Tray
The beginning


I sit

down
at the so familiar chair that
faces in front of
the lit computer screen
anxiousness















…….up
bubbles ….












inside me as I sign onto
Facebook and
wait for her to come online so we can chat.











Trying to occupy myself
with useless homework
assignments I tap the eraser of my
Ticonderoga pencil on the desk, my mind
straying elsewhere from the page full
of my Algebra 2 problems.

I check the time on my computer
and am happy to see that it is
9:15pm, right around the time when Faith
and I chat. With sweaty hands I scan the
chat list of people online and to avail
I find her name on the screen,
a green circle next to her name
confirming that she is online,
that my mind isn’t just playing
games.

As
I listen intently to her talk
She
claims she never or rarely
Tells
anyone but (the trustworthy)
Me
I know that she needs me to listen to her most valuable
Secrets

And so, as always,
I

Do. I
Know

that I want to be here for her in every way possible.










I sigh and lay back in bed
rethinking how our riveting conversation went;
we always have deep emotional conversations (well that’s because she’s always the one talking and I’m always listening)
that go
on


and
on




and
on
for hours and as my eyelids fall the last thing I think about is
her.