just pulling the pieces
back together
book by book.
I don’t say anything,
don’t know what to say,
just reach and stack,
reach and stack
until the floor is clean.
Then, when I finally stand up,
my eyes spot these red patches
swarming her face and neck.
I hand her one last pile.
“Thank you,” she whispers.
I nod
then grab my book
and take off to class.
I jog down the hall,
haul up two flights of stairs,
dart around the corner,
slip into the room
all the way down the end
on the left,
and land quietly
in my seat in the last row.
Teacher sees me.
I’m in trouble now.
She heads my way.
“Hey, Connor,” she says,
“it’s nice to see you
looking so happy
today."
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