words born from my soul @riahandherthoughts - Tumblr Blog

An Eternal Bond

Her eccentric soul was genuinely loved by only one. He looked upon her with eyes of adoration from the very beginning of it all.

A stray dog was he, whose loyalty was never earned by those he passed by. In his eyes, humans rarely held his interest - looking past them like they were not even there. In reality, they were simply not worth his time.

As humans continued to disappoint him, he began to believe that each was the same. That is, until her voice rang in his ears for the first time.

Unlike all the rest, he could not look away from her bright light. She was different, he knew this at first glance. Not one dull or gray color made up the soul he met on that fateful day.

So, she became the only exception to exist in the cynical dog's world.

The girl came across a stray in a secluded alley, and immediately smiled with warmth.

"Aren't you lonely in this dark place?" She asked him as she held out her pale hand.

He didn't need to answer - she could read it in his big brown eyes.

"Come me with me then, and we shall be lonely together."

Her hand was an invitation, a soft one he had never been offered before. He found himself unable to refuse.

They walked out of the dark together - the young girl and the stray dog. He followed behind her gladly, gifting his loyalty to her, though she never asked for it and never would.

In the past everyone attempted to win earn it, proving themselves in some foolish way. In return, the dog was stubborn in his complicated way. You see, he deeply yearned for the companionship offered time and time again. But giving away his loyalty felt like signing a part of his soul away.

He never wanted the mundane humans to covet what each thought of as a prize. A tool to use for their own selfish gain. Was it ridiculous to hope for a bond that never required anything in return? Love that was for his true soul, instead of greed for only a single piece others thought valuable? A piece he found overrated.

The stray wanted to be loved for who was deep within. Beneath the apathetic facade, he dreamed of the compassion he often spoke of in distain.

He knew, he always did, that humans whom saw the truth would only take advantage. And this stray was anything but naive.

The girl of sunlight came to him, innocently offering all he ever wanted. She never had a clue, and yet selflessly gifted him something she knew he may never want.

Still, she willingly held it out, as if offering her own soul for him to do with as he pleased. He found her naïve, but that somehow made her more beautiful.

The whispered words, "Others' happiness brings me happiness" came to his ears, yet her lips never moved.

He knew then that she was the home he had been searching for. The one that never required his loyalty, never even thought of it. And that is exactly why he gifted it anyway.

"You may only gift me something if it makes you happy. Your happiness is my only requirement - that is enough for me."

A stray that always wandered became a clingy puppy around a young girl. The kind always begging for attention, needing it, from only one person in the world.

No, this dog didn't change who he was. Instead he allowed the protective walls inside him to fall within her presence.

With her, he was safe. Showing the parts of himself never afforded to anyone in the past. In the stray's eyes, none were worthy except for she.

And as love is supposed to be, she met him halfway without hesitation. She showed parts of herself that did not appear on her "public face" - the one she wore surrounded by countless people.

The stray loved her even more for what was beneath her constant mask. Like his walls, it was meant to protect what had been long ago.

"You and I may be different, but it is those differences that create the kindred soul between us." She once told him.

"Our personalities and experiences may contrast, but they both led us to the same place. We understand the pain better than anyone else."

He always listened to her talk, her words containing the same melody from when they met. The stray rarely said much, allowing her to ramble about whatever was filling that chaotic mind of hers.

In the end he always said the same words, "I love you".

He never stopped finding her adorable, despite her words often being weird. In a way, it made her even more adorable. Then again, the stray always saw her as perfection - a fact her frequently reminded her.

Her perfection was rare as it would not fade. It was more than just the beautiful appearance he saw every day. It was her soul and the years of memories they had together.

This is a story about a callous stray dog people claim to have seen walking the city streets.

"He doesn't like anyone." They'd whisper loudly to each other.

"No wonder he is a stray." The gossips always stressed the last word as though it were dirty.

This dog became so infamous that the gave him the nickname "demon dog", referring to the dark coloring of his coat.

A name derived from shallow perspectives - it never did surprise him. In fact, he did not care about them at all, let alone any of the rumors they concocted and shared just for the entertainment.

