...

Yes.

...

Three letters.

Positive.

Nothing could evoke

such excitement.

such joy.

These letters,

these three letters,

so simple

bring me so much pain.

and anxiety

and fear.

I wish they'd never been spoken.

...

Yes.

...

The blue lockers

chipped with the yellow

of memories past.

Happy memories.

Happy Yes.

The rustle of papers

and footsteps

and whispers.

Little eighth grade troubles

of friendships

and the starting of summer.

His sour sweat

Gym class ozone

Another whisper,

this one ignored,

but one always

remembered.

I will always say

Yes.

...

...

...

I am not ready to say those words.

I am not ready to recall those feelings.

I should never have said Yes.

...

...

...

His orange sweatshirt.

The wrong place at

the wrong time.

The Yes

I regret the most.

And now I will always

say No.