“hug time!”; me, Angie, and toby in a bed; messy closet; BOXES OF CHRISTMAS ; ripped lashes on my fingertips; 18 and jobless; dad choked my boyfriend; “the doctor says you have a concussion”; transferring to Northeast High School; no friends; “PELUCHE!”; dad screams at babies; run away; they enforce the uniform rules too much; eyebrow scar; that cliché movie you see before you die; COLLEGE. COLLEGE. COLLEGE. COLLEGE; failed 4^th grade; swing set gone; grounded since I was born; cheetah print bed; “go live with your future husband!”; sleepless nights; toby ripped out my lip; January 21^st, 1996; my dog’s soft black fur; “IF you get accepted”