L.J. Shen

“It’s her birthday. Would you rather I ignored it?”

“I’d rather you break up with her,”

“So you’re taking her to a spa,”

“I wouldn’t upset my girlfriend, unless I was eager to get out of here in several pieces.”

Be wise. Let your heart lead the way. And when you find someone who’s worth it—never let them go

The One With The

We’ve waited a long time for this. I want the real thing. Not the watered-down version. And the real thing is not only beautiful. It is also ugly. I want your truth.”

I hummed Kravinsky’s “Nightcall” because it finally dawned on me, albeit out of nowhere, that Emilia liked the song because it was about me.

Not only did she paint me (and arguably gave me a better nose than the one I was born with), but it was also what I was doing in the painting that made me

Not only did she paint me (and arguably gave me a better nose than the one I was born with), but it was also what I was doing in the painting that made me smile like a sleaze ball. I was holding a joint and laughing into a non-existent camera—though my eyes were still mine, kind of sad and dark and fucking scary—and I wore a simple black T-shirt that said “Black” in white. The background was stark, stupid pink.