I Sat. And I Thought.

I Felt I Had A Very Innocent Childhood And I Feel Privileged By That. But As An Adult, I Know That There Were People Who Didn't Have That. There Are A Lot Of Teens Who Haven't Had As Easy A Childhood As Me, And Having Literature That Explores These "darker" Parts Helps Relieve The Burden And Stress They May Be Feeling. As A Writer, There Is Often A Temptation To Draw Back When We Write For Teens - To Preserve Their Innocence. But The Reality Is, If Someone Has Already Had That Innocence Taken In Their Life, Then Not Writing About It Is Just Brushing It Under The Rug.

Everything About It Was False. Right Then, In That Office, With The Realization That No One Knew The Truth About My Life, My Thoughts About The World Were Shaken.

Whenever I'm Out Late She Makes A Sandwich For My School Lunch. I Always Protest And Tell Her Not To, Saying I'll Make My Own When I Get Home. But She Likes It. She Says It Reminds Her Of When I Was Younger And Needed Her.

I Was Too Weak To Walk. At Least, I Thought I Was Too Weak. But In Truth, I Was Too Weak To Try.

As A Writer, My Only Responsibility Is To Tell A Compelling Story.