“Breathe. Stand still. Blend in. Don't cough. Shhh, heart. Don't beat so loud...”

“Each beat of your heart is a small miracle, you know, so don't get carried away.”

“So don't tell me that I can't fit in. My heart beats like a talking drum.”

“Oh, don't cough, Ernest. When one is dictating one should speak fluently and not cough. Besides, I don't know how to spell a cough.”

“And he leans in, so carefully. Breathing and not breathing and hearts beating between us and he's so close, he's so close and I can't feel my legs anymore. I can't feel my fingers or the cold or the emptiness of this room because all I feel is him, everywhere, filling everything and he whispers"Please."He says, "Please don't shoot me for this.”

“There was a loud cough from the man on the stand. I replaced My Magic Mirror carefully on his tray, gave him a cheesy smile, and went my way.”