Well this is my first one shot. I wrote it a while ago and never got around to posting it. Tell me what you thought of it, oh and btw here’s a link to the song Pieces by Rascal Flatts.
http://youtube.com/watch?v=l59GUDlsqG8
It’s a really good J -sigh- and kinda sad…. I advise you listen to it, while you read. It might help you make sense out of this short story.
I looked at my bedroom floor. Pictures were scattered all around me, and they all had the same theme: him and me. I picked up a picture and stared at it. His arm was around my shoulder, my arm was around his waist, and we were grinning like fools. That was taken right after we first met at the water park. We met waiting in line for a roller coaster, The Super Soaker. We hit it right off and my life was forever changed.
I let go of the happy picture watching it drift slowly to the floor. The smiles on our faces broke my heart. How I wished I had never met him. Then my heart would still be whole. But another piece of my broken heart wished just the opposite. It wanted to cling to his memory forever and never let go. Ugh, I’m sooo confusing.
I picked up another picture this one showed him playing the guitar. His face was in deep concentration and a piece of his dark hair was falling in front of his warm chocolate brown eyes. I had snapped it without him realizing it and it was one of favorite pictures of him. I loved when he played the guitar especially when it was just for me. He had the voice of an angel and the face of one too.
I picked up another picture this one showed him tickling me while I protested laughing uncontrollably. I sighed letting the picture fall to the ground my thoughts wrapped up in those happy memories.
Then just as quickly my thoughts changed to how awkward the past couple of months had been. I glanced at another picture this one depicting him on one side of me smiling contentedly while I looked at him nervously. That’s how I had felt around him lately, nervous like I wasn’t good enough. He made my words sound awkward and confused and I was strangely relieved when he wasn’t around. But then I’d hear his voice and see his smile and I wished that I could stay by his side forever.
I thought of all the times we shared, gifts we have given each other over the years, things like that. I thought about all the times I had cancelled plans with other friends just to hang out with him, only to learn that he had forgotten all about our plans.
I remembered the time I had bought him a Christmas present, a very expensive yet totally awesome hoodie he had wanted. He took it from my hands, his face glowing with happiness, hugged me and put it on. I reveled in his sweet hug and his happiness. Then I turned to him with a curious look on my face. His face fell and my heart sunk. He had forgotten to get me a present. I saw him making up excuses but I didn’t hear him. His protesting fell on deaf ears. I didn’t want to see him anymore. At least not that night, but tomorrow he’d be back and I’d be the one who called him. He was like a drug and I needed to quit.
Eventually I did. I stopped seeing him. It was pretty easy considering he had other things on his mind, other people, other times, other plans, another life, one that didn’t include me. He’d still smile at me when we passed, but he didn’t make any extra effort to see me. We drifted apart and it broke my heart, even if it was for the better.
The phone rang and I was startled out of my thoughts. I picked it up. “Hello?”
“Hey.”
I heard his voice, my heart stopped, and I couldn’t catch my breath. I could picture him on his cell phone in some random state. He hair would be slightly unruly and I could picture that small almost secretive smile on his face.
I played dumb, “Who is this?”
“Only your bestest friend ever!”
I couldn’t help but smile, “Oh really? So what’s up? Why are you calling?”
“Well, you see we’re gonna be in town soon and Stacey and I just had a bad break up. And that got me thinking, do you wanna hang out?”
My heart leaped at the idea of hanging out with him, but then I remembered the reason why we had to drift apart. He kept playing with my emotions and I didn’t think he even realized it. I think our friendship meant more to me than it did to him.
“Sorry, I’m going to be extremely busy. I don’t think we can hang out.” I sighed and added softly, “I don’t think it’d be a good idea.”
I could almost see his thoughts turning around his head trying to figure out why I had said no and how long it would take before he could break me down and get me to agree to his plans, but I held my ground.
“Come on, I need you. I need to hear your voice, I need to see your smile, I need one of your special hugs.” He pleaded with me.
His voice ripped through my already shattered heart. Oh how I wanted to believe him, but he didn’t need me and we both knew it. I was just a convenient friend. Someone to lean on and hang out with until he found another girl and forgot all about me. He didn’t need me when he had Stacey, why would he need me know? The answer to that was quite simple. He didn’t need me.
I took a deep breath and replied as steady as possible, “Please, let me go. Don’t do this to me. Good-bye.” I hung up the phone and stared at the scattered pictures on the floor. They looked worn and unreal. I quickly scooped up all the pictures of us and stepped over to my trashcan about to dump all of them into it. Then I changed my mind. I put all the pictures in a box and put it on the top shelf in my closet, behind all my old board games.
I flopped down on my bed and turned on the radio. Pieces by Rascal Flatts came on and through my sadness and my thoughtfulness I laughed. I short burst of bitter laughter. The song was just too fitting. It was as if it was made just for him and me. When the song finished I turned off the radio and went downstairs to make myself some hot chocolate. I’d be ok, it’d take some time, but I’d get over him….. I hoped.
Pieces by Rascal Flatts
From the moment that we met
My world was turned around
Upside down
To some degree I still regret
My memory for keeping you around
Girl I thought that you were mine
But my broken hearts been shattered
One too many times
And I don't want to see you anymore
I'm just not that strong
I love it when you're here,
But I'm better when you're gone
I'm certain that I've given and oh how you can take
There's no use in you looking
There's nothing left for you to break
Baby please release me
Let my heart rest in pieces, in pieces
Someone let you down again
So you turn to me
Your convenient friend
Oh but I know what you're doing
And what you hope to find
I've seen it a thousand times
Oh the fire we had before
Are now just bitter ashes
Left scattered on the floor
And I don't want to see you anymore
I'm just not that strong
I love it when you're here,
But I'm better when you're gone
I'm certain that I've given and oh how you can take
There's no use in you looking
There's nothing left for you to break
Baby please release me
Let my heart rest in pieces
I don't want to see you anymore
I'm just not that strong
I love it when you're here, babe
But I'm better when you're gone
I'm certain that I've given and oh how you can take
There's no use in you looking
There's nothing left for you to break
Baby please release me
We both know that you don’t need me
Let my heart rest in pieces, in pieces
Let it rest
