My Cardboard Balcony

Ow! by Belinda Roddie The gentle kiss of wasp's feet on the backside of your left hand after you've tried to snag a hot dog from the barbecue before your aunt even put out plates. Call it nature's wrath or karma, but as it turns out, sweet revenge is the best condiment.

When she stood up for her award, I could see how purposely tousled her hair was, how the tail of her coat folded inward on one side, how one sock was rolled up while the other was bunched down so low that it nearly swallowed the shoelaces on her sneaker. She walked up to retrieve the trophy, and every teacher turned her head to look at her. She smiled, flashed the bird directly at the quarterback sitting and his head down, and walked directly out of the auditorium with her award tucked under her arm, disappearing into the May dusk.