I like to make my friends think that I have a superpower, that I can read their minds and predict the future, when all i do is say things that'll always hit home. Like when we were getting in line for lunch all of a sudden I told them "Honey, don't waste your time on every little detail, cause it's gonna ruin you. Just focus on the big picture, okay?" And a minute later when they were trying to decide whether to pick apple pie or pudding for desert, they knew I was right. I like to think of it as my way of showing that I care for them. I know, wicked, right? But that's the only difference between me and fortune cookies. Fortune. Cookies. Don't. Care!

But often times it troubles me when they come asking for advice way beyond my "power". Things that I can't answer just by reading their gestures. Questions like "my little sister just got hit by a land cruiser yesterday. Do you think she's gonna be okay? Will she be able to play tennis again?" I know they know that I can't answer, but they ask anyway. It's an act of desperation. We all do silly things when we're desperate to find out about something.

Speaking of desperation, I've a good one. I mean, a stupid one. Last night, leg#1 and leg#2 were finally in a better shape, but leg#1 was still giving me a hard time. But when I woke up this morning it feels a lot better. And because I was mad and desperate about missing my tournament next month, I did my very own act: I took it for a run. Yes, a run. I knew very well what my doctor told me: no run at least until I'm off meds.

Nothing really happened until now. I feel nauseated and tired and every inch of my body feels weak and wasted. I never feel nauseated and tired and weak and wasted before, not if you count chemistry exams. And what I did really feels like chemistry exams: ridiculous and totally way out of my league. It was totally stupid. Argh.

I called my tennis coach, and guess what she told me? "Honey, don't you ever do this again. You need to focus on the big picture, or else you're gonna ruin yourself." Yeah, that sounds familiar, Coach Stevens. And talk about eating your own words.

To my friends, I'm a Matt Parkman

Hey, Claire, wanna switch?