At Least the Huskies Were Good Then

It was nacho day at school

the cafeteria smelled like artificial cheese

I was nine-years-old

in black sweat-pants

and a Washington Huskies t-shirt

eating a peanut-butter and banana sandwich

alone at the end of a lunch-room table

The girls closest to me

giggled and played “the apple game”

the rules were simple:

hold on to the stem

twist the apple until the stem breaks

while singing the alphabet

whatever letter the stem breaks on

is the first initial of your future spouse

They were at E when I noticed their game

E F G, H I J

the stem broke

and the girl holding the apple looked at her friends

as they looked at me and screeched

“JAKE TUCKER!”

to which she replied

“EWW! Gross.”