In with the Old Pt. 2

If you didn't see part one, I am posting a few pieces out of my high school writing binder. All of these pieces are four or more years old, but I have held onto them all this time because they were all fairly important to me.

Face the World

Warm light shines obnoxiously through the cracks between the blinds. Tick...tick....tick....beep...beep...beep... Red light consumes her eyes 6:00 AM shines too brightly in her face. Beep...beep....snooze!
Blankets cover her face to hide the intolerable, awakening brightness.
Tick...tick...tick...and before she knew it...BEEP...BEEP! Red lights again. Six ten.
Blankets gather at the end of the bed, hair a mess. Yesterdays makeup smears don't hide the lack of confidence plastered on her face.
Faucets running, left over toothpaste in the sink. She combs her hair quickly, carelessly.
And the mirror above the sink reveals her dreaded reflection. She traces every facial feature with her glare, finding something wrong with everything. Concentrating on her eyes...momentarily lost in deep thought. Words that have so far been just thoughts, unexpectedly pass over her lips.

 "I'm conscious of my broken heart,

And well aware of my fears."

She paused...took a deep breath...

"I'm unpredictable and slightly overwhelmed,

and it's likely I may never fully trust again."

"I cry too hard, I scream too loud."

She let out a deep sigh, then shook her head.

"And...and I never sleep well..

..uhh..I second guess everything."

"And take things far too personally."

She hesitated...

"But I'm going to be okay?"

"Wait, what am I doing?"

"Trying to convince myself?"

She paused again,

Fists clenched,

Chin lowered,

Eyes welling with tears.

She took a deep breath,

And glared into the reflection of her eyes once again.

Hesitantly she spoke...

"No, I'm sure of it...."

"I'm going to be okay..."

She silently questioned herself once more.

"Yeah, I'm going to be just fine."

She shakes her flowing hair and a smile finds its way too her face. She walks away from the mirror, shuts off the lights, steps into her heels, flips her hair over her shoulder and walks out the door. Bright, warm, welcoming light hits her face. She stops on her doorstep. Deep breath...welcoming the fresh air. She takes it all in. Happiness still plastered to her face, she walked down the street confidently for the first time since he'd left.

--AA