QueenBee

The cymbals clashed. The audience erupted. The lights flipped on. And then, it was time for us. Time for the dozens of hours we had spent practicing to pay off in three minutes.

I thought you didn’t care.

You laughed the same with everyone,

spoke easily,

walked away like nothing stayed behind.

So I told myself

I was imagining it—

the way your eyes lingered

Your new-ish house

your dog sleeping on the rug

my family and your family chatting comfortably

your kitchen with your hot chocolate

the fun spinny stools at the kitchen island

that's one of my happy places

When we see flaws in ourselves

we withdraw from society

curl in on ourselves

trying to hide from our insecurities.

The thing is

people struggle to understand

that their faults are a part of themselves

this happens too often:

attachment to that one friend;

a text—a hey—oh look,

i'm crying again.

you read it but you don't respond,

you play your games instead;

Yesterday

you looked in the mirror

said to yourself,

ugh

I look ugly

she's so ugly

ew

last week

you saw your reflection in the window