Shadowing Practice: I Can’t Control My Reactions - Learn English Speaking with Video

Hi, I'm Lila, and I grew up with a condition I just couldn't hide.

Most of the time, I felt like I had to apologize just for existing the way I did.

I was born into one of those families where my pacifier probably cost more than someone's monthly rent.

Dad made some tech thing in college, sold it for a fortune, then made three more fortunes.

Mom gave up her acting career to start a family and to blow through Dad's money.

And they discovered early on in their marriage that they brought out the worst in each other.

Why is your face always in your phone?

You look like a desperate Uber driver.

Why don't you just add this to volume three of the things I hate about my husband?

Oh, cute red my journal.

It has my most private thoughts.

Please, the only shocking thing in there is your spelling.

They got divorced the day I was born.

So, from the beginning, I had two homes, two bedrooms, two sets of nannies, two iPads, and eventually, two moms.

Dad married Vanessa when I was four.

She was pretty, smelled like vanilla, and gave the best hugs.

But Mom made it obvious that everything about Vanessa bothered her, so I learned not to show her affection in front of Mom.

Otherwise, I'd say my life was pretty normal.

Until something weird started happening.

The first time was when I was five.

I'd gone to the mall with Mom and wandered off, found the revolving doors near the main entrance, and walked in.

At first, it was fun.

Then it spun again, and again.

I tried to slow it down, but it wouldn't stop.

I wanted to get out, but I just couldn't time it right.

Mom!

I was panicking, but the sound coming out of me was laughter, and people walking by thought I was having a blast.

Oh, look at that little cutie having so much fun.

By the time mom found me, I was red-faced and hiccuping.

I was also still laughing.

After that, it kept happening at odd moments, like at a relative's funeral or when someone tripped at the grocery store next to me.

My parents tried to hush me up as people stared, and every time, I had an uneasy thought.

I don't even want to laugh right now.

Then one afternoon, Vanessa had taken me to the park, And I was high up on this rope structure when suddenly I slipped.

A blinding pain shot through my arm as I hit the ground. And then...

It hurts.

It hurts so much.

Oh my god, Lila.

Hey, look at me.

You're okay, baby.

By the time we got to the hospital, it had stopped.

And when my parents arrived, Mom lost it and started screaming at Dad and Vanessa for not being careful enough.

The doctor interrupted them mid-fight, looking serious.

When the paramedics arrived, they said Lila was laughing uncontrollably.

Has something similar ever happened before?

There was a pause as something clicked with all three of them.

After more questions and tests, the doctor concluded some previous fall had caused a condition where my brain could trigger laughter that didn't match my emotions.

These episodes are often caused by fear and stress, but sometimes nothing at all.

What she needs now is for you to help her deal with it together.

I sat there, my arm in a cast, just understanding enough to know that my life had changed forever.

My parents refused to accept that my condition was incurable.

So we went to the world's top neurologists, to a woman in a remote village who cured people with rainwater and chanting.

Nothing worked.

At school, my teachers and classmates had to be briefed about my condition.

If you laugh when you're scared, do you also cry when you're happy?

Is this like the Joker?

Are you gonna become evil?

And it was always weird when I had an episode, like during a fire drill or stressful math test.

But the worst was when in sixth grade, this girl Harper walked into class with swollen eyes and passed around pictures of her dog who had died.

And that horrible sound came out of me.

Are you seriously laughing?

Hey, you know she can't help it.

Then maybe she shouldn't be here right now.

Since Harper and her minions ruled the class, everyone else started quietly avoiding me too.

So I spent most of my time writing and drawing comics here.

I could decide what the characters did, what they felt, why they laughed, and when.

Because in the real world, that choice wasn't mine.

In fact, when I did want to laugh, I didn't always let myself.

Because the sound didn't feel like it belonged to me anymore.

Once in 10th grade, a substitute was sent in our English teacher's place.

