Have you ever been told that you were perfectly normal? It's likely that you have been a time or two; maybe by a parent or a best friend when you're feeling self-conscious about yourself. On occasion, you just want to be reminded that you're normal, plain and simple.

I, however, have never been told that I'm normal. There is nothing even slightly normal about me. Everyone knows that if they say I'm normal, they would be lying. Instead, they tell me I'm unique. Special. Different. They use their pretty words to console me. For years, it worked. I sucked it all in, enjoying what I thought was praise.

Now, I see the sadness behind their eyes when they speak to me. They wish I was normal. They don't like it that I'm so much different from them.

All of those words... they can drive you insane, you know, once you realize they aren't compliments. I would prefer to be a simple, boring normal person, than a strange, lonely one. It's all I ever think about. What would it be like to go out and make friends? To write an essay for English class? Or even to join the swim team?

My parents don't even let me go to school. I stay hidden away in the house. The curtains stay drawn tight, the doors locked, and lights dimmed.
They don't want anyone to know I'm here.