columbine memorial.

it makes me sick, i say.

what? asks my friend.

i say, that plaque. it's supposed to be a memorial and his father made it into some self-righteous statement about how a godless, pro-choice public school killed his son. why would he use this platform to talk about abortion? it just makes me sick.

and there's nothing here for the two boys, my friend says.

which two boys? i ask.

the two boys who shot everyone. there's no memorial here for them.

hmm, i hum.

my friend says, i'm just thinking about how their parents must feel. they lose their child and gain the hatred of the entire nation. and then they don't even get a mention for their loss in this memorial.

yeah, i say.

they were victims too, you know? says my friend.

i ask, so that's where it happened, huh?

that's the school, says my friend.

i say, it looks so normal.

my high school teacher knew someone who went to school with one of the kids. that morning when they were walking to the bus he said, i like you. don't come to school today. at lunch he had to run home to get something and that's when the shooting started.

i like you. don't come to school today, i repeat. wow.

yeah. i know. they were victims, too.