she screamed

there was the time
when you
were in high school,
slow dancing
to a day in the life
by the beatles
with Vivian
the captain of
the cheerleaders
in her parents
dimmed rec
room and a wad
of gum fell out
of your mouth
and into her long
black hair
with a ribbon
in it.
the music kept
playing as you
tried to bite
the gum back into
your lips,
but that made it
worse, as the wad,
pink and sticky,
maybe three pieces
in all got further
and further
into the nest of
her beautiful well
brushed and shiny
hair.
at some point
she screamed,
making her
parents come down
to chase you out
like a dog. the next
time you saw her
in the high school
hall, her hair looked
like it had
been cut short
with a soup bowl
which made her look
funny because of her
really large nose that
you never noticed before.