pity

she was a loner. a geek. think "the breakfast club. think ally sheedy's character. she moved through haze-ridden days. thoughts clouded with confusion. frustration. no drug in the world could help.

he was a teacher. he read her papers. she read his thoughts. he kept her after class. she ate up the attention. he worried. she flourished. he thought she was suicidal. she was. he thought she was abused. she was. he thought she was beautiful. she was.

for thirty minutes each day she became a human being. she shared. he listened.

at the end of the semester he moved overseas. she couldn't erase the look in his eyes the last day they met. pity.