What I Know Now The things you learn in the year you figure yourself out are not the same as the things you learn in any other year. They are more foundational. They are the ones you build everything else on. Alex || Reflection || Identity || Growth Here is what I know now, that … Read more
No Way Back Final Chapter The moment the little girl spoke, the oceans of Earth answered. Not with waves. With voices. Every sea beneath the eclipsed sky began singing together in perfect harmony while the Deep Choir twisted violently across the planet’s connected currents. Millions of human thoughts echoed through the tides now — grief, … Read more
June Letters Some things are better said in writing. Not because they’re easier in writing, but because writing gives them the permanence they deserve. Writing || Letters || Communication || Love Iwrote three letters in June. Not typed — handwritten, in the notebook I had started using for non-debate things, the one that had started … Read more
What Jamie Said at Graduation Jamie wasn’t graduating — that was next year. But they showed up for Priya’s graduation, which said everything. Graduation || Priya || Friendship || Future Priya graduated on a Saturday in June, which was a Jefferson ceremony on the football field with the specific quality of a school ceremony — … Read more
The First Wave Nora’s scream tore through the Deep Choir like lightning beneath the ocean. Every sea on Earth answered it. Across the eclipsed planet, coastlines erupted into chaos while ancient songs spread through the tides stronger than ever before. Ships drifted powerless across blackened oceans. Entire cities along the shores reported hearing voices beneath … Read more
The Last Month of School The end of a school year is the same river seen from the other bank. Everything looks the same and also completely different. June || Ending || Senior Year || Future May and June arrived with the end-of-year quality that made everything feel slightly more significant than it normally was … Read more
The Weight of Thirteen Seas “The Choir needs singers.” The words settled across Blackwater Reef like a death sentence. For several long seconds, nobody aboard the powerless fishing boat spoke while eclipse darkness swallowed the ocean around them. Blue currents spiraled violently across the reef beneath the blackened sky while the Deep Choir surged through … Read more
Abuela Elena Goes Home The leaving of someone who gave you something important is different from other leavings. It feels complete even while it hurts. Elena || Goodbye || Love || Gratitude Abuela Elena went back to Oaxaca in the first week of May. She had been with us for three and a half months … Read more
When the Oceans Sang The moment totality began, the world changed. Not slowly. Not subtly. Instantly. Every ocean on Earth answered the eclipse together. Across the Pacific, Atlantic, Arctic, and Indian seas, ancient songs erupted upward from beneath the deepest trenches of the planet while tides twisted unnaturally beneath darkened skies. Ships lost power. Coastal … Read more
What Came Next With Tyler Not every story needs a dramatic resolution. Some just need to be told to someone who understands it. Tyler || Coming Out || Growth || Truth Tyler came out to me in April, which he did not have to do and which he did anyway, in the hallway outside the … Read more
