What Makes Us Girls by Brittany Pettibone

Author:Brittany Pettibone
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Reason Books

How We Let Others Fake Us Out

Like me, Lily was a writer. One of her favorite pastimes was to visit her local bookstore and browse the best-seller aisle. Shiny and perfectly packaged, the books had managed to attain the stamp of approval that Lily’s heart ached for. Her dream was to one day visit the bookstore and see a story of her own in the best-seller aisle. The problem was, apart from her family and close friends, no one complimented her stories. “You definitely have potential as a writer,” strangers told her, “but you still have a long way to go.”

Over time, Lily grew frustrated with hearing the same criticism. Can’t I just meet one person who likes my stories as much as I do? she thought. Are they really so bad?

One day, while out to breakfast with her friend, Brianna, Lily got her wish.

“I gave a copy of your book to a relative of mine,” Brianna said. “Last night, she called me up and told me she’s really enjoying it.”

Lily forgot the ham and eggs on her plate. She coughed as she fought to swallow her food and speak at the same time. “Who is it?” she gasped.

“Her name is—” Brianna paused, seeming reluctant to continue. “Her name is Carmen,” finally came the answer. “I should warn you, though. She’s a bit of a dark horse.”

Lily disregarded the warning. The only thing she wanted to hear was how to contact Carmen. For the first time in her life, a stranger was enjoying her book. Could it really be true? Lily imagined that she and Carmen shared a rare connection. At the very least, Carmen was capable of seeing something that others couldn’t see.

The minute Lily returned home, she contacted Carmen over social media.

Brianna told me you’re enjoying my book. She typed out the message, hands wringing in anticipation, and then pressed “send.”

Did the message sound too desperate? Maybe Carmen didn’t love the book; maybe she only liked it. Maybe Lily was getting worked up over nothing.

Beep.

A new message. Carmen had already responded.

Oh my gosh, I can’t believe it’s you! I love your book so much! I stayed up all night to finish it. I’ve already started reading it a second time.

Lily smiled and stared at the computer screen…blinking once…blinking twice…hardly believing that the words she was seeing were real. Clearly, her first instinct about Carmen had been correct: they shared a rare connection.

A few weeks passed. As Lily got to know Carmen better, she was thrilled to discover how alike they were. They shared the same favorite food. They shared the same favorite fashion brand. They shared the same favorite historical figure. They also shared the same favorite books, music and movies. Somehow, they even shared the same personal, political and religious beliefs.

Despite their almost too many similarities, Lily loved Carmen. She believed that having such a friend was a once in a lifetime opportunity. Her only complaint was that Carmen constantly needed to spend time together and talk.

“She has no shame about calling me in the middle of the night,” Lily complained to her mother.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.