On the couch that was also my bed in the apartment I'd lived in all my life, I sat, sucking my thumb, thinking of the terrible things he'd said to me, using them to ignite a small fire, to get myself warm and moving, to get myself gone.

Me?" I looked up and grinned back. "Nobody loves me. So, I'm doing okay.""You look a little worn out, if you ask me.

I wondered if other people had to work so hard to try and seem normal all of the time.

I probably didn't need to worry so much. There are some girls that nobody looks for. Turns out, I was one of those girls.