I didn’t know what
to do with all of that
except to find where Rachel was
I saw my father’s truck
pulling into the lot
but I couldn’t stop
no matter all the jangling
up and down
my bones
I caught up
two streets later
Rachel shook me off
just walked ahead
shouting to herself
it wasn’t long before
her mother cruising
street to street found us
Get in the car!
I’m walking home—
You little—get in the car now!
Rachel ran ahead
leaving me with
her screaming-mad mother
And you!
You’ll end up in jail
Like your father!
and more like that
until the car
screeched off again
I caught up
a second time
bleeding inside from what
her mother yelled at me
but I managed
somehow to say
Rachel it’ll be okay
you won the prize
the school likes you
they want you there
you saw—
and stupidly
so stupidly
I reached I reached
thinking I guess
or no not thinking
I reached
I somehow could not
not reach for her
and slid my hand in hers
and held on tight like
on the streets before
when something snapped
she wrenched her hand away
and her blood-black eyes
ice-rimmed with red
shot back at me
and she fired this
What the hell?
Don’t touch me, you freak!
I am not your girlfriend!
and then as if
both ends of a rope bridge
had been cut so I would fall
I fell
my mouth dropped open
and I stuttered
spluttered tongue-tied
I . . . I . . . I . . .
Great comeback, Bobby.
You know what?
but she was there again
her mother
beeping beeping
what Rachel said was lost
when she sprang away
and ran to the car
leaving me alone
on the street
with no stinking idea
what
just
happened