• "Close your eyes and imagine a place, far away from school, and this town." she said.

    "I'm closing my eyes..." I said.

    "Are you imagining anything happy?" she asked.

    "No." I said.

    "What then?" she demanded.

    I cleared my voice before I continued.

    "I'm standing in a barren wasteland. there's no one here but me, I stand alone." I said

    "What else?" she pressed.

    "I'm standing over the wasteland, it's my kingdom, my paradise, away from the worries of the world." I said. "I'm standing on a cliff, over everything. The sun's rays beat down on my face. It burns."

    "What next?" she asked.

    "I instantly wish my kingdom was in pure darkness, how my heart felt now. It suddenly turns to night, the stars are shining above." I said.

    I clear my throat before speaking again.

    "I'm suddenly holding a handful of precious diamonds. I look at them for a long time. I grip them hard, and throw them in the sky, with their brothers and sisters, the stars."

    "Why did you do that?" she asked.

    I turn to her and look her straight in the eye.

    "Because I don't need diamonds to be who I want to be, I'll stay gold forever."