The newly hired Coach Pitbull.

Listen up weaklings, there won't be any soppy poetry on my watch.

Take out your science textbooks!

She began patrolling the Isles.

You, with the bangs, why are you hiding your eyebrows?

Eyebrows always tell the truth.

Push the hair back!

Did you know your chin looks like a butt?

I'd put a diaper on that thing.

And when she got to me, I froze.

Where's your textbook?

I...

I don't have it.

We don't have a science lesson today.

Would it kill you to carry an extra book?

At your age, I carried a bag that weighed 20 pounds, walked 70 miles to school, and drank my own sweat!

Come on then!

Stand on the chair!

Hands up!

I stood up shakily, and then the laughter bubbled out of me.

I'm so sorry.

I don't mean to.

You stop that right now!

I can't!

I just...

I can't!

I'm warning you, girl.

One more giggle, and you'll face explosion!

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There was a pause, then the whole class erupted into laughter.

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I mean, EXPOLSION!

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Ah!

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To the principal's office!

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NOW!

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I walked slowly to the office, so my laughter could subside, and inside, I saw a thin girl standing next to the school janitor.

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It's not that we don't want to help, but we require a certain status for placements here.

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She's a gifted student, sir.

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I'm requesting you to consider her for a scholarship.

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Just then, he spotted me by the door and jumped up.

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Lila, please come in.

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How can I help you?

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The principal waved off the girl and her mom, who left.

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When he found out why I was here, he called in the coach and fired her on the spot.

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But then, a week later, a new girl walked into her class.

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It was the janitor's daughter, and her name was Madison.

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I was so glad she'd made it in.

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I gave her a small smile, but she didn't smile back.

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Madison was clearly a genius, but she barely spoke to anyone.

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She took the midterms, even though she had just joined.

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And when the results were posted on the bulletin board, everyone swarmed over except her.

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Hey, new girl, aren't you curious to see how badly you bombed?

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I didn't.

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I got everything right.

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I'm at the top.

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The room went quiet.

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Oh, confident much?

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Or maybe your mom helped you, you know, since she's a janitor here.

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Between scrubbing toilets and collecting trash, she probably found time to steal the answer keys.

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Harper, maybe you should focus more on why you're at the bottom instead?

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Harper was about to bark something, but Madison pushed past me roughly.

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I don't need you to defend me!

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She walked out of the classroom, and I ran after.

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Wait, hey!

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I was just trying to get Harper off your back.

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Why?

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Because you're the class outcast and you thought I was your only shot at a friend?

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What?

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No, I just...

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I know about your condition and I see you're mostly alone.

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But everyone will treat you with some respect because you're rich.

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And that still makes you one of them.

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Why did you have to tell anyone that my mom's a janitor here?

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You saw us together in the principal's office.

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I didn't tell...

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Sure, she walked off.

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I didn't follow.

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A few days later, I was hit by one of my episodes for no reason.

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The teacher excused me and I sat outside in the stairwell, head between my knees, waiting for it to pass.

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Sometime later, I saw Madison's scuffed shoes beside mine.

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I'm sorry I snapped at you that day.

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Harper probably saw me leave school with mom one afternoon.

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I-I'm not ashamed of my mom.

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I just didn't want things to be harder for me.

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I get that.

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So, how do you feel when it happens?

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You know, in all these years, no one here has ever asked me that.

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I feel exposed and also trapped, like I'm stuck in a revolving door and I'll keep spinning out until it decides to stop.

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That sounds lonely.

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Yeah, it is.

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She sat with me till I was ready to go back in.

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Madison and I started talking more, sitting together at lunch, texting till midnight.

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A week later, she came over to Dad's place and she looked around in awe at the chandelier, the grand staircase, the huge windows.

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Then she yelped when the robo-vacuum sped past her.

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Wow!

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Is this really where you live?

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Well, here in Mom's.

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Let me show you Vanessa's closet.

