Lilies

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Above: A picture of Lavagirl, Max, and Sharkboy from the movie Sharkboy & Lavagirl.

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dear mom,

jaden never told you this

but there was a girl at school

that released butterflies into his stomach, fluttering with each beat of their wings

her name was haley

he thought she was beautiful

inside and out

when asked to put into words his feelings

he said it was like the moment right before you fall asleep

dreaming with your eyes open

more awake than you've ever felt and at the same time crashing into planet drool

but because her pants expose her ankles, and her sweaters have a pattern of holes like polka dots

she is the victim of the reign of terror of every minus in the world that tries to smash dreams

once jaden came home with bruises on his side

even though he winced with every step

he wore them with the honor of battle scars

for he spoke--shouted--for someone without a voice

stood up for someone who couldn't do it themselves

and because it was his favorite movie

he said that he had been someone's sharkboy and lavagirl

saved them from slimy creatures that shocked hearts and water that numbed lips from crying for help

he had convinced someone that they were not the destruction of fires, but the light of a thousand suns

with the power of his mind

by believing that he could

i was thinking about this because

noah was walking me to class today

but suddenly, he freezes as if he's trapped in a cage with no sharp teeth to tear through the bars 

his face sinks like an anvil on my heart

as if he's not swimming in the land of milk and cookies, but drowning in the river in the midst of a nightmare

a boy approaches us

and my stomach plummets, my gut anticipating what is to come

why i found noah in the library in the first place

an image of a more vulnerable, sadder noah crying appears in my head

the boy bares his teeth in the illusion of a smile

"noah, we've missed you at lunch. where have you been?"

"um, a- aroun- around,"