_We have always been told that we ought to live one day at a time. Enjoy the precious time we have, stop and smell all the flowers and take in the beautiful scenery of our planet. Buthow am I supposed to take one day at a time, when time is so elusive? In my culture, it is customary for a young girl like me to partake in what is known as The Wave. This happens the very moment we turn 18. Suddenly time stops, and before anyone can react, we grow up. Before our eyes our friends from childhood develop breasts, unwanted hair suddenly sprouts like weed everywhere and a foul odor occurs even at the slightest movements._

_From that moment on, we are doomed._

_I look in the mirror and what I see makes my skin crawl. It happened so fast that I almost got motion sickness. I didn’t want to grow up, but there’s nothing to do about it. Magic, they say. I snort at the lie. When I was little, not so long ago, I did believe them. I didn’t question them for one second. Now… I cursed the freaking lie._