The smell of hairspray lingers in the air over my cluttered makeup table while the gloomy-doomy sound of Voodoo Church plays in the background. I make sure not to trip over my long, black skirt as I scramble to find my fuzzy, black sweater in the dark mass of clothes hanging in my closet.

My name is Briannah, and I’m a goth. I’m not afraid to admit it because it’s a part of me that I love. Although I do get weird and sometimes angry looks wherever I go, I’ve learned to ignore them. It’s just something that comes with dressing like it’s Halloween every day.

Aside from just looking goth, I’ve also taken it upon myself to educate myself on gothic literature. I’ve read books such as Dracula, Interview with the Vampire, The Vampire Lestat and more. I feel a great desire to educate myself about anything that I can. Based on my looks, some people think that I do drugs, or that I won’t amount to anything. I like to prove them wrong and show that you can look like death while still maintaining a high GPA.

Ever since I joined the gothic subculture, I feel like I’ve become a better version of myself. My grades and my relationship with my parents have both improved. I put more thought into how I look every day, and I care less about what people think about me. Becoming goth has helped me have a better self-image, and it sometimes helps me to crawl out of the never-ending pit of depression.

If you’re afraid of being different because of what other people think, don’t be. Do what makes you happy and express yourself. Trust me, it’ll make your life a lot more interesting.