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We can try anything.

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She's really cool.

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Just don't ever tell Mom I said that.

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Mom was super happy when I invited Madison to her place, too.

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She laid out a spread for dinner and packed a huge bag of leftovers for her family.

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A week later, I was on my way home from school when we stopped at a traffic signal, and I spotted Madison sprinting down the sidewalk her backpack slipping off her shoulder.

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And then I saw two grown men were chasing her.

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Follow her.

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Please hurry.

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My driver turned sharply after her and I rolled the window down.

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Madison, get in.

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She spun around and bolted toward me.

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I opened the back door and she dove in.

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Then we sped off.

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Madison, what just happened?

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They, they've been following me, asking about my dad.

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Who are they?

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Some guys he owes money to.

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He disappeared a few months ago and now these guys keep asking us where he is

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Down into sobs

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and I just held her the next day I told dad everything He asked Madison some details

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and two days later He sent us both the same text

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restraining orders had been filed against those men You have nothing

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to worry about now I could see a weight lift off her shoulders

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and the way she smiles that night made my heart full.

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Over the next few months, I was much happier.

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When the episodes came, they didn't impact me as much as before because I had someone in my corner.

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One afternoon, Vanessa took us out for lunch at a fancy bistro and Madison loved it.

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I've been saving up for mom's birthday this weekend.

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I want to take her to dinner somewhere nice, like this.

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That's so thoughtful, honey.

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Why don't you go make a reservation right now?

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I watched from the table as Madison walked up to the desk.

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The hostess barely glanced at her.

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Hi, could I make a dinner reservation for Saturday night?

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A table by the window, please.

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Saturday's very busy.

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No window tables.

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Alright, some other table then.

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You'll need to leave a deposit.

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I don't have a lot of cash on me right now, but will this do?

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The hostess looked at the crumpled bills as if they were dirty underwear.

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We can't accept that.

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I mean, it's a card-only policy.

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Why?

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I'm giving you money, it's the same thing.

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I couldn't stop myself from stepping in.

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Hi, could you please book a table for Saturday night under her name?

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Oh, Miss Aliva, of course!

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For the window seat, yes!

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And no deposit needed for our regular patrons.

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We look forward to seeing you!

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I could see the cloud on Madison's face, but she didn't say a word till we got home.

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You know she spoke to me like that because she could tell I'm not rich?

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She.. wasn't very nice.

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But hey, you got the reservation for your mom!

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I wouldn't have minded getting it with some dignity.

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You should have told her off.

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They're trained to act, Snooty.

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I don't think it was anything personal.

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Well, it felt personal to me.

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She went home after that, but in a day or two, we were back to hanging out as usual.

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Except there was some stiffness between us that I hoped would pass soon.

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A week later, our computer science teacher walked in to announce a city-wide app idea competition.

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The winner would get a cash prize and an investor to actually build their app.

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Most of the kids were half asleep, but Madison was listening intently.

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Obviously, you have to enter.

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You think in code.

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I just do coding for fun.

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Exactly.

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You're built for this competition.

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You better enter or I'm doing it for you.

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She rolled her eyes, but she followed the computer teacher and signed up.

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The next few weeks, Madison was camping at my house after school, hunched over her laptop, my bedroom walls covered in sticky notes.

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In the end, her idea was simple and kind of brilliant.

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The app can be used at schools, universities, workplaces.

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Lots of times people don't ask for help with small things because they're embarrassed.

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Here, people can anonymously post about things they need, like notes from a class they missed, a used textbook, a ride home, anything.

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And the people who want to help can be matched with them.

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I'm naming it QuietShare.

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I love it.

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Can I help?

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Maybe draw a cute logo for you?

251

I'd like that.

252

So I drew a tiny envelope with a little halo over it, and she turned it into a slick icon.

253

A week after she presented her idea at the competition, she got an email.

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She went completely still, then shoved the screen in my face.

