I lived my life on scales

"Most people think of a scale as something that tells you your weight, but for me, it's how I measure my entire life. On the left side, there's my mom's house-pale blue walls, organic snacks, and a rule that we never mention 'him.' On the right side, there's my dad's apartment-smelling like takeout and awkward silence, where I'm the only one who remembers to buy milk. I'm sixteen years old, and I don't live in a home; I live in the middle. I'm the silver needle in the center of the scale, constantly swinging back and forth, trying to keep two worlds from crashing into each other. My name is Sasha, and I've spent my whole life wondering if I'll ever get to step off and just... breathe."