5 my heart pounds:

boom boom boom-

My breath is caught in my throat.

You can’t hear it?

Well, I can.

4 I look around. I see

Aliyah and David and

Octavia and Farrah.

What will happen to us 

after this?

3 is it really happening?

Is it really today?

What about another day-

Another hour-

Another minute?

2 everyone tenses.

You could hear a pin drop

In the silent classroom.

I swallow

And my mouth tastes of grit.

1 time is ticking-

Time is sprinting-

Time is marching forward.

But what if I want it to slow down?

What if I want it to march backward?

0 the realization hits

We’re not kids anymore.