Maggie Wu got out ahead of Joyce

                                     Her My Little Fish interrupting him from venturing to Finnegans Wake for a blush a toke of inspiration when the notes he madeintent on elaborating had fallen flatfallen on their faces  lacked   for the time being    to inspire him

“I had also kept my own little fish a secret. Nora told me she’d been getting them for the past year. She was saving them for her crush, Zachary, and would give them to him once she started middle school. I asked her why. She said that was just what people did when they were in love.”

                                                

Here. This is for you. said Marlene  Don’t open it until you get home, please.

Marlene was a head taller had twentytwentyfive pounds on him was his favourite tomboy

not to please her could get him pummeled 

hed seen her pound other boys until they refused to get up or ran away crying

I promise

Thank you.

             I’ll see you tomorrow.

she slung her schoolbag over her shoulder and began walking home he lived in the other direction  she paused turned halfwayround led by the heavy schoolbag waved goodbye   blew him a kiss  blushed  turned hurriedlywalking away

Whawastha

I don know

                Shes never done tha before

Ever given you a gift before

No  Not everI mean a Valentines Day card during class a netted bundle of confectionary hearts Sweethearts with it

Did you read the hearts

No

      They werent the colourthe taste I liked When I got home I traded with my brother and sister for hearts they received that I liked

 

She blew you a kiss

She did

    Maybe    Maybe you should have read the hearts she gave you

Maybe

This gift Its your birthday

It is

A birthday gift

She didnt wish me Happy Birthday when she gave it to me

But probably

Probably

Huh

          I cant wait to see when we get home

he looked up the street where Marlene walked

she was really small in the distance

he held up his hand centered her between his thumb an indexfinger

                                                                              imagined picking her up

otherwise  impossible

    he imagined keeping her as a pet

                                           at that size

hed be able to take care of her easily

 

 

Arya gonna open it

Jah jah  We just got here

they were in his bedroom

he set the school books he cradled back and forth between his arms as he walked home down on the desk

he took the gift out of his shirt pocket

Marlene wrapped it in festive paper tied it with ribbon a real giftlike gift

he went to set it down beside the school books to untie the ribbon

                                                                            Arent ya gonna shake it

Ohmy  Are you one of thoseno

Those

Shake packages

                       Never have never will

Why

Its dumb

             Why woud I do something dumb

    Arya sayin Im dumb

Im sayin since you arrived youve never gotten a package a gift maybe before you got herebefore ya made your presence known  as other presences had when arriving

                                                                     Thasall Im sayin

Oh  Okay

             Open it Im excited

I will I will

thank god the ribbon came off easily

                                 he went at the ends of the box where Marlene taped it undid the tape undid the paper without tearing it

revealed a plain white box topped with a lid

it wasnt taped

removing the lid

a thick cotton gauze

he saw the fold at one edge

lifted the other end not to spill what was folded inside it

on top of whatever was lay a slip of paper 

as he picked up the paper to read what she wrote they said  Ohmy

he didnt let that interrupt himmake him look he read the note

                                                                            finished

sent it on top the school books

Theyre all her baby teeth

100preferred,  Wednesday,  4  2. 26

https://www.3ammagazine.com/3am/my-little-fish/