BOYS

COME BACK

A girl sits down in a cafe with a boy and they're smiling.
No, scratch that.
A girl sits down in a cafe with a boy and they're smiling but they're not.
She has burning flesh flushed hot with boiling water and it's pooling out through her pink ears— she's steaming and she has third degree burns and over her hands and she pulls them away quickly before anyone can see. Her kneecaps are shaky and red and bruised and anymore pressure on them and she'll collapse into ashes from an erupting volcano. Her hair is stringy and gross but it's been combed through two too many times for a boy who lets worms infect the roots of his hair and make homes in his scalp.
The boy has lead stained teeth and a silver tongue so sharp it could cut you as you rested your tongue on his. His hands are burnt with acid but they're laid bare for everyone to see. The acid drops onto the mahogany table and makes crisp holes and he's asked to leave but they talk to the back of his head. His head had a hole in it and it leads to the front and if you look through there are shards sticking out of it and clumps of hair attached to the edges. Look through it and you'll see a girl.
A boy and girl are smiling.
One is made of porcelain and one is made of metal.
The girl tells the boy to be careful, she will break if he touches her too hard.
The boy gives her a pinky promise with a hammer behind his back.
They embrace, one with paper nails and one with purple knuckles.
"I love you so much."