Если я останусь

           Icanunderstandwhyyou’dwantto,butthinkaboutthis:Ifyoudie,there’sgoingtobeoneofthosecheesyPrincessDianamemorialsatschool,whereeveryoneputsflowersandcandlesandnotesnexttoyourlocker."Shewipesawayarenegadetearwiththebackofherhand."Iknowyou’dhatethatkindofthing."

           Maybeitwasbecauseweweretooalike.AssoonasKimshoweduponthescene,everyoneassumedwe’dbebestfriendsjustbecausewewerebothdark,quiet,studious,and,atleastoutwardly,serious.Thethingwas,neitheroneofuswasaparticularlygreatstudent(straightBaveragesallaround)or,forthatmatter,allthatserious.Wewereseriousaboutcertainthings—musicinmycase,artandphotographyinhers—andinthesimplifiedworldofmiddleschool,thatwasenoughtosetusapartasseparatedtwinsofsomesort.

           Immediatelywegotshovedtogetherforeverything.OnKim’sthirddayofschool,shewastheonlypersontovolunteertobeateamcaptainduringasoccermatchinPE,whichI’dthoughtwasbeyondsuck-uppyofher.Assheputonherredjersey,thecoachscannedtheclasstopickTeamB’scaptain,hiseyessettlingonme,eventhoughIwasoneoftheleastathleticgirls.AsIshuffledovertoputonmyjersey,IbrushedpastKim,mumbling"thanksalot."

           Thefollowingweek,ourEnglishteacherpairedustogetherforajointoraldiscussiononToKillaMockingbird.Wesatacrossfromeachotherinstonysilenceforabouttenminutes.Finally,Isaid.