she's probably so bored.
I look at her
she has a closed hand
pressed against her cheek
with a look on her face that says
just kill me now.
a passed back paper with my name on it
sits at the end of the table
right next to hers.
she slides the papers closer with her fingertips
one of the other papers
belongs to someone who didn't show up
so she discards it
and hands me mine.
our teacher raises her voice
to quiet everyone down for correcting
and she starts asking for answers.
she doesn't even raise her hand
question after question
she calls out the answer
all were correct
everything that week was.
she's already learned this
the take-charge tone in her voice
feels like safety when you listen
it's the confidence
that whatever answer comes out of her mouth
is the right answer.
