You
Walk past my desk
During third period
With a bunch of your cronies
Who call themselves “Popular.”

Your fake eyelashes flutter
As you look down as me
With scorn and disdain
As you gaze
At my Mudd Sweatshirt
That I didn’t put in the wash yesterday after practice
Oops
At my blue skinny jeans
Legs stretched out on the floor
Feet covered in dirty converses.
At my fingernails
Or what’s left of them.
At my hair
Tangled but clean
Ringlets that drop to my shoulders
Held together by a grey hair band
At my face
That wears a forever and lovely smile
So natural that it brings a beautiful aura
In the surroundings of Algebra class
Well, that’s my opinion.
It probably stings you like an injection
Bringing back many memories
Those were special between us.

You sit in the back
Your legs crossed
Your heels twinkling
As you take out your Bonne Belle Vitagloss
And dab it on you lips
Making your lips glisten
As you speak
In crisp words
That strike, click, and hurt
With a sharp edge
A high pitch
An annoying drone
That you and I once used to mimic
For pleasure amongst ourselves.

You take out your mini pink brush
Running it through your blonde-dyed hair
That was once musty brown.
Played around with
Snazzy pins and wild clips and curlers
At Friday sleepovers
Where we watched horror movies in the dark
Eating popcorn and looking out for nice actors.

Your knees come closer together
Hiding you pink miniskirt
And showing off your pricy heels
On your shiny shaved legs
Once covered by sweats and jeans
That hid the bug bites and scratches you got
When we tried to climb the really tall tree
To get Jill’s kite that was stuck at the top.
And the band aids and splinters
From tug-a-wars
Tag, woodchip wars
And softball practice.

You straighten out that blouse.
Who knew you loved pink so much?
You love blue, I know,
Like the sparkling ocean and waves at
The beach that we went to two summers ago.
But the color means nothing more
Than a piece of Winterfresh gum
That you chew with pride in class.

You glance at me as you speak
To your new friends
Probably remembering
How we used to hang out
And have sleepovers
Do crazy hairdos
And watch freaky movies
When our parents went to bed
While munching on popcorn
And drinking Diet Pepsi.
How we used to put up plays
And make crazy vignettes
Using Josie’s Barbies
To mimic the mean bullies
Who sat in the back
Wearing pink and chewing gum.
How we used to never care
What they thought
That all that matters is that we are best friends
And we promised
To never break apart
And keep smiling through our troubles
Their jeers
And their scorns.
You broke the promise.
But I’m still smiling
Though you don’t.
I wonder if you, like me, ever miss
That friendship that didn’t last.

The bell rings
Your cronies get up to leave
Gossiping about some curly haired girl
In the third row with a grey hairband
“Who like totally needs a manicure,”
They call your name
And you follow
Like a servant
Who loves pink.

You give me a quick look
And exit the room.
I’m still smiling, and
I think you did too.