Because this story is not about them; it never has been.

It is about whom the stray comes home to - her.

The girl who shines brightly from within.

Her and him together - a love he can always come home to.

Why? Well, silly, because it never leaves.

- written by riah

Inspired by my best friend who is a dude

#writing #original writing #best friend #friendship #writers on tumblr #tumblr poetry #free verse #free write #creative writing

My Innocent Love

He was my innocent summer boy who found a way to my heart despite the walls that encased it. Unlike the rest, he didn’t wish to keep it. He only asked to admire it beyond the walls that hid such beauty.

His request was innocent and nothing more, so I took a chance, giving him the key that unlocked the barriers surrounding my vulnerability. Keeping his word, he did just that: admired my heart while telling me in passionate words just how unique I truly was.

Upon my journey back home, I kept his memories with me until his spirit grew so great he made a home inside the very heart he admired. The home was perfect, he had told me, as long as it stayed exactly where it was. He claimed it did not need to be anywhere else, and if anyone genuinely loved me they would only ask to admire it as well.

My innocent summer boy stopped existing after that summer passed. With time he grew up and became someone else, robbing him the innocence he once loved my heart.

The only remainder of that boy of mine lives in his home right inside a heart beating in my chest. My memory of him is the only trace left of a boy who gave me love without ever needing to take my heart. He simply cherished and helped it grow instead.

- written by riah

#writing #innocent #childhood #love #growing up #original writing #free write #original prose #creative writing #summer #prose #poetry #poem #heartbreak #heartbroken

Legend of the Oldest Friendship

Two girls met both at the ripe age of twelve,

Fate decided it could no longer shelve.

Years and years ago it all began there,

Led to a friendship that first began with a nightmare.

Teenage girls are not always nice,

Often jealous, nothing will suffice

To quench their insatiable thirst.

As such, these girls were eventually cursed.

Being petty - they fought over attention

From another girl filled only with pretension.

Being naive, they both saw the same

A girl with no flaws they needed to acclaim.

Insecurities rode them oh-so high,

She easily manipulated both on standby

In case she needed someone to bring down,

Whenever they simply quit holding up her crown.

On top she had the finest view,

Only retained if she told the untrue.

She consistently told what needed to be perfected

Figuring then they would always feel dejected.

She forgot to consider the arrogance going to her head,

And the kindred hearts that sought each other as they bled.

The two girls ended up better together than alone,

Finding their most genuine friend in the dark unknown.

Two girls began their story together from then on,

A life long friendship that is not foregone.

Best friends they remain even now,

Forever and ever - their unbreakable vow.

- written by riah

Dedicated to Elizabeth - my oldest and original best friend

#writing #poetry #freewrite #original prose #bestfriend #childhood #friendship #life #middle school #teenager

me: I'm going to bed early tonight.

me:

me: is that the sun

-----

and guess what kept me up that long? certainly not writing psh

‘THE’ Friday Night //my childhood memory

Elizabeth and I once hid a boy in her closet.

Okay - maybe not exactly that, but he did sleep in there.

We had spent the night being teenage rebels, deciding to drink peach schnapps down by the lake - which was more of an oversized pond.

But one didn’t tell the neighborhood kids that. They were defensive about their lake.

We quietly tiptoed back into her house way past midnight after our three person drinking party - one I spent most of the time watching Elizabeth make out with this boy who did not hide in her closet.

Apparently he wasn’t going anywhere until his dad picked him up the next morning, so he was sorta stuck at her house. Which was super awkward because she couldn’t just kick him out.

He hadn’t planned on sleeping since all he brought was a backpack that literally only held the alcohol, well it had before Beth and him drank the entire bottle.

I was the bad ass who only took a small sip of the peach flavored shot before I made a gross face - deciding then that I wouldn’t drink after all. At that point getting drunk wasn’t worth the nastiness I would have to swallow in order to achieve such an objective.

Apparently, I had this realistic idea that the alcohol would taste yummy and get me drunk at the same time. Because I was such an expert on these things.

