melted

h is for "hello, i'm a trainwreck"

a is for "aren't you sweet," hear it from the grandmothers as they pinch your cheeks. relax in this comfort.

b is for "bull, i call bull," hear it from the kids on the other side of the deck. laugh as you turn over your hand.

c is for "could you quiet down?" hear it from the senior with caramel hair, glancing bullets. swallow your excuses and get back to work.

d is for "don't tell me i'm wrong," hear it from within the circle of yes-men, all nodding their heads. hold your tongue before you make a mistake.

e is for "electricity is just moving electrons," hear it from your like-minded chemistry sufferers as they slam their heads into their textbooks simultaneously. groan to harmonize with their complaints.

f is "forever, that'll be us," hear it from your friends, whoever they may or may not be. nod to agree but worry inside.

g is for "go big red," hear it from the drum section and then from the flutes. raise your horn in camaraderie.

h is for "hello, i'm a trainwreck," hear it from the girl who always tells the good stories. smirk at her lies for she is perfect and poised.

i is for "i knew it," hear it from the boy you indirectly confessed to. feel your heart drop as he backs away but laugh with him anyway.

j is for "just in case," hear it from your mother as she tosses sentence after sentence at you. listen to as much as you can in case she quizzes you on it later.

k is for "kindness is a virtue," hear it from the beanie-clad kid as they joke about your habits. smile with gritted teeth.

l is for "love is a many splendored thing," hear it on the radio on the way to the grocery. hum along with an accompanying harmony.

m is for "mom, you're not doing this," hear it from your almost-sister as her phone is taken away yet again. sigh at her eternal struggle.

n is for "no, it's okay," hear it from the boy who unwraps his sandwiches so delicately. try to apologize for nothing again and be refused politely again.

o is for "opportunities are everywhere," hear it from the speaker, droning on another slide about college applications. listen intently as you freak out about your future.

p is for "perhaps it's dehydration," hear it from your mother the hippie. wonder if the reason why you don't cry is because there's no tears to let go of.

q is for "quite the excellent student," hear it from your teachers and administrators at every awards ceremony. feel the pressure even when you're being congratulated.

r is for "reduce, reuse, recycle," hear it from the second mom, also a hippie. joke about throwing yourself in the recycling and actually plan to do it.

s is for "sit down, be humble," hear it from the blasting radio in your mind. try to follow the directions but get lost in your head instead.

t is for "try to remember this time," hear it from your study buddy, struggling to help you put the pieces together. wonder if your good grades were just dumb luck until now.

u is for "understand me?" hear it from the teacher, mumbling as the sun rises. say you understand for now.

v is for "valid point," hear it from the class clown, suddenly quiet during a discussion. hope your presentation gets across.

w is for "we are gathered here today," hear it from her father, the father, as the funeral starts. look down as you realize that you never really knew her.

x is for "xylophone, bells, play out," hear it from the band director, lifting his hands to signal another run. sigh and put your mute in.

y is for "you've done enough," hear it from your boss, disappointed. feel the shiver run down your spine.

z is for "zoinks!" hear it from infinite facets. watch as she displays her couple's costume and be happy that she is.