It was a can of Sprite that set it off.
I dreamed of this girl in my math class
whom I hadn’t much thought of before.
She saw me drinking soda and engaged me.
“You like Sprite? I like Sprite!”
She smiled, and we talked for what was hours
in dreamtime
and made me think we really connected
when I woke up
and it took me a little while
to realize
it wasn’t true
even after I was dressed and on the train.

I started thinking about her differently,
this girl,
and my crush grew
and grew
and probably stopped growing a few years
after I last saw her.

She was cute, of course,
but she was forthright. THAT
was the thing.
She seemed brave
while short.
I found her adorable.
I was afraid to talk to her
too much.

I could ask her for homework,
though.

I never got to figure out
if she actually liked Sprite.
To this day
I still drink it.