ellie towne {four} cb finished

eleanora "ellie" towne
district four
seventeen
female
odair

"Oh, she's a bit strange, you know?" 

I know. That poor soul won't. Well, they will soon, as the other goes on to describe how I laugh at everything I say and smile too much ("She's got a weird mouth, like it's too big for her face") and how I like to walk in other people's footprints in the sand. And how I bite my nails and how I look like I've got one too many teeth and my eyes are too small for my face so when I grin it looks like I'm squinting. And then there's my thinking face - all forehead lines and pursed lips and wonky expressions. 

"She's got eyes the colour of the sea, though." 

Everyone around here does. And sea-soaked hair stained by the sun and skin the colour of sand. I wash into my surroundings like everyone else. I trail along behind the pack of kids who have it all going for them, floating aimlessly between them and the emptiness they leave behind. I want to fill that gap and fall through social life with ease but when I quicken my pace and start to sprint they're already gone. Children with no siblings are supposed to be used to loneliness and I guess I'm content with its familiarity but I don't think I'll ever get used to being by myself all the time. 

"Must get terribly lonely, don't you think?" 

They don't think. And I never stop.