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First place!

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We both exploded, shrieking, jumping, half laughing, half crying.

257

And this time, the laughs were genuinely mine the principal, was now calling Madison our very own prodigy at assembly.

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People who had never talked to her before were congratulating her.

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Once the app launched, more money started rolling in, and Madison's clothes and accessories drastically changed.

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Then one afternoon at lunch, Harper swooped in.

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So, I'm hosting this little thing on Saturday.

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Young founders, baby influencers, that sort of vibe.

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You have to come, Madison.

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It's perfect for your app.

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Sure, I'd love to, but I'm bringing Lila as my plus one.

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Hmm, I don't know if that's a good idea.

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I mean, with her episodes, it's gonna be crowded and loud and, like, live streaming.

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I just don't want her to feel uncomfortable.

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It's fine.

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I actually have a thing on Saturday.

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Oh, okay then.

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I'll be there.

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She needed to do all this networking for her app, but a small part of me wished she'd told Harper, if Lila isn't invited, I'll pass.

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And it wasn't just that Saturday.

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On Instagram, there'd be stories of Harper, Madison, and some others at the movies.

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A group shot at a party with captions like, ''Best night with the best people.'' But lately, anytime I'd ask to hang out, she was swamped.

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And I guess she was.

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One afternoon, I was sketching at a coffee shop

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when a guy in a hoodie marched in and started waving a gun around.

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Okay, nobody scream, nobody be a hero.

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Phones, wallets, jewelry, pile them on the tables.

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Just then, a woman with two kids started losing it.

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Please, please don't hurt me, I'll do anything, please take everything, I have children.

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He didn't ask for us, mom, just take your earrings off.

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Uncle Robert, can I finish my MSA episode?

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Also, you should like and subscribe.

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I already have, so shut up!

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A woman just curled up on the floor, bawling hysterically.

289

Can I sing Baby Shark to her?

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It helps!

291

Also, can someone get her a mint tea?

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No mint tea!

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Just make her stop screaming!

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My heart was already hammering, and her screams made it worse.

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The switch flipped, and I burst out laughing.

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What's wrong with you now?

297

Are you all crazy in here?

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He started stomping toward me, but just then, a chair came flying and smashed into his back.

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He fell over, and two other customers pinned him down.

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The boy who'd thrown the chair pushed a paper bag into my hands.

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Here, breathe into that. In, out.

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As the police dragged the robber away, I tried slipping out quietly, but Chair Boy caught up to me outside.

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Hey, you forgot your sketchbook.

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Oh, thank you.

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Also for rescuing me.

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The chair flinging was heroic.

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Not that heroic, considering I could tell his gun was fake.

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You know, you look familiar, like I've seen your face in a tech magazine recently.

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Maybe you read an article about my dad.

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It had some family photos.

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Justin told me he had his own startup and was a big fan of my dad's.

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We ended up walking and talking for quite a while.

313

And when he asked me if we could meet again, it was an easy yes.

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Justin and I started meeting at that cafe twice a week.

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I showed him the website where I posted my work, and told him I was getting a comic book published soon.

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You're crazy good.

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You know that, right?

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It was new that someone who'd seen me at my worst didn't look at me like I was broken.

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He looked at me like I was.. interesting.

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Then, he asked me out to dinner one Friday.

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I spent ages picking an outfit, and got to the restaurant ten minutes early.

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Fifteen minutes went by, then thirty, then forty.

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My messages went from, hey, I'm here, to traffic, to everything okay?

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Just let me know.

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I finally went home, trying hard not to cry.

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The next day, my messages were still not seen.

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I called Madison.

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I really needed my best friend.

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She showed up, but she was mostly on her phone.

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Sorry, I'm just dealing with this sponsor thing.

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So yeah, what's up?

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I held out my phone with Justin's WhatsApp picture.

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Remember the guy from the cafe?

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He asked me out to dinner, then didn't show up.

