The walls inside the grimy bathroom stall are plastered with rumors: pregnant, gay, abortion, slut.

As if words didn’t mean anything. As if they didn’t have power over a person’s life.

My grip around the Sharpie tightens. In an empty corner, I add some truth: You will be missed, Kerry.

Tonia Markou is a writer and university teacher based in Germany. She holds a Masters in Creative Writing. When she isn’t writing flash fiction or short stories or editing her first novel, she collects Converse shoes, stationery, mugs, and pajamas – not necessarily in that order. Her fiction has appeared in Flash, Lit Up, The Junction, and P.S. I Love You.