Things I Learned in the Night

by Emily Byrnes

She says Open up Shakespeare; page 168, and I read about a thirteen year old who kills herself over a boy she knew for twenty-four hours. The teacher says “isn’t it poetic” and “can’t you feel their pain” and I want to scream how the hell is that love!? because I loved a boy for five months and twenty-seven days and I didn’t kill myself but it nearly killed me.