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He's not replying to my texts either.

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Do you think something could have happened to him?

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Madison went very still.

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That's Justin.

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You know him?

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Yeah, we've crossed paths at some events.

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She took a deep breath.

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Lila, it's likely nothing happened, and he's just a jerk who's ghosting you.

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Why do you think that?

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Look, guys like him don't usually do things without a reason.

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You introduced him to your dad's friend, right?

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That investor guy?

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Yeah, he asked if I could connect them, and I did.

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Exactly.

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So maybe that's all he needed.

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I just mean, he's popular, he's talented, he could date anyone.

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It's not crazy to think he was mostly interested in your last name and contacts.

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Why else would he just latch onto you so fast?

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She didn't say, why would he actually like someone like you?

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But I heard it anyway.

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I still hadn't heard from Justin a week later.

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Then one afternoon, Madison texted me.

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Saw him at an event yesterday with a girl.

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That was it.

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No, I'm sorry about this.

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Do you want to talk?

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Maybe he really was a jerk, but it hurt more that my best friend had basically told me I wasn't good enough for him.

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After that, we barely talked for weeks.

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Luckily, I had one great thing to look forward to.

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My comic book was coming out and Vanessa went full event planner crazy.

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She booked the school gym, took it over the night before to set it up,

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ordered a giant banner with my cover blown up on it and set up a whole signing table.

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On lunch day, everyone was crowded in the corridor outside, picking at the snacks Vanessa had arranged.

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She'd even roped in a local news channel.

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I kept sneaking glances at my phone, checking if Madison still hadn't seen my invite.

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Alright everybody, let's make our way in to celebrate Lila's debut as an author.

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He pushed the doors open and my world tilted.

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My cover banner was slashed down the middle, with huge red letters sprayed across it.

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The white tablecloth was covered in red LOLs.

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The comic books I was supposed to sign were scattered across the floor.

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Pages ripped out.

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As shocked whispers started around me, my chest tightened.

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I could feel it coming, clawing its way up.

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Tears were already pouring down my face.

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I wanted it to stop so badly.

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I wanted to disappear.

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As my parents rushed toward me, I saw Vanessa storm up to a boy holding out his phone recording.

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She smacked it out of his hand so hard it flew across the room.

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You do not get to film my daughter and mock her.

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I want everyone out of here, now!

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Teachers herded everyone back into the corridor, and Dad went out screaming after the principal.

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I'd sunk to the floor, Mom hugging me as the laughs kept coming.

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Vanessa crouched beside us and squeezed my hand.

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When I started to quiet down, Mom spoke.

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Vanessa, I know we've had our issues.

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Well, I've had the issues.

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I felt resentful of how different Lila's dad was with you.

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And I just kept holding that stupid feeling against you.

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But I've never doubted that you love Lila.

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And I'm sorry.

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We're okay.

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I'm just glad we're both here for her.

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As I sat there between my two moms, surrounded by shreds of my stories, I just knew no matter who would try to bring me down,

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I'd never have to face it alone.

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Two days later, Vanessa knocked on my door with her laptop under her arm.

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Hey, so remember those tiny cameras I had my staff stick around the gym for extra footage of your lunch?

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One of my guys sent over the files from the night before, and there's something you should see.

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She sat beside me and clicked a video on her laptop, and as I watched it, my blood ran cold.

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Can you email that to me?

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Vanessa nodded and forwarded it without asking anything else.

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The next afternoon, I went to Madison's place.

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She wasn't home, but her mom said I could wait in her room.

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I set my laptop on her desk and clicked play on the video file.

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For the hundredth time, I watched it.

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The empty gym all set up for my launch.

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Then the side door opened and Madison slipped in.

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She slashed the banner with a paper cutter, then sprayed red letters all over it.

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She grabbed my comic books and tore pages out of them.

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At one point, she slipped on some paper, then got up and went right back to ripping and stomping.

