Lauren

People say she sings like a bird.
I've heard the people who love her say that she sings like and angel.
It seems that every day since she was born, Lauren has sang. She's sang in church, at the school talent shows, even at some places outside of town.
The people in town always say that if someone wants to get out of here, they have to be extremely good at something.
Lauren is good at something.
I know her. She wants to leave more than anything. We all want to leave. But she's the only one who can. She's the only one with a talent that people in big cities and big colleges care about.
She's pretty too. She's pale, with big eyes, and wavy black hair. You could call her the "town beauty." But no one ever thinks of her like that. She's always been "the girl who sings."
It's like the music lives inside of her. It even seems like she's singing when indeed she's talking.
She doesn't come from a family that can afford for her to take lessons. That's why Mr. Jackson, the school music teacher, decided to teach her for free. He said that he couldn't let talent like that go to waste. We all agree.
I was at her house the other day. I saw school applications on her desk. She's only in tenth grade, but I know that she's looking for boarding schools that will give her a full ride, even if she's halfway through high school already.
I hope she does leave. I don't say that to be mean. That's what we all hope. Every time someone leaves town it's bittersweet. We'll miss them, but at the same time, we envy them, and we're happy for them.
That's what we say. If you want to get out of here you have to be good at something.
Lauren is good at something.