The Quirks

As a little child, she was full of them

Tiny, random quirks

Growing up, she developed more

Major, minor quirks

But the world around her

Snubbed them

Ridiculed them

Subdued them

And bit by bit

She learned to hide them

To bury them deep

To try and fit in

Not realizing

That the people snubbing her quirks

Were the ones who had learned to bury their own.

She was just the latest person to join the club.

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And that would have been the end of that story.

Until one day

She stumbled into a new space

A space filled with quirks

Not buried

Not hidden

Right there

Everywhere

And people walking around with these quirks

Proudly

Indifferently

Normally

And bit by bit

She learned once again

To unhide her quirks

To let a few out

And to her surprise

No one reacted

Apart from an occasional smile

And a nod of acknowledgement

So once and for all

She let them all out

Shedding everything she had buried

Relieved, at the weight that was lifted

She wore each one proudly

Indifferently

No matter where she was

No matter how they reacted

'Quirk' now had a different meaning