Out to Eat

Just drink the green tea. No one needs to know you hate the taste. Try to make this fast. The green film sticks to your teeth. Just sip, look up, and smile at him. He loves your smile. They all love your smile – you need to use that more. Why don’t you tell him you love him? He’d love that. He’d eat it up. So what if the truth is you want to plunge your stick through his eye – jerk took your fork. Just smile. With teeth he says. Give him the teeth.

See that girl at the back of the room? The one with the long brown hair, kind of a smush nose? Yeah, her. She’s young. Too young, right? You think she’s glad? Think she knows his hugs are too tight? Think she likes it? Look. Who is she here with? Yeah, same smush nose. It’s not just you, ya know. Think she’s too young to say it out loud? Wrong. She tells her mom all the time. Mom thinks she lies. Mom knows what kind of a man he is.

“Hey, space head. What do you see?”

Smile at him. Sip your tea. Can’t seem to spit out a word, can you? Can’t talk to the guy. Some of them ask why you’re so shy. Such a sweet face. Kind smile. Shy they say. Shy! Sip your tea. Eat. Taste the salt. Hunk of food stares at you from your plate. It drips brown juice. Poke it with your stick.

Look up. She’s on her way out. His touch is on the small of her back. You see him look at her. You know those kind of eyes. He has a firm grasp of her arm. Out the door they go. The bells chime as it slams. Your eyes flood. Sip your tea. Look at him.

“Aww, where’s my smile?”