Kay

“Lost and aimless, I joined a drama society and met, or rather saw, a boy, the flame around which we, dull moths, amassed.”
― Emma van Straaten, Creep

“Listlessness does not become you, my mother used to say, but I always had the feeling that nothing on earth would ever become me: listlessness, earnestness, short hair, fringes, dark nail varnish, stripes, bodycon, A-line, tomboyishness, girlishness,
androgyny, bohemian carelessness, New York uptightness, smartness, sports kit, sports, sweating, civility, dresses, make-up, wistfulness, confidence, prudishness, sexuality, sexlessness, body hair, body weight, being overweight, that T-shirt of my sister's that I longed for - the one that I stole and wore and spoilt. Your father's daughter, my mother would say, turning away.”
― Emma van Straaten, Creep

“I didn't know it was happiness at the time, because it felt like busyness and exhaustion and financial stress and self doubt.”
― Virginia Evans, The Correspondent

“And you have no manners!' I retorted.
To my surprise she chuckled. 'That's the spirit,' she said. 'You must learn to stand up for yourself. I am amazed you let those tedious girls in your class make fun of you.
'They call me names,' I said.
'Then call them names too, worse ones. And play tricks on them. That is the fairy way.' said Bindweed.”
― Jacqueline Wilson, Project Fairy