Good thing I wasn’t a freshman.
I’d have gotten lost, somewhere
between gym and the chem lab.
(Almost did, in fact.) I collected
handouts; tried to follow list upon
list of curricular expectations;
tried, failing miserably, to conquer
new locker combinations; avoided
eye contact with teachers, staff, and
most definitely school police;
ducked Sarah and Trent so I didn’t
have to listen to their chitchat;
spent lunch far from anything close
to food, even though I trembled
from near starvation. All the while
feeling like my head would burst
from thinking so damn much when
all my brain wanted to do was
close down and fall deep into REM
sleep. I considered climbing under
the bleachers, letting it do just that
before I did something really dumb
like passing out, but just about then
the final bell rang.
Day One
blessedly behind me,
I rode the belching bus
home
wondering how I would
possibly make it to