Jack Gilinsky- Distance

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My head was cold. My feet were cold. I was cold. But I was at peace. I lay in silence, listening to the sirens pass by, the cars beep and the occasional dog bark. The clouds looked perfect tonight almost as if I was staring at a picture in an art gallery; each cloud consistent in fluffiness, as soft as candyfloss an all perfectly aligned. Stars were sparse in the city; only few could be seen from my balcony but those I did see made me question everything.

How can something so far away be so small but in reality, the complete opposite? How can such tiny specks in the sky actually be of sizes so colossal, of heats so unbearable and of beauties so unexplainable? The only thing that makes the star seem so underrated is distance.

Distance; 'the state of being apart in space, as of one thing from another' Distance was often the source of my problems. The distance between my mother and father cause them to separate, the distance between my home and my dream college gave me worries, the distance between my Grandma and I caused her to die alone, the distance I keep myself from people in regards to socialising causes me to have a behaviour disorder and the distance I feel, emotionally between me and the successes I have in life, often have me in waves of depression...

  My name is Haya Safia Hansen, Nationality; British, Origin; Iran, faith; unknown for now, Age; 16, Height; 5'2 and GPA; 4.0. I'm known as the "perfect child;" Luscious brown hair, beautiful blue-green eyes, flawless complexion and the "not-skinny-not-fat-but-curved" body.

As they say, 'You shouldn't judge a book by its cover' even though everyone does anyway, I may be complimented and often reminded by acquaintances, family members and random strangers to how I am actually very blessed aesthetically, They don't see how I then become into the world's most socially awkward person to exist. My cheeks become peaches, my shoulders feel weighted, my lips are glued shut and my knees become wobbly, I just can't speak or make conversations with those who I meet short term and sometimes even long term.

So as I flew through my sophomore and junior years in high school even with a late start from transferring from my secondary school in England, I will begin senior year in less than a week and I question; will anything change this year? Will I speak to someone other than my best friend Jasmine? Will I miss a class? Will I attend a class late for once? Will I eat in the cafeteria for a change? Will I lend someone a piece of my stationary? Will I try another sport bar football or as the Americans call it "soccer"? Or will I venture into the girls toilet when I'm not desperate?

The last one I'm not so sure of, school toilets are strictly for desperate measures but I really do think that this year might be different...

I got up as per usual and got freshened up. I made my way downstairs, grabbed an apple and left. I made my way to school as it was walking distance and kicked a pebble all the way to the entrance of the school. I saluted the flag in front of our school as a joke me and Jasmine would do which soon became a habit and went to the library.

I always went to the library, 30 minutes before school started and I didn't intend on ruining that tradition. I was also intending to reserve a book because I had been meaning to read it for a long time.

I went to the 'B' section to find the book wasn't there, "Excuse me..." A raspy voice called out.
I turned around abruptly, startled by the interruption, staring at the floor.