After all, who would bother to drink something so often if it never tasted any good?

Imagine my disappointment upon discovering that alcohol wasn’t tasty after all! My excitement for how drunk I’d get that night slowly deflated.

It wasn’t as if I had been looking forward to this night for weeks and weeks and weeks…

I spent the night completely sober while watching others drink.

The past month was spent in such anticipation that I began to daydream scenarios of what could possibly happen that night.

None of these scenarios played out the same way my night ended up - not even fucking close.

I certainly didn’t spend time daydreaming about my best friend making out with a strange boy, the one who didn’t spend the night in her closet, as I sat nearby watching. Spending time thinking about Elizabeth kissing people wasn’t exactly a habit of mine.

And fine - maybe I didn’t stare at the two of them conceiving mouth babies after all. I did think think about it for quite awhile, though.

Then again, I was kinda sorta having an internal struggle with myself while Elizabeth casually made out with someone she had only just met and that was something I found absolutely inconceivable in my 12 year old mind.

This 12 year old could not figure out if she should look away, speak up, or actively stare at them like the creep she really wanted to be just to be a butthead.

I don’t really know if I ever figured out what the hell to do with myself. There’s a chance that I indeed sat there floundering over my options the entire time they spent making out.

For the next thing I knew they had stopped as abruptly as they had began - the trigger to what finally short circuited my brain.

I was officially done with this night.

I think it was done with me as soon as I tasted the alcohol.

As I mentioned toward the very beginning, this boy was basically stuck at Beth’s house, but her parents could not discover him being here. We were barely teenagers. I doubt her dad would have been happy, and he could get pretty fucking scary when angered.

We often compared him to a huge ass bear - it was pretty accurate.

Elizabeth’s solution to this predicament was pretty simple: she offered for him to sleep in her closet.

Offered - as if presenting her closet was such a selfless act done in consideration for this kid we hardly knew and who we were not going to hide in the closet - oh wait–

I’m still convinced we mostly became friends with him in order to obtain booze.

The most hilarious thing was that this kid was totally cool with sleeping in her small ass closet.

As soon as she offered it he made himself at home in there, clearly he was offered closets to sleep in on the regular.

I can’t recall if her closet was even organized that night. For all I knew, he might have slept on top of Elizabeth’s dirty laundry, the ideal bed everyone needed, of course.

Eventually we slept, I guess, my short circuited brain must have fucked with my memory or some shit because I can’t remember.

While I can easily remember what my thoughts were the whole night as if this memory didn’t happen 9ish years ago.

And that made complete sense.

Did I mention this happened 9 years ago?

The next thing I remember is when our new friend [our booze provider] was getting picked up.

Of course, Elizabeth’s dad had to choose that particular moment to emerge from her parents room only to see us two girls showing a boy to the door with a backpack in his possession.

I wonder what his immediate impression of that was. I would have laughed at our situation had I not been an active participant. One did not want to be on the receiving end of her dad’s very unhappy glower - as if there’s any other kind.

My best friend ended up saving our asses in her expert way of taking charge of situations and molding them into what suited her best at the time. She had always been a smooth liar, being so convincing that it was scary sometimes.

Concerning these kinds of situations, however, those qualities become incredibly helpful to have.

I’m gonna go with saying that having an Elizabeth in your back pocket is helpful.

There, I like the sound of that better.

My best friend is my trump card.

The secret weapon I keep hidden unless I have no other choice

The ace in the hole.

My personal “Get Out of Jail Free” card.

Okay - I’m done now - all out of my system.

Anyway, her dad immediately channeled protective father bear - bear persona #1.

His first question was something along the lines of ‘What is a boy doing in my house?' - he and I both wanted that answer.

Never missing a bit, Elizabeth spouted off half truths and words that were utter bullshit until she had put together a false story that was valid enough for her dad to finally believe before heading back to sleep.

Final crisis averted, we watched the boy that we didn’t mean to hide in a closet but kind of did in the end leave. Pleasantries might have been exchanged like discussing hanging out again but not really meaning it - or fuck I don’t know.

