exchange for all the life you'd live between nine-and-five.

If you're going to give up so quickly, I don't think you'll last long but you should try telling yourself you won't ever give up. Nobody can say how this will turn out but you should try the hardest you've ever tried in your life so you'll have no regrets

Kali has a habit of doing these beautiful works that never translate during the races in the afternoon. They call animals like her morning glories, or horrendous bets. Take your pick.