Friends
Marie Delgado Travis
Tom Howard/John H. Reid Short Story Contest 2011 (view all the winners)
Most Highly Commended
Never knowing what to expect
That binds us.
The blasted hope
When everyone was
Nicey-nicey
That somehow
It would stay
That way
And always feeling disappointed
—If not exactly surprised—
When it didn't.
Unlatching the front door,
Wide-eyed girls in ponytails,
Plaid uniforms and saddle shoes
Wondering if we'd find
A parent or older brother
Passed out
On the floor
Or hanging from a rope
In the living room.
Or maybe Mom
Threw Dad out for
Cheating on her
Again today.
It's the anonymous call
The black eye,
Bloody nose
Punched-out wall
Tangled stomach
Clenched,
Sweaty palms
The not knowing...
And those damn tears
We brushed away
Each morning
Before facing each other
In the classroom
That define us and
Make us friends.
