she looks in the mirror
with light red lipstick
across her lips
she takes the black ink
and decorates her eyes
her cheeks are flushed
her hair is straightened
her mom is waiting in the car
she meets her friend
outside the doors
it is dark inside
but the lights bounce off the walls
a thousand ways
she huddles in a group
shoulder to shoulder
as the crowd grows
and the song changes
she looks around
for any clue of where he is
daydreaming
of when she might see him
or when he might see her
she looks around
and looks
and looks
and looks
soon the music will dissolve away
the night is turning grey
and her hopes start to fade
and looks
and looks
and looks
when she finds him
he is against the wall
with a girl
she stares at them together
she stares at the corner of his smile
she stares until it her stomach sinks
she stares for too long
she stares as he asks her to dance
she yells at her mom
on the way home
she yells at her friend
who calls her
she yells at her dad
when he asks how her night was
she yells at anyone who will listen
she goes upstairs
washes all of the colours from her face
and plunges into bed
and cries
and cries
and cries
YOU ARE READING
PERFECT PLACES
General FictionJonathan and Cole are starting college. Cole is nervous, excited, and ready to meet new people. Jonathan is alone in his room, trying to overcome his obsessive thoughts and panic attacks and fears about meeting new people. Cole spends his first nigh...