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She looked manic.

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Just then, the door creaked behind me.

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Mom said you were here.

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What are you watching?

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Her eyes focused on the hoodie, the spray can, herself.

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In two seconds she was across the room, slamming the laptop shut so hard the desk rattled.

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I've already seen it, Madison.

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Over and over.

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I just, I just want to know why.

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She looked down silently.

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Why would you publicly mock my condition?

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Why would you ruin a special moment for me?

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She didn't respond and I grabbed her by the shoulders.

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You have to tell me, Madison.

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Why would you do this to your best friend?

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Because you took Justin!

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I almost stumbled back in shock.

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What?

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I liked him first.

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I met him months ago.

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We kept running into each other at events, and I asked him out.

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He turned me down, saying he was already seeing someone.

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And then imagine sitting on your bed and hearing you whine about him

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and realizing that the guy who rejected me did it because of you.

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Why do you get to have everything?

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My stomach dropped.

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So you punished me?

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Did you lie about seeing him with another girl?

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She didn't reply.

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If you told me how you felt about him, I would have chosen my best friend over some guy any day.

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Then I picked up my laptop and left.

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As my car pulled away from Madison's house, I couldn't stop the tears.

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Just then, the radio host's voice floated through the speakers.

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In other entertainment news, it's now official, One Direction will not be reuniting as a band.

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I let out a sob, then started full-on ugly crying.

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Um, Miss Lila, are you okay?

450

I wailed even louder.

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You really loved that band, huh?

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Yeah, I'm devastated about the band.

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I'll miss you, Zane!

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I let him think I was crying over one direction.

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It was easier than saying that my best friend had broken my heart.

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After that, we were just strangers.

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A week later, I walked into class and found everyone hunched over their phones.

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Wow, what a psycho.

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To do that to your best friend, straight up snake.

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I followed their gaze.

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Madison was at her desk, her face pale, eyes glued to her own phone.

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She didn't even look at me as she grabbed her bag and ran out.

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Just then, I got a call from Vanessa.

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A staff member of mine posted the video to the school's QuietShare board.

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He did it out of some loyalty to you.

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Lila, I'm so sorry.

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We had the video taken down as fast as possible, and I posted on the board that it was fake.

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But the next day, Madison's seat was empty.

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Some days later, I heard she moved to another city.

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And just like that, she was gone.

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Months later, I had reached a bookstore early for a signing event when I heard someone behind me.

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Any chance the author could sign my copy first?

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It was Justin, looking thinner and with a scar on his jaw, holding my comic.

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Please, just hear out my ridiculous story.

475

I had a car accident that night we were supposed to meet.

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I woke up in a hospital three days later and my parents dragged me abroad for treatment.

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My phone was wrecked.

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Maybe if you googled me, you'd have read something about my accident, but I'm guessing you didn't.

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Wow, I thought you just ghosted me.

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I'm so sorry, Lila.

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I can't imagine what you thought of me.

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I mostly thought I scared you off, but apparently you were just busy almost dying, so we're fine.

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Here, give me your copy.

484

To Justin, thanks for coming back from the dead.

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You owe me dinner.

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Lila.

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Justin and I started dating, and I felt better having him in my life.

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Three years later, we got married.

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A year after that, I gave birth to a baby girl I named Tanya.

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My condition had improved a little, and I focused more on my writing until I became well-known and built a solid fanbase.

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Soon enough, some shows even started inviting me for interviews.

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One day, a famous show called me in, and I was so excited.

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Justin was sitting in the crowd with Tanya, who was three by then, both of them giving me the kind of smile that settles your nerves.

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So, our talented writer, Lila laughs, as she likes to call herself.

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Here on our show, Forgive and Forget, someone asked us to bring you here.

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Do you have any idea who would like to forgive them?

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I have the purest heart, dear.

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I don't hold grudges.

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I forgive and live on because life is too short.

500

Right, everyone?

