The "Other Girl"

Dad says when I’m in the middle
Of one of my crying spells.
“Nothing,” I say,
Wiping the tears off of my face.
“Principessa, I know girls well enough
To know that they just don’t cry
For no reason. You can tell me
What’s wrong.”

So the whole story comes
Spilling out before I can even stop it.
I tell Dad about Nathan and the flowers,
Hayley and his guitar,
And Caitlin and her insults
And how everyone in school hates me.

Dad just sits there for a while,
Then he says in the most serious voice
I’ve ever heard from him,
“Don’t worry, Camilla.
I’m going to give the principal a call.”