But wait wasn’t our motivation to befriending him based on alcohol?

Are we becoming actual friends to him now?

Wait - what the hell is even going anymore.

I got too carried away in all my jokes - so I’m just lost here.

My brain short circuited remember.

How many more times do you think I can use that as an excuse?

Is it obvious now that the story has come to the very end?

Well, it has.

—

This is the debut for a new writing series I’ve created. This series is inspired by my best friend Elizabeth, for the most part. It’ll consist of childhood memories that I’ll write into a story of some sort. Each one will be about my time spent at Elizabeth’s house and everything that connects with it.

My memories from spending time there were always unique and out of the box. Memories someone HAD to write about about because they were that different and entertaining. It’s as if they were meant to be written about, ya know?

So, yeah, look forward to that, I suppose! <3

Fearing Love

For those I’ve met before, Ones I couldn’t help but adore. Piece by piece the heart left sore Only to be harmed more and more. Now trust is nevermore, My personal art of war.

Living this day by day, Seeming like such a cliche Feelings I refuse to convey. Fearing the unknown I still remain All to avoid the possible pain.

Yet, when I look into your eyes, Frantically searching for any lies. You speak to me - a sappy lullaby. The hopeless romantic is feeling butterflies.

Around you my walls always fall. May I please drown in alcohol? For vulnerability is my downfall.

Now how am I supposed to function?

- written by riah

#new poets society #original poem #reposted

Childhood Strife

She is an innocence long forgotten,

As such, those qualities cannot be bought-en.

It enables such a bright smile.

One that could easily beguile.

Every day she reminds me

Of why I’m living this reality.

My calling has always pointed this direction,

Made obvious by a familiar reflection.

In it I saw my child self stare back,

Her lonely eyes foretelling the prozac.

She needed to be told the truth

Before lies would orchestrate her youth.

Without honest words she would fall

Into a void where she would withdrawal,

Looking for ways to escape such hell

Alcohol and drugs made it simply a rebel.

No one recognized the numerous signs

Enough to look between the lines.

Despite the ignorance of every adult,

She knew what was happening without aid from consult.

Mother sent her to a stranger who was meant to assist

All he gave her were reminders of why she should exist.

His diagnosis listing issues she was already aware,

While she sat there always wishing to be elsewhere.

Medication soon became the ideal solution

Yet it all failed to show an obvious evolution.

That is, until she stopped consuming the drug

Quickly realizing that withdrawal’s face was always smug.

Monthly she was required to sit in that office chair

Encouraged to describe her life and its nightmare.

She always found her specialist’s voice troublesome to grasp,

So the girl rambled the entire half hour until her voice turned rasp.

He never helped her in any meaningful way

Discovering more in self reflections despite her mind’s disarray.

Mother saw the same profession as well

Causing the same words to act like a carousel.

“She loves you very much.” - He reiterated at least once per session

“I can’t tell you what is said in your mother’s sessions.” - His attempt at discretion

As much as she could not understand him,

He barely saw her through the scrim.

Invisible to only a few

It was impossible to breakthrough.

She stood behind it without choice,

Never heard by him for she never had a voice.

She slowly learned over the years:

Never to let others see your tears

One must first struggle in order to get strong

How to become the adult you needed as a child all along

Let people go even if it pains the heart

Sometimes people are meant to stay apart.

If someone returns to your life when you least expect

They are meant to stay with the positive aftereffect.

One last lesson she would always keep in mind

Was something often forgotten by humankind.

The only person who will truly know

Your genuine self will never hide in shadow.

That individual will sing and compose

Music that had lyrics that would only disclose

An answer that revealed yourself from the prose.

You will then stare at yourself as it shows

Someone who knows better than all of those.

A true, genuine rose.

- written by riah

---

I cut this from a longer poem I wrote. This is basically the first half... Right before the poem sorta loses focus and begins to not flow quite as nicely.

That’s just some slightly interesting insight to my draft writing stage. It also involves a lot of crossing out words, sometimes whole pages, so that gets tons of fun! :D

The rest of the (original) poem will probably be published in separate parts, most of which is written pretty well. It just doesn’t flow or sound good when read all together.

