She had always been exceptional. Not in the way I was, with my aspirations to academic perfection. She stood out for being utterly mad.

She was fourteen, and she caught my eye.

Everyone knew her. Raddish girl, loony bin, whatever. The crazy chick with stringy hair and bug eyes. But no one really knew her. No one knew how sweet she was behind the airy non-sequiturs. No one knew how eager to please she was, and how grateful for a companion. And how her arms wrapped softly, warmly around me.

No one knew her like I did by the lake.