Not Once (her tale)

I used to watch you in school

I would linger at Foch Avenue
to wait for your bus to arrive
I would follow you up the hill
past Merdeka Stadium to school

And when we lined up before class
I would place myself where
you were in my line of sight

In class
I sat behind you
In the library
I sat at your table
In the canteen
I watched you eat

During school assemblies
I would gaze at you from the balcony
while we all sang the school song

On Speech Day
I watched you
from the wings of the stage
while you performed

On Sports Day
I would stand at the Pavilion steps
to have a clear view of you
racing down the track
hitting the tape in victory
I would cheer myself hoarse

At the School Dance
at the end of our school year
I put on some powder
some rouge on my cheeks
a touch of lip gloss
mascara and some perfume
I brushed my hair to a sheen

I waited
but you never asked me to dance

You never noticed me
Not once

The Stalker (his tale)

She used to stalk me in school

My bus would arrive at Foch Avenue
and she would be there
pretending to adjust her hair
or straighten her skirt
she would follow me up the hill
past Merdeka Stadium to school

And when we lined up before class
she would be glancing
surreptitiously in my direction

In class
she sat behind me
In the library
she sat at my table
In the canteen
from the corner of my eye
I could see her watching me eat

During school assemblies
she stood at the front row of the balcony
while we sang the school song
and I could feel her eyes upon me

On Speech Day
when I recited my lines on stage
I caught a glimpse of her
standing in the wings

On Sports Day
when I came last in the 100 yards
she embarrassed me
by cheering at the top of her voice
from the Pavilion steps

At the School Dance
at the end of our school year
she put on too much makeup
All night she fixed her eyes on me
She glared at me when I took my place
in line for a dance with Penny Chang

I avoided her all night

After Sixth Form
I moved to Australia to escape her

I succeeded – until yesterday

When I boarded the 19 tram at Flinders Street
I saw her sitting across the aisle
She smiled and gave me a wink