Used To | Teen Ink

Used To

February 17, 2011
By Hollypaw18 GOLD, Brooklyn, New York
Hollypaw18 GOLD, Brooklyn, New York
16 articles 0 photos 7 comments

Favorite Quote:
"Everyone is different, it's the natural state- it's the facts, it's plain to see. The world's gray enough without making it worse. What we need is individuality!"
- Billy Elliot's "Expressing Yourself"


“Used To” is an enticing, mature, extremely well-written fictional piece in which two young lovers return to their childhood hangout spot, unearthing memories now long gone. The narrator is pregnant and her boyfriend, Jeremy, is the father, forever changing his perspective and their relationship. Everything has changed since the two met and their relationship is more awkward and silent than the usual lovey-dovey they once had.

You can sense how awkward it is for the two teens to be together and you just wish that they could be happy like they used to be when they were young, naïve, and innocent. Nostalgia erupts from the cabin that they visit, reminding the couple of times that have slipped away like their first kiss and chess games. Time flies, and there’s no way to get around it, despite what some might think (Jeremy, for instance, refuses to believe that he will be a father at age 18 and wishes that the good old days would just come back).

The author’s style of writing is amazing. She manages to make her scenes so realistic and in depth that it feels as though it’s a personal account, even though it never happened. At first, the reader is a little confused because nothing is explained and you don’t know what the narrator is talking about, but this is a great quality to have in your writing. It makes you wonder, wanting to read more. The descriptions and plot grab you by the shoulders and drag you into the history of this couple, going on their journey through adolescence and into parenthood.

The author's comments:
This is actually feedback about KateKale's romance piece, "Used To." If it is published, it should be published as a letter to the editor...

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