Sweet as Candy: A Novel in Verse

Reckless

Of course, I end up going

Though the party isn’t really my type of fun.

There’s too much noise

Too many people I don’t know

Too much smelly booze, and, later, smelly vomit

Accompanying the smell of sweat and cheap perfume that clings to every inch of the house.

Todd’s used to it

Being a regular house party veteran

Sharing hellos and high fives with people I haven’t once seen the faces of

As we try to work our way through the crowd

Todd pulling me behind him

Like a dog on a leash.

We eventually part the sea of people

Stopping behind a heated game of Just Dance.

I manage to take a step back

Trying to avoid getting assaulted with a Wii remote.

“So,” Todd says, raising his voice over the clamor of our fellow partygoers.

“What do you wanna do? Dance? Drink?”

I respond by hastily pressing my lips to his

Pulling him by his sleeve to the Moses’ guest room.

Once again

I throw caution to the wind.

Izzy never has to know.