501

The audience cheered and clapped.

502

Even if it was Madison?

503

What?

504

My heart dropped.

505

I started looking around at these people who were clapping for me seconds ago, and I swear I felt they were smirking.

506

No, no. It's a chapter I closed.

507

Did you, though?

508

Just then, the wall next to me moved, and behind it was Madison.

509

She looked older and more tired, with puffy eyes and a runny nose.

510

Lila, hear me out.

511

I know what I did was wrong.

512

I met your father months ago, and he told me you begged him to fund my scholarship so I could come to your school, and I haven't slept since.

513

I thought I moved on, but I didn't.

514

So I just want to say I'm sorry.

515

I really, genuinely am sorry.

516

You couldn't just send an email instead?

517

You wanted to embarrass me even in your apology?

518

You were the talented, genius, ambitious, hardworking, poor girl people feel sorry for who would look cool and kind of apologizing to the born-rich,

519

lucky, have-it-all girl, right?

520

I used to look at you and see everything I didn't have.

521

It made the cracks in my life seem bigger.

522

But instead of just accepting your love and help, I tried to hurt you.

523

I'm so sorry.

524

Madison got up and started walking to me, crying and begging.

525

With every step she took, I saw all the obvious moments where she had hated me earlier.

526

At the restaurant, the Harper invitation, the Justin thing, my comic launch day.

527

I had been blind with love and loyalty, and I just didn't see it coming.

528

You don't have to come any closer.

529

You want forgiveness?

530

Dennis, fine.

531

I forgive you.

532

I was angry for years, but I've realized that not all of that anger was toward you.

533

I've had to forgive myself too for trusting so blindly, because a friendship breaks on both sides, not just one.

534

I forgive you because I'm strong enough now to move forward with a clean heart and a clear head.

535

Everyone clapped, and I saw people wiping their eyes.

536

Tanya slipped out of her seat and ran straight to me.

537

I dropped to my knees and wrapped my arms around her.

538

No one hurts my mommy or I'll turn them into a potato.

539

No one can hurt mommy anymore, sweetheart.

540

Not unless she lets them.

541

And I don't carry that hurt with me now.

542

Justin stood.

543

That proud, soft smile on his face.

544

I took Tanya's hand, walked to him, and he pulled both of us into a hug.

545

Even though my condition never went away, It doesn't own me anymore.

546

And these days, when I laugh, it's often because something is actually, truly, wonderfully funny.

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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson

This B2 speaking lesson is built on the video “I Can’t Control My Reactions”. This video has 546 sentences and 5169 words to shadow. The speech runs for 28:49. The speaker talks at a natural 179 words per minute, close to everyday conversation. Only 80% of the words are among the 3,000 most common in English, so the vocabulary is demanding.

Key vocabulary in this video

The 15 most advanced words in the video, with pronunciation and meaning:

Word	Pronunciation	Meaning
laughter noun	/ˈlæftɚ/	The sound of laughing, produced by air so expelled; any similar sound.
scream verb	/skɹiːm/	To cry out with a shrill voice; to utter a sudden, sharp outcry, or shrill, loud cry, as in fright or extreme pain; to screech, to shriek.
janitor noun	/ˈd͡ʒænɪtɚ/	Someone who looks after the maintenance and cleaning of a public building.
reservation noun	/ˌɹɛz.ɚˈveɪ.ʃən/	The act of reserving, withholding or keeping back.
banner noun	/ˈbænɚ/	A flag or standard used by a military commander, monarch or nation.
spray noun	/spɹeɪ/	A fine, gentle, dispersed mist of liquid.
beside	/bɪˈsaɪd/	Next to; at the side of.
café noun	/ˌkæˈfeɪ/	A coffee shop; an establishment selling coffee and sometimes other non-alcoholic beverages, simple meals or snacks, with a facility to consume them on the…
eyebrow noun	/ˈaɪˌbɹaʊ/	The hair that grows over the bone ridge above the eye socket.
hostess noun	/ˈhoʊstɪs/	A female host.
hunch noun	/hʌnt͡ʃ/	A hump; a protuberance.
revolve verb	/ɹɪˈvɑlv/	To cause (something) to turn around a central point.
stomp verb	/stɑmp/	To trample heavily.
clap verb	/klæp/	To strike the palms of the hands together, creating a sharp sound.
textbook noun	/ˈtɛkst.bʊk/	A coursebook, a formal manual of instruction in a specific subject, especially one for use in schools or colleges.

