Distorted

My name is Kendall Scott and I used to be normal.

My name is Kendall Scott and I am normal.

I chewed on the pen cap as I wrote. I debated scratching both things out and replacing them with something better.

I have nightmares and daydreams about people I know and strangers, and I’ve killed them all.

Throwing away the paper seemed like a smart idea, or saying I couldn't think of anything. For our English class, Mr. Halverson asked us to write about who we were. He wanted us to stand up at our desks and read what we put down, so I was scrambling to think of a good lie.

Looking around the room at the other students, something about all of them caught my eye. It was like I was watching a movie where the main character was so sure of himself, that he had nothing to be afraid of.

That wasn’t me.

One by one, row by row, people began to rise. Each of them said things that I couldn’t use: I'm brave. I'm loyal. I'm not afraid of anything. I love my family. I love myself. I rolled my eyes, knowing the ones that said those things were lying. So that was what it came down to.

When I was finally called, I stood with shaking hands and took a breath before speaking.

“My name is Kendall and I have nothing to hide.”