I Know Azalea

• Sadie Kendall, Grade 8
• Short Story
• 2022

I know Azalea. She hates the taste of coffee but drinks it because it’s aesthetic. She has 129 playlists on Spotify for every single feeling she’s ever had, then again only really listens to three. She’s scared of the dark but loves staying up late to watch the full moon. Azalea only wears her hair in one hair style: a half up half down braid. She’s a horrible liar and I can tell by her pinkie tapping against her leg. Azalea narrates her life constantly and loves autumn because she can have a pumpkin spice latte and not be judged. She likes the smell of books but doesn’t like librarians; they scare her. Her voice is soft and smooth, but her morning voice is scratchy and deep. She wishes she lived in the 80s but admits she would have hated the sexism and racism back then. Azalea likes holding people’s hands and long talks with people she loves. Her nail polish is always chipped, and I'm pretty sure she does it on purpose. She seems innocent but she carries a pocketknife in her sock. Her nervous habit is biting the inside of her mouth until it bleeds, however she’s gotten better at it now. She tries to write in cursive but gives up after about six words. She’s overdramatic and hasn’t broken a bone, but sprains her ankle constantly. When she likes someone, Azalea always touches her hair and smiles with her little dimple. She hums when she’s happy, and tilts her head when she's thoughtful. Azalea chews on the ends of her pencil until there is an obvious mark even if it's not her pencil. She can't swallow pills and hates having photos taken of her randomly. Azalea has rosy cheeks from being out in the sun for too long and pretends she doesn’t have homework until the night it's due. She loves poetry but doesn’t believe in herself enough to write any. Azalea likes ice-cream, especially butter pecan but only the ones made by local stores, not factory made. She dislikes anyone who purposely spits on the ground or tries to show off by being mean. She over salts her food and even when the waiter gets it wrong, she’ll never send it back. Although she hates astrology, Azalea will stand up for it if anyone insults it. She loves Chinese food but not wontons. Azalea fiddles with her necklace until the back of her neck turns red and she uses Shakespearian quotes too often, but I like it. She can't sing amazingly, but when the windows are down and the radio is on in the car, she’ll screech the whole song until we get home. Azalea is quiet around people she doesn’t know, but when she’s with her friends or family, she's a chatterbox and is fantastically loud. She has exactly 14 freckles on her left shoulder and 19 on her right.

I know Azalea. And I think I might be in love with her.