Same Thing, Different Places By D.I. Jolly
“I am a unique and special flower!”
Frank looked at his girlfriend and wondered who had gotten that line stuck in her head. It wasn’t the first time he’d had it screamed at him, but after everything they’d been through he felt that it should be the last.
“Who the fuck cares!”
His words hit like a slap in the face and seemed to knock the wind out of her. Seeing it, he almost felt bad for her, but then didn’t.
“Everyone is a unique and special flower, but