Then she demands with an outstretched palm,
"Okay, where's your dinner money?"
With inconsiderate calm.
Now, to do what I've been planning for weeks...
I brush myself off and stand on two feet.

I pick my bag up from the ground
And slowly, slowly turn around.
Then, with legs that feel like dough,
I utter one word: a simple "NO!"
And as I turn before going to class,
I can see she is broken like a crystal glass.