Hello

You were an unknown,

The friend of friends

Whose plastic blue chair

Was in the back of the band room.

That night, you sat in the front,

She sat across,

And the road grew dark.

Lights overhead dimmed,

Bodies searched for comfort

On hard glass and shoulders.

Headlights drifted through blurry windows

The bus hummed and shook,

Dropped eyelids and dulled minds.

But you had Mad Libs.

It was thick, mostly full:

You had other friends

To share it with.

I learned you had

A loud laugh,

Shaking me from my daze

Bringing me to smile.

We leaned forward,

Hushing each other

But no one stirred.