Happy endings bring children happiness - a simple life lesson

If I had my way back then,

A happy ending would happen time and again.

That way I never forgot

In case I became suddenly distraught.

Maybe then I could revisit the happy ending I once sought,

Rekindling a certain happiness I was never taught.

- written by riah

The Very Beginning of the Princess’ Story

Once upon a time, a young, naive girl hid from reality.

Her life was once lived in a castle, a happy ending guaranteed. Back then she was shielded from the cruelness of life, so she ran barefoot through the grass without a care in the world - just as children should.

When mommy and daddy began to raise their voices with words meant to cut, she finally paused. She had been kept oblivious to the happenings surrounding her seemingly perfect family and life - an action done purposely.

So, when the day her world began to shift, the castle slowly cracking, she was caught off guard.

Not understanding the change, questions were uttered from her mouth, only to be placated with false answers especially meant for children.

Thus began the destruction of her perfect princess life.

Daddy stayed behind, promising to come to them later, as they started their move - off to new, better beginnings... Or it was so claimed.

From then on, Daddy lived far away, explaining that it was not possible to earn money and live with them at the same time, though he promised to visit as often as possible.

In the end, all she got from those words were false promises.

And so, Daddy left his only daughter to live with only her mother for the rest of her adolescence. It quickly became clear in that time that mommy was not daddy. She did not hide the little girl's eyes from the hurt that proceeded their lives. Mommy was overly dependent, something the little girl learned that hard way.

It was only the two of them, now living in small cottages instead of sturdy castles, and no one else would ever be there with them. Just her and mommy under one roof, one mommy never wanted her precious little daughter to leave her under alone.

The little princess was bestowed a crown without her awareness, one that was much too large for a girl her age - a newly turned twelve.

As time passed, her world eventually completely changed for the third time in her life - the same amount of homes lived in over the years.

Something about this one, though, was much different. Maybe it was isolation, her age of fifteen years, the timing, or mommy's behavior that gradually became more and more off each day. Then again, it was more likely all of the above and how darkly it all mixed together, thus creating an endless cause and effect that would linger for the rest of the girl's youth.

The first assault was due to the timing of her school enrollment. In the middle of the second half of her 9th grade year, she struggled silently. Classes differed so much that she stopped caring for her consistent C average.

Always a friendly person, making friends had never been a hardship. Unfortunately, many of her attachments were left behind, and she yearned for each soul she had befriended and became quite close to. It ached her heart more each day she went without seeing them, knowing there was no turning back. Mommy needed another beginning - her third - which was supposedly the charm.

But no matter the effort the now teenage girl made, genuine friendships continued to elude her in this intimidating, new place. She was met with meanness from ones she settled with eventually - desperate to belong somewhere.

How disillusioned she was.

For the first time in this young girl's life, a dark void began to form, loneliness rearing its head above her, threatening to swallow her whole. A fact that wouldn't be realized until much later is that this was when her depression was completely formed. Before now, there was always something to fend it off, but soon, without that shield, it became an entity that would affect her for the rest of her life.

She knew she had to be there for mommy, no matter what she felt within herself. No matter the amount of times mommy would cry loudly in her room and lock her door while claiming her daughter didn't care for her. And no matter how many times the young girl sat outside her mommy's bedroom door crying and begging for her to let her in so she could make everything right, she knew her own feelings needed to be set aside for reasons such as this. It was all pushed aside, and she allowed that darkness to live within her, with no evidence visible, everything hidden behind her carefree smile forced upon her pale face.

Soon, she gave up the effort in trying to belong. Somehow, she became complacent in her friendless predicament. Putting in the effort and caring only led to disappointment and hurt feelings - things she didn't find worth it in the end.

The void of loneliness became so unbearable that she turned to books. As mentioned at the beginning, the young, naive girl began to hide from reality, more specifically her reality. Being alone had always been her biggest fear, only made more evident after daddy left.

