Alyssa told me she didn’t want to.

I should have listen.

Alyssa wanted to live life to the beat of her own drum, but she could never hide that one part. That part of her that cared what others thought.

She was scared.

Scared of what the rumours had in store for her. She didn’t want to be the butt of someone’s joke or hear her name in a lie. She’d curl up in fear from the thought.

I wanted to inspire her. Motivate her. Encourage her to follow her heart.

She was wild and free at heart. I wanted her to explore her greatness. To stop listening to evil voices in her head.

But Alyssa was Alyssa. I loved her exuberance but wanted to squash her negativity. How could I crush a part of her? Her flaws made her as much as the positives.

To turn a back on a part of her, was to keep all of her out in the cold. She couldn’t live as half a person.

I shouldn’t have put that on her.