18eighteen March 2004

Shy is such an unusual name. Do you get kidded about it?
"Big time, especially from the other kids at school that I hang with 'cause they know the name doesn't really fit me at all. I've always been real outgoing, ever since I was a little girl. My mom says that as soon as I learned to walk, I would start dancing in front of complete strangers, and when I could talk I would tell dumb stories and even start singing. And in school, I've always been, like, the class clown, telling jokes and stuff and making fun of the teachers behind their backs. And when I started filling out--that's what my mom calls it--and guys started noticing me for being more than just crazy and funny--that's when I started using my personality in other ways. If a guy I liked started talking to me and was obviously hitting on me, then I would say things that I knew would make him like me even more. Like, I would tell him how smart I thought he was or how cool he dressed or how good he was in sports, things like that. Most guys have real big egos and they get off hearing stuff like that!"