Her new life had become much too dark to remedy now, and a small part of her didn't want to fix it. A part of her wanted to punish herself for reasons she could not explain.

She escaped within the stories, consuming the pages of countless books she checked out from the library. It allowed her to create foreign worlds, making them real in her head where her imagination ruled above all.

Her own world only brought her unhappiness, so she created her own that did the opposite. It was how she able to move forward and survive despite the hell she found herself in. All she had to do was make it through the remaining school days, she told herself.

She cried more in those Winter months than she had in a long time, especially when the void became too much for her to escape from. Gritting her teeth, she forced herself to push through, with tears streaking down her face, convinced that her chance at healing lay beyond the dark fog that drenched the surroundings, leaving her lost within it all.

Wandering blindly, relying solely on instinct, she emerged, and made a plan to return to her old life, to her real friends as soon as possible. There, she was convinced that she would find herself again, and be reminded of how much their love was needed in order for her to feel complete. In her new life, she had forgotten it, and ended up suffering as a result. This time she would not forget, and she would enter the new year with an armor that she had left behind before.

With this new confidence she knew she would survive because it was made up of her tribe's love - an irreplaceable consistency she wouldn't find anywhere else. She promised herself that with the new year, she would make more of an effort to find friends without being blinded by falsehoods like before. She would find a place in her new life where she belonged and would be happy, at the very least. She refused to accept any other possibility. With this new layer on her, she had the confidence to make what seemed impossible before completely possible now.

However, this princess' tale is far from over... This is simply the first chapter of her story.

To Be Continued.

- written by riah

---

NOTE: THIS IS NOT EDITED YET.

So, ignore any spelling/grammar/whatever errors there may be. I’ll get around to correcting those... Eventually. :P

Until then, I have no idea when I’ll publish part 2, considering I haven’t started writing it yet. I’ll get on that whenever I feel like it, I guess. In the off chance I get feedback from this and most of the responses are positive, I may publish the second part sooner rather than later. <3

The Fairy Princess Speaks

I was known as the fairy princess, a title that seemed to bring joy to a lot of people. I had always liked making people happy, making them laugh especially. And that was their response each time I opened my mouth to say something silly that I normally would keep to myself.

It's not like I was actually this vapid, but it was fun to put on the act. It's not like I was being serious about half the things I said. Yet, who would be smart enough to actually discover my hidden depth? I cannot say anyone actively bothered.

They all foolishly thought I didn't understand their words when they insulted me to my face. Unbeknownst to them, I could hear their cruel whispers of who they thought I was. Yes, it hurt, but I didn't bother changing. I did not react. Instead I skipped and spun upon that beautiful stage that was home to me.

At that time in my life, I was quite naive. I didn't think there was much else to me, so I embodied the role they gave me, thinking they knew me better than I knew myself.

It was easier to be someone else on that stage. The lights so bright upon me onstage, that I could not see the audience right in front of my eyes. That only helped the illusion. It was as if my imagination were coming to life in reality - my real life.

Many would claim that when I was onstage, I lit it up even more. A bright light surrounded me from within, brighter than the others around me, both onstage and off. Supposedly, when I entered a room and simply smiled, it lit the entire place up. Maybe that was why the stage was home for me; I felt like I belonged, as if I were born to be on it.

Backstage, others became themselves once again, but I would only switch roles... Back to the fairy princess. I can't remember a time where I wasn't playing a part back then. When I think back on it, I become very saddened, but I don't think I ever felt that way at the time. It could be because I was unaware of the false face I presented, convinced it was truly me.

I can picture it even now, me stepping into the fairy princess shoes, prancing on the stage during meetings or get-togethers. Those of us in "leadership roles" (something I was voted into due to popularity more than anything else) stood on stage with the those bright lights down, in front of the ones sitting in seats as though they were an actual audience themselves. And, in a way, they kind of were.

I'd do my little bits, all as the fairy princess in order to receive laughs or smiles. I felt the need to entertain, though I don't know why. They always stared, watched my as I skipped along and sang. I couldn't help but feel as if they constantly expected something from me during these moments. Everyone looked at me the same way, all except for one.

