What does Lyric’s room look like?
Is it as colorful and bold as she is?
Would her parents like me?
Would they invite me to stay for dinner?
I wonder if—
Before I can follow my daydream any further
my phone dings.
Be down in five.
Just getting my grandma settled.
Cool, I type back.
Then I crack open a window
and take a deep breath.
The night is overcast
and deliciously cold
and I know this is going to sound weird:
but I can smell the snow
before it’s even started to fall
my nose tingling with an earthy
metallic scent.
I check my teeth in the mirror
and smooth a few of my curls
into place
under my beanie.
I sniff my pits for the thousandth time
worried that I’ve sweated through my flannel
but of course, all I get is a whiff
of my favorite citrus perfume.
I can’t seem to cool my body down.
Everything in me radiating
with heat
