Sierra looked surprised. “Why? I thought it was so interesting.”

“I felt like it was limiting. I mean, they don’t know me. They don’t know who I’m going to become. Why should I let them tell me who I am?”

“Huh,” said Sierra. “I never really thought of it that way. I’ve actually been resigned to the fact that I’m just a messy, giggly social butterfly who can’t settle down to anything. It was kind of bumming me out!”

I burst out laughing. “Sierra! Seriously? That’s awful!”

She started to laugh too. “I know! I never even considered that it might not be right.”

“There are waaaaay more than sixteen personalities, that’s for sure. Nothing is one-size-fits-all!”

Sierra let out a sigh of relief. “I feel so much better! Thanks, Allie!”

“Glad to be of service,” I said, still smiling.

Sierra grew serious. “But, Allie, I think you can share your reading and writing. It doesn’t have to be private. I was at a café with my mom the other day, and they had a poem of the day on the blackboard. You could totally do that here!” she said, gesturing to the blackboard we used for specials. “You could write your own or share a famous one. Every day!”

“That’s a good idea, actually,” I said. “I’ve also been meaning to bring back the book and ice cream pairings I started in the school newspaper. I kind of let that slip after I got back from camp.”

Sierra was nodding. “You know so much about books and literature. You’ve got to share it with the world!”

Her enthusiasm was contagious. “Thanks!” I said, feeling much better. “I just get shy about things, you know?”

“Think of yourself as thoughtful instead of shy. I read that somewhere. Not that it really applies to me, but the idea is to rethink things that bug you about yourself and see them as positive. It’s a thing!”

I nodded. “By the way, I really wanted to tell you that I made a plan for this weekend with two girls from my writing class. I knew you’d be proud of me.”

“Oh, Ali-li, I am! Way to go! What are you going to do with them?”

I filled Sierra in and even invited her, but she declined, and I was a tiny bit glad. If she had come, I would have leaned on her and let her run the whole outing, and it wouldn’t have been good for me, even though it would have made me less nervous.

“It’s really cool that you’re making writer friends. It’s fun to have friends who share your interests.”

“Thanks,” I said. “I learned from the master.” I did a little bow to her.