Me and Mr. Popularity

DAD GOT HIS EAR PIERCED, HE’S 49 UNEMPLOYMENT ISN’T TREATING HIM FINE HE TRIES ON MY CLOTHES AS IF THEY’LL MAKE HIM COOLER MOM’S STILL WORKING ON SOME LAWYER CASE SHE’S NEVER HERE, I’M FORGETTING HER FACE AND I’M AFRAID OF WHAT DAD MIGHT TAKE UP NEXT PETER BOOKED HIS NEXT BIG ROLE BUSSING TABLES HE SAYS IT’S A STRETCH FOR HIM BUT ME, SURPRISINGLY, I’M DOING GREAT, BECAUSE TODAY ME AND MR. POPULARITY WILL BE SPENDING MORE TIME YOU SEE, ‘CAUSE HE NEEDS A TUTOR FOR COMPUTER SCIENCE UNTIL THE SEMESTER’S END AND FOR ME THIS IS THE CLOSEST THING TO HAVING A FRIEND TWO WEEKS LATER AND THINGS ARE NEAT SOMETIMES HE WAVES TO ME ON THE STREET, BUT THAT’S ONLY WHEN THERE’S NO ONE IN SIGHT I COULD TAKE IT PERSONALLY, BUT WE’RE NOT HANGING, JUST TUTORING AND IT’S FINE – I UNDERSTAND MY ROLE BUT TODAY, HE CAME TO ME, IT WAS KINDA NEW ASKED IF I WANTED TO SMOKE WITH HIM SOME NIGHT AND I SAID, “UM WELL, I’VE NEVER SMOKED BEFORE BUT ALRIGHT!” ME AND MR. POPULARITY WILL BE ENGAGING IN ILLEGAL ACTIVITY GUESS HE’S TIRED OF COMPUTER SCIENCE, SO NOW I’M GONNA SPEND A NIGHT GETTING TO KNOW A JOINT – AND MAYBE A FRIEND SUCH A STRANGE AND NEW SENSATION ACTUALLY HAVING A CONVERSATION FEELING ANXIOUS AND NERVOUS, BUT HE’S INCREDIBLY CALM HE TALKS ABOUT FOOTBALL AND GIRLS HE LIVES IN SUCH A DIFFERENT WORLD A LIFE HE SEEMS TO PROTECT SO I NOD, AND I LISTEN AND LEARN WHILE IT SUDDENLY STARTS TO TURN THINGS YOU’D NEVER EXPECT SEEING HE’S SOMEWHAT OF A WRECK AND THAT’S SOMETHING WE CAN CONNECT ON DAD NOW LISTENS TO LIL WAYNE MOM IS STRESSED AND GOING INSANE AND NORMALLY, I WOULD CARE PETER’S STILL AUDITIONING OUT THERE LIVING THE AMERICAN DREAM AT LEAST THAT’S WHAT THEY SAY BUT ME, REFRESHINGLY, I’M DOING GREAT I’M APPRECIATING ALL THE TIME I SPEND ‘CAUSE I NEVER KNEW I NEVER KNEW, BACK THEN THAT ME AND MR. POPULARITY WOULD BE SPENDING MORE TIME YOU SEE, ‘CAUSE HE NEEDED A TUTOR FOR COMPUTER SCIENCE BUT THAT WAS WAY BACK THEN NOW WE LAUGH AND TALK AGAIN AND AGAIN AND REALLY, I THINK HIM AND ME ARE POSSIBLY BECOMING FRIENDS --- Me and Mr. Popularity - Andrew Barth Feldman and Joey Contreras