When he looked upon me, it was much different than the others. So much so, that even just for a few seconds, I'd stop in my tracks and stare back before continuing on my way as though nothing had happened. It soon became clear that unlike the others, he didn't expect anything from me. It was the same everywhere I saw him. In the hallways, our gazes would collide in passing and kept that contact until we had no choice but to turn away. Or at lunch where our eyes would somehow find each other from tables away, becoming trapped in our own little world and zoning out the conversations around us - no words, only our eyes spoke a language I did not understand.

The way he looked me was as if he could see through me, or through the fairy princess act, trying to penetrate the deeper walls within myself. Ones I never knew existed before then. I never bothered to speak to him. In all honesty, I hoped he would seek me out instead. I oh so badly wished he'd show me that there was more to me than the fairy princess role because I found it too difficult to search within myself. I wanted help breaking down the walls that were inside me after all, for I felt too weak to attempt it myself.

When everyone around you saw something else, assumed you were someone else, it was almost impossible to think differently. He became the reason I started questioning myself. The very reason I began to scratch tentatively on those walls erected in me. I only wished he had extended a hand before I moved on.

It wasn't until my time was over in that place and I had to move on to new beginnings, that I began to find my real self. There was no reason to keep up the fairy princess facade, so she became someone I left behind and didn't bother to look over shoulder as I did so.

I met new people and didn't allow them to dictate who I was, but it slowly became clear that that was not their intention. I found myself through a new crowd, one I would probably never had associated myself with before then. But they took you as you were, never bothering to tell you who they thought you were. They saw you as the person you showed them and accepted it without complaint, and soon became a family that was genuine, honest, and easy going.

I forgot all about those I left behind and those I moved on with since we shared the same graduation year. Now whenever I saw them it was a polite hello or no acknowledgement at all before we quickly moved on down the separate paths we were walking. However, the one person who saw me when I couldn't see myself, never left my mind. I wondered if he thought of me as much as I did him.

A large part of me hoped to see him again, so I could finally give him the words I had wanted to share way back then. Whether or not we came across one another again would be a mystery left to fate, I suppose. And from what life has taught me: it would happen when I least expected it.

- written by riah

Watching the Fairy Princess

In all those years, we watched her prance across that stage. She shined under those lights, brighter than all those around her. It was that inner light she possessed. She simply stood out, and we would look.

Her smile was always present on her face. I cannot recall a moment of her without it. Some stared, wondering how she always seemed to be happy. No one ever saw her shed tears or even lose her temper.

When she spoke, her words were always silly, often saying things that came off as quite daft. The impression she gave was the typical dumb blonde whom would occasionally say things that caused people to shake their heads in exasperation.

She was quickly dubbed "the fairy princess" and the nickname stuck. It was her reputation, but she never seemed bothered by it. Instead she seemed to embrace it, while seemingly remaining oblivious to the whispers behind her back that spoke of how stupid or attention seeking she was.

If she truly heard those whispers she never led on. Many became convinced she really was too oblivious to notice all those who made fun of her, sometimes even to her face with laughter. Each time, though, she never caught on, as thought she were too slow to catch onto the hidden (sometimes obvious) insults.

Always skipping away, never keeping still. Her mind was always running in multiple directions, to which she often shared aloud. Either impulsive or said to get a reaction - one would never know. No one ever knew, for she showed only one side of herself. If asked, many would say it was because that was it - that was all she was. She had no other layers, nothing deeper than the surface.

However, what if there was something deeper within her? A well so deep with layers, you could not see the bottom. It didn't make sense how a soul could shine so much upon the stage, taking countless breaths away, only to be a vapid, simple blonde girl behind the curtain.

What if the dumb blonde was just another part she played? For whatever reason, she showed a false face, almost as if she were trying to live up to whatever label she was given.

No one bothered to obtain the answers to my silent questions, though. And, unfortunately, I was too much of a coward to find them myself. Either too scared of being disappointed or too intimidated by her, I would never know... Because I never made an attempt to find out before she finally disappeared.

- written by riah