Phrasal verbs you will hear

Word	Pronunciation	Meaning
get up verb		To move in an upward direction; to ascend or climb.
hold out verb		To hold (something) out; to extend (something) forward.
look forward to verb		To anticipate, expect, or wait for, especially with a feeling of approval or pleasure; to be excited or eager to.
blow through verb		To expend or waste rapidly.
bring out verb		To elicit, evoke, or emphasize (a particular quality).
burst out verb		To appear suddenly from within something else.
come back from verb		To become successful, confident or effective again after an injury, setback, failure, embarrassment, etc.
come out verb	/ˌkʌm ˈaʊt/	To be discovered; to be revealed.

Sentences worth repeating

Short, complete lines from the video that you can reuse in everyday conversation:

Why is your face always in your phone?
Are you gonna become evil?
Why don't you go make a reservation right now?
What's wrong with you now?
You couldn't just send an email instead?

Grammar in this video

The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:

Structure	In the video
Present perfect continuous have/has been + -ing — an action that started earlier and is still going on	they've been following · I've been saving
Conditional sentences if + clause, will/would + verb — a condition and its result	if Lila isn't invited, I'll pass · if you googled me, you'd have
Passive voice be + past participle — the focus is on what happens, not who does it	was born · are often caused · be briefed
Present perfect have/has + past participle — a past action that still matters now	has ever asked · I've seen · we've crossed

Pronunciation to watch

The speaker uses 140 contractions and reduced forms, such as I'm, didn't, don't. Say them the short way, as you hear them.

The “sh” and “zh” sounds: reservation /ˌɹɛz.ɚˈveɪ.ʃən/, scholarship /ˈskɑːləɹʃɪp/, punish /ˈpʌnɪʃ/, ashamed /əˈʃeɪmd/, invitation /ɪnvɪˈteɪʃən/
Long words — get the stress right: reservation /ˌɹɛz.ɚˈveɪ.ʃən/, genuinely /ˈd͡ʒɛn.ju.ɪn.li/, apology /əˈpɑ.lə.d͡ʒi/, invitation /ɪnvɪˈteɪʃən/, mathematics /mæθ(.ə)ˈmæt.ɪks/

How to practise with this video

Listen to the whole video once without speaking and note the words you do not know.
Start at 0.75× speed, shadow it sentence by sentence, then go back to normal speed once it feels easy.
Record yourself and compare with the original, paying attention to words like laughter, scream, janitor.

What is the Shadowing Technique?

Shadowing is a science-backed language learning technique originally developed for professional interpreter training and popularized by polyglot Dr. Alexander Arguelles. The method is simple but powerful: you listen to native English audio and immediately repeat it out loud — like a shadow following the speaker with just a 1–2 second delay. Unlike passive listening or grammar drills, shadowing forces your brain and mouth muscles to simultaneously process and reproduce real speech patterns. Research shows it significantly improves pronunciation accuracy, intonation, rhythm, connected speech, listening comprehension, and speaking fluency — making it one of the most effective methods for IELTS Speaking preparation and real-world English communication.

Shadowing technique: read the full step-by-step guide →

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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson

Key vocabulary in this video

Phrasal verbs you will hear

Sentences worth repeating

Grammar in this video

Pronunciation to watch

How to practise with this video

What is the Shadowing Technique?