Another me
PTE
r sleep, Kalamazoo where my family immigrated to, has an unofficial yet respected curfew. The scenic town is located in Michigan state and has a mixture of groomed greenery and picket-fence houses. Lampposts with ornate designs almost seem like accessories on the impeccably clean streets lined with small commercial buildings that are wh
y states involved neon lights and glass skyscrapers, a multicultura
e told me to be thankful my uncle-my father's older brother, who has lived in Tennessee for some years-is a generous and kind man with the means t
in their performance. I've walked past the studio a few times, during the rare occasions my mom forces me to leave the house and run errands with her. Each time, I've stared through the window and watched either a dance routine or a musical per
briefly, a small furrow between his eyebrows, then turns to me. "Don't judge me," he says with a hand on his chest. "I'm a little wi
e more precise, why is he ru
you out right now. I didn't mean to. I was just ... um ... sorry." He smi
eyes. "Why are you dressed
ckles.
like you're about to rob a house but can't afford a
that most burglars are on a bud
that smart burglars invest in g
I'm not a very
e. "It seems l
d speaking. I've forgotten about my accent and the feeling of inadequacy I developed since moving he
ise. I'm actually trying to avoid some people." He turns around and surveys the
to avoid your
you know? Some time to myself. So I planned to grab a video gam
his empty hand. "W
e to grab one. I was lookin
he rescue of m
h. And then aft
I frown, then lift
r accent. I wanted t
ccent? I don't
tes his lip. "Right
m. He likes my accent, one of two things that make me sta
ol. Did your whole
h; I get wrapped up in a movie about teenagers; I meet a peculiar guy in a terrible disguise, and my grief is temporarily
s the
ught myself how to survive these moments, how to contain my gri
reathe with
and
and s
blue water flowing through me-dousing the fl
, laced with a touch of co
es. But I need to go. Than
orry for ... you k
then stop. "You kn
kes hi
g at my face this entire time, an
that's unfair." In one swift motion,
ct to his striking hazel-brown eyes. Soft flutters explode in my stomach, then intensify and
you o
away from his and look toward the pat
eet. There's an irrepressible urge at the pit of my stomach,
I