Dear 5th Grade Table Partner,

Remember when,
pickup sticks were in the form of the highlighters dropped and picked up.
flushed faces, giddyness and embarrassment
WAR - decks of cards, the shouting, screaming, laughing

For crying out loud,
your scribbled mess on lined paper translated easy As
hockey jocking your way through P.E. sports
obsessive flipping of tousled ash-brown hair
deep, husky whispers that could bring chills down the spine

"Dude"
those lips became a shield against hurt
an afternoon's innocent Jenga became talk of recess

"Smark-Aleck"
a snarky comment from a teacher
I hated her that moment for judging you
while Courtney and the girls flirted with you
I hear, First cheek to cheek, then jaw to jaw
We sipped that cider through a straw.
I should have gone to camp that year.

A year later
On the yellow bus,
nauseating gasoline odor plummets through the air.
violin on my lap, my backpack squash the squeaky seat
You slide next to me
"Hey, can I sit here?"
Yes, yes, of course, I've waited for this day for a long time!
So happy. Need. More. Air. Out of Brea-
Ms. Ex-gf Blonde Locks comes over
"I know it'll suck sitting next to him, come sit over here with me."
Screw that, screw you, but I grinned back and moved to join her
Why am I so easily swayed??!

One lesson I learn from this,
Waiting for a crush to approach you,
you just might be waiting your whole life.


♥