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Playing with Fire LJ Shen 15860K 2023-08-29

“It is never too late to be what you e Eliot

My Chemical Romance—“Helena”

Bikini Kill—“Rebel Girl”

Blondie—“Atomic”

Sufjan Stevens—“Mystery of Love”

Rag’n’Bone Man—“Human”

Healy—“Reckless”

Powfu—“Death Bed”

Grace

The only thing to remain completely untarnished after the fire was

It was a cheap-looking ring The type you get in a plastic egg when you shove a dollar into a machine at the mall Grandma Savvy said Momma alanted me to have it

Fire symbolized beauty, fury, and rebirth, she explained Too bad inbut my demise

Gra from their own ashes She said that hat Momma wanted for herself—to rise above her circumstances and prevail

My momma wanted to die and start over

She only got one out of the two

But ot both

November 17th, 2015

Sixteen years old

The first time I woke up in a hospital bed, I’d asked the nurse to helpto ht me

I didn’t wish for the insurance money to kick in quickly, or to end world poverty

I asked for my beauty back

I passed out shortly after, exhausted by ht specks of conversations as visitors flooded my room

“…prettiest girl in Sheridan Elegant little nose Pert lips Blonde, blue-eyed Crying shame, Heather”

“Might as well been a model”

“Poor thing doesn’t knohat she’s wakin’ up to”