I wanted to be like Addie. Everyone loved her. Including me. It was hard not to. She was kind, funny, sweet and smart but it made me sad to know I would always be second best. Next to her, nobody really paid much attention to me.

I didn't have to be second though, did I? Wasn't I making the choice to stand one step behind her? The truth is, I think I was a little afraid of people actually noticing me. I never felt comfortable in my own skin. Addie was always comfortable. I think that's why she wore that red ribbon. I think she liked being noticed. Not me though I always sort of felt like people would compare me to her and I would come up short. It took me a while to realize that I was the problem and not Addie. Once I figured it out it was easy to fix.

Things are better now. People notice me, they tell me I'm smart and funny and even pretty. I'm glad. It's nice to hear that kind of thing from people. To know that they love you.

I'm so glad I took that ribbon out of Addies hair when I left her body in the woods. It really was the only way to tell the two of us apart.

*Originally posted on reddit*