Snake Bite

Artist: Audrey Lee

One ounce straight. Shoot it fast and feel the burn of what you’ve done. Your lips touch. There’s no going back now. Bite that lime, and let the sweetness of possibilities coat your lips and gums and tongues. He’s staring at you, unbelievable. Maybe he’s trying to remember what he knows about you, and you can’t stare back. Run away because you can’t say anything about it. Hide in the back hallway of the bar until a girlfriend comes to find you. “You could’ve been taken!” she says when she noticed you were gone. After all, it’s 2019. Even though you promised yourself you wouldn’t let it get out, you tell your girlfriend all about this boy friend. Notice the space. It’s a friend. It will only ever be a friend. You make her pinky swear and slur through the promise: it’s just a friend, but the friend is burning in the back of your throat.