the year is 2009

i was alone making bracelets at a craft table in the back of the cramped room in the church for summer vacation bible school. the vbs had a bunch of kids and tweens, i was one of the oldest people there at 15 years old. i already made multiple plastic bracelets with black and white beads, all of them collecting up my arm. most of them had my favorite band names; PTV, MCR, Falling in Reverse...

i saw someone my age sit down at my table, my music coming from my ipod was so loud, i didn’t see her walk in the room at first. i took out my earbuds to talk to her, nodding my head to the side to get my hair out of the way.

“i’m james..”