Love Poem: The Couple In Love
Caren Krutsinger Avatar
Written by: Caren Krutsinger

The Couple In Love

They arrived giggling and giddy, one hundred percent in love.  Holding hands, leaning into each other,
Smiling.  Young love, nothing like it.
I am teaching GED classes now, something I got roped into.
(GED for those who do not know is the test high school drop outs can take to get a diploma of sorts).
She talked me into it, the boy said. He rolled his eyes.
She smiled shyly, and looked down. He squeezed her hand.  
He gave her a little shoulder hug before he released her, and they separated to take their tests.

She was finished first, but glanced over to where he was, and sat quietly.
I walked over to her, handed her a piece of white paper, and whispered, “Draw something for fun.”
I picked up her answer sheet and her test, and went back to my desk to grade it.  There were six
Test-takers here on this particular night, a full house, and I had to get started grading. 

The girl’s scores were phenomenal, the best I had ever seen and I had been doing this over a year.
I called her over and said to her, “Your scores are amazing. You can take the test tomorrow and fly through it.  You will definitely pass.”  I whispered this, as some of my students had been taking this test for a year and they were still here, trying to get it right.

The boy’s scores were bleak – thirty percent range across the board.  He marched out angry, ahead of her. Her cheeks were pink, she was blinking back tears.  I grabbed her hand before she followed him.  “Please take the GED,” I said. “You owe it to yourself.” The door shut behind them, and I never saw them again.