The Only One || h.s.

6. Shoes

*Authors Note*

The poetry in here is not mine I got it out of a book my great uncle gave to me.

The title is "The Nude That Stays Nude" and the author is William Logan.

******

*Bella's POV*

As I was walking up to the podium in my poetry class to read my poem I realized someone wasn't there.

Shoot. Shoot. Shoot. Shoot. Shoot.

Well that someone missing is important.

That someone was Harry.

Oh shit.

I've finally reached the podium and I couldn't be freaking out more. Well for one I have no clue were Harry is, I have to read my poem in front of the entire class, and I have bad stage fright.

I usually look at Harry when I read because he makes me relax, he makes me feel safe.

"So, Bella I want you to say your title and then start reading."

"O-ok." I squeaked out nervously.

"The Nude That Stays Nude."

After I said my title I waited for the laughing to stop and then I continued.

"Don't do what all the other little buggers are doing.

Don't try to make the poem look pretty. You're not decorating a cupcake, Cupcake.

Don't think you're the only bastard who ever suffered - just write as if you were.

Don't eat someone else's lunch. For eat read steal. For lunch read wife. For wife read style.

Don't be any form's bitch.

Don't think if you cheat on a firm or slip the meter, no one will notice. They'll know and think you a fool. Don't think it impossible to cheat on form. If you do it well, they'll think you a genius.

Don't think if you declare yourself avant-garde, your sins will be forgiven.

Don't blubber if you never revive prizes. Look at the poets who won the Pulitzer fifty years ago. See who's there. See who's not.

Don't think you're special. Stand in a library amid all those poets who thought they were very inch the genius you think you are.

Don't double-space your lines and think the poem better. It just takes up more room.

Don't think regret is 20/20. Regret is myopic. Hope is astigmatic. Trust is blind.

Don't think what you have to say is important. The way you say it is what's important. What you have to say is rubbish.

Don't think you don't have to read. You read in order to steal. Read more, steal better.

Don't think your poems are good because they sound good read aloud. Get your hearing checked.

Never write poems about poetry.

Don't play to the audience. Your audience is full of dopes, cheese-balls, and Johnny-come-latelies -- besides, they're laughing at you all the way home.

Don't think you've been anointed by early success. Look at the critical darlings of a hundred years ago. Look at the darlings of twenty years ago.

Never wish you were there. Wish you were here.

Don't think you can ignore grammar. You need grammar more that grammar needs you.

Never eat the pie if you can own the fork.

Don't think new is better. Don't think new is not better. Don't think, read. Don't think, ink.

Poetry is the nude that stays nude.

Never write the first line if you already know the last. The best poem is the unwritten poem.

Don't break the window before you look at the view.

Don't think that if you have two manuscripts, you have two manuscripts. You have one manuscript.

Don't eat jargon, because you'll shit jargon.

Don't think poetry is a religion. It's more important than religion."

The room went silent. Then my teacher started to clap like a maniac, and the entire class did the same. Wow I didn't think that my poem was that good.

Oh I forgot to mention that the teacher said that there can be swear words, as long as the words fit.

I stood there in awe as most of the people who aren't that nice to me clapped. I don't think that they were clapping just because everyone else was clapping, I think that were actually clapping because they thought it was good.

"I don't think that you should have gone first Bella." My teacher said randomly.

I was horrified because I thought she didn't like it, but she was clapping like a freak a second ago.

"W-why?" I asked shakily.

"Well, because I don't think anyone can top that. Bella, that was.......amazing! How did you come up with that?" She asked excitedly.

"Well, I was reading other poems from years ago and ones today, and I wrote down some side notes about what not to do in poems, and I turned that into a poem. If that makes any sense." I said even confusing myself a little bit.

"It makes perfect sense Bella." She said in an understanding tone.

"Thanks." I mutter back as I left the podium to head back to my seat. As I walked past many people were staring at me and that me me uncomfortable.

I passed Connie on my way back to my seat and I was looking down because I don't like to make eye contact with people, especially when they stare at me. Anyways, as I looked down I saw that her shoes look familiar, like I already saw them today.

Then it hit me.

Connie was the one who tripped me today in the hall way on my way to first period. I didn't say anything to her, but when I walked by I heard her whisper something about me to her "friend" sitting next to her. The reason why I put air quotes around the word friend is because her "friend" just uses Connie for her "popularity."

As I sat down I thought about what Harry would do to her when he found out it was Connie. Would he just say it was an accident, would he break up with her, or would he not believe me. I hope it is the second one.

Anyway when I fell my hair got a little messed up so I had to fix it because we don't take pictures till the end of the day. Stupid, right? I mean come on, at the end of the day our makeup is messed up and our hair is or our outfits.

We should take pictures first period, it would be much easier.

So, three other people went today, not including myself, and let me tell you this, they weren't that good. Not being mean, but they could have used some tweaking here and there.

Then the bell finally rang for fourth period and I could go to French class. Harry takes that class with me too. I think Harry and I have all the same classes together. I didn't plan it, but I am not complaining.

Harry didn't show up to poetry class, and that is his favorite class. I wonder what he is up to. Whatever it is it probably isn't good.

Then I knew as soon as I stepped out of my class I was right, it was bad.

******

*Author's note*

What did Harry do?

I'm sorry for all the cliffhangers, but they are still fun.