(Trigger warning: Rape)

A collection of lessons on a syllabus are not the lessons we will remember, these days we trade in knowledge for a sexy body. We will learn that pi is infinite and that bestest isn't a word. We learn to keep our heads down, mouths shut, legs crossed, and eyes low. We don't learn that the teenage boy you like is grooming you while in your school uniform because the appeal is actually the uniform. We learn that we can hold a gun but not hold "To Kill a Mockingbird" because of the amount of n-words. We cannot hold "The catcher in the rye" yet we can hold a needle with exotically named chemicals because it's "cool." We learn to hold our tongues- not our hands in our pockets because if you have anger issues, you're a delinquent. We don't learn what to do when we are raped and don't know how to bring it up. We don't learn what to say when we call 9-1-1 because we are scared mommy will hit us again. We have learned that if you are heartbroken then you have to leave that shit behind because if we talk about it then we are "attention-seekers" Oh I'm sorry I was raped! I'll cry quieter! I won't tell anyone because that is information no-one needs to know!"

Girls in private schools are looking for prom dresses while kids on the south side are looking for food because their daddies and mommies won't wake up to fix them anything.

Kids that work the midnight shift are praised for perfect attendance- not for feeding their families.

Boys will be in class while the teacher is telling you that it is easy to love yourself and that abuse is not common and that rape is something to whisper about while physed teachers tell you that you are not good enough and that you are fat and that anxiety shouldn't hold you back whenever they don't know what it feels like to be held hostage in their own bodies.

Preppy kids go thrift store shopping because it sounds fun while homeless 16-year-olds shop there because it's all they can afford.

You call yourself tragic because you've had nine consecutive heartbreaks while a whole other world of heart break exists because babies are getting high in the womb because their moms don't care enough to stay clean.