"Studying" for Finals
Memory POV
Today marks the start
Of the no holds barred
Every man for himself
Final exam
Mr. Peters has already
Got half the names into
A small hat
That promises our melancholy
Haru's boyfriend
Had warned me yesterday
"It's hell and a half
But you can continue next year."
The bell rings and the other students
All shuffle reluctantly
As if it'll stall time
Or prevent the inevitable
I sigh and lean back on my chair
And my feet resting
On top of my notebook full
Of little doodles
"Today is the beginning
Of the worst three weeks of
Your entire training."
Mr. Peters takes a drag of his cigarette
"All the combats
Please line up in front
Of my desk to select
Your temporary partner."
We all line up, emptying
The entire back rows
Of our classroom
And leaving our prejudices
Up first
Is my only partner
And he selects
A slip nervously
"Um. . .
Naleighna Sparks."
Haru reads out the card
Before he sits next to her
It takes seventeen more
Before I have to draw
One of the last two
Pieces of paper from hell.
I unfold mine
And my heart skips a beat
Maybe two or three
"Torren Black. . ."
He removes himself and joins me
At my normal seat
Because there isn't a chance
That even God could make me move
Later on in my day of torture
Torren is somehow
Sitting on my couch
Reading a book
I have avoided this jackass
For almost seven years
And he's sitting on my couch
Like it's his own