The Classmate
School, it’s a strange place
Strange classmates, strange teachers, and even stranger cases.
You never know what kind of kid will walk through these school doors.
Placido walks into school
Unsure of how to act, feel, and talk unlike a fool.
He has this friend, imaginary that is.
Dillan, he seems to go everywhere with him.
Walks with him to lunch, classes, and even to the bus.
Normally he sits alone, but in his mind he has Dillan.
We all go to English together.
Placido, Mario, I guess Dillan, and me.
This is when his mind begins to race forever.
Racing as fast as a cheetah catching prey.
When he brainstorms,
Dillan is of course by his side.
When Mrs. Pleasantry says to collaborate
He spins to Dillan and starts to elaborate.
“They” talk about their day and what they have seen and heard.
Talking more than anyone else
Coming up with things no one but him could come up with.
Turning around, Mario yells to shut up.
Placido throws back his chair and glares into his beady black eyes.
His face wrinkled as much as a crushed cup from anger.
Mrs. Pleasantry struts over.
She interrogates him.
“Why are you so angry and uptight?”
He plops down with sadness.
Mario sits down with a smirk.
It spreads across his face full of madness.
I try to calm him down.
He does not understand
I’m on his team.
All I want to for him is to--
Just feel accepted.

The Schizophrenic Student
I walk into school.
No one says “Hello”.
They all just look around.
Pointing, talking, and whispering.
At least have Dillan.
He’s always by my side.
I know he’s pretty popular.
He’s tan, tall, and tough.
Always beating down the bullies.
In English
Ferga, Mario, Dillan of course, and me.
When Mrs. Pleasantry tells us to work,
Dillan clears up all the murk
Making sure I know just what to brainstorm about.
He and I collaborate.
We normally talk about what we have seen and heard.
Whether it’s on the playground,
Or just in class.
We always find something to talk about.

Mario does not like me.
Only he knows why.
Dillan tries to tell me to ignore him.
“He just wants to make you shy.”
We were working one day
When Mario spun around.
He told me to stop talking to myself.
I quickly rose from my seat with malice.
Mrs. Pleasantry came over
With anger in her eyes.
“Why do you keep reacting so strongly.”
She just kept asking why.
I guess I’m still alone.
Me and Dillan that is.



The Disheartened Mom
Off to school.
The place I wish Placido didn’t have to go.
All that ever happens is him being bullied by Mario.
All he wants to do is to have friends.
All I want is for Dillan to not be his only friend.
I wish I never had to talk to the teachers about Placido.
The only thing they want to talk about is his violence.
“What violence?” I ask myself.
I know deep down that he only stands up for himself.
As he should.
It’s that stupid Mario kid again.
Continuously picking on him.
The only story I ever hear,
“Placido kicked someone,”
“Placido yelled at someone,”
“Placido punched someone”.
My Placido
Why can’t he just be portrayed correctly?

This kid.
Mario.
He just wants to mess with Placido.
Trying to tell him Dillan is not real.
No one stands up for Placido.
If someone were to
It’d be Dillan.
I know he doesn’t exist.
I wish he did.
Placido tells me about this Ferga girl.
Nice, pretty, considerate.
I see her in the hall.
Every so often she gives me a call
Always about Placido.
I know deep down
She cares about him.
Can’t wait until the day
When he really is understood.
That’ll be good.