Wild Card

by Elsie Silver

And for my awful high school English teacher, Mr. C, who looked me in the eye at sixteen years old and told me I’d never be a good writer. Thanks for the motivation.

“Well, we’re all constantly changing. Evolving. Growing. I don’t know a single person who is the same as they once were. I know I’m not. And how boring to just…know who you are and think there’s nothing more out there for the rest of your life.”

There’s nothing like being asked out by your ex-boyfriend in front of his dad, who you were making out with not twelve hours earlier.

“If you think I’m going to stand here and let you talk about her like that, you’ve got another thing coming. So watch your damn mouth.”

There’s an embroidered patch over his heart that spells out Eaton and I focus on that instead.

I can tell he’s about to respond when I hear Beau’s voice from behind me. “Ma’am, do you have marijuana plants in the back of your truck?”