A few years later, I learned that she transitioned. I know she had to be tough - ours was a private Christian school with 200 students, and she was out. In high school, the only person I knew who was like me was a punk - a mean lesbian with spike collars and pink hair. The most interesting places I've lived - Zambia, South Africa, London - happened during that time, and those experiences were wasted on someone with no cognizance, no words yet.

Why would I? That wasn't me - not really. I barely count those eighteen years as part of life.

Before I went to college, I was closeted.