The lake is there, at your feet,

Humid breeze only carries heat

Up to your gaze.

Sweat drips a river down your back,

Water sounds like a delightful snack,

But the bottle is empty.

It's still August, sunlight still strong,

Burning sand carries you along

To the waves.

The roses are red,

But I am blue,

Since you did not 

Say "I do". 

My skin caught on fire at the exact moment I was shoved onstage. Forced to speak by the impatience stirring in the crowd, I felt my cheeks burn as the words sat meaningless in the smoky air. The guitar strings plucked the opening chords of the song behind me but my usually rich, smooth, perfect voice failed me. It had faded with my expectations into the cool night air. I couldn't perform, so I stood there silent, accepting the waves of pity and confusion and anger rolling in from the crowd. Finally, my fear grew too much to bear and, tears plunging down my cheeks, I sprinted offstage into my dressing room, full of good luck roses I did not deserve. 

Wealth shall disappear

As joy drips out of your pockets. 

Satin dresses will eventually

Rip over time. 

Fine filet mignon

Is a temporary pleasure.

All you truly need

All you truly crave

Is love. 

Let me make this clear: I most definitely had a crush on Grayson. Yet, when I was driving him home, the two of us alone together in the night, the words stuck to my lips. I just couldn't blurt out, "I like you" so instead silence suffocated us both until he finally opened his lips and uttered...

     "Let's play a game."

     "What kind of game?"

     "Truth or dare."

     "Okay, I pick truth."

     "If you could date anyone besides Zack, who would it be?"

     This was my chance. I bit back my fear, cleared my throat, and said.....

      "I don't know." 

Saying "she didn't like me" was an extreme understatement. No, his mother, the queen of snide remarks and fake smiles, despised me. Maybe it was because in her opinion, I was a distraction from his schoolwork, keeping him out until the oh-so-late hour of nine thirty three pm to see a movie. That's when she and I were first introduced at least. Walking back to my car, both my then-boyfriend and I were laughing about some obscene joke from the movie when a car screeched to a halt in front of us. I was supposed to drive him home, but apparently his mom just happened to be in the area and as she so eloquently stated, "I didn't think you could legally drive this late, since you're only sixteen." She then remarked on how her beloved son normally would be studying on a Friday night and asked about my SAT scores and, when I gave her my answer, whether I thought I'd be taking the test again. When I confronted my then-boyfriend about his mother's behavior, he defended her saying "she's overprotective" and "I don't know what you're talking about" and "The only reason she doesn't like you is because you don't like her". I was annoyed but agreed to go out the following week to a Mexican restaurant. Facing the window, I saw a white minivan circling the parking lot, only stopping momentarily when it arrived at the front of the restaurant. "Is that your mom?" I asked him, and he mumbled a yes through a mouthful of enchilada. I told my friends about the incident and somehow through the high school rumor mill, his mother found out I had been complaining about her. When my then-boyfriend came home from school that day, she burst into tears and said he was a bad son for dating such a nasty girl and forbade him from going to any dances or dates with me. He refused to stand up to her and instead quietly promised to follow her wishes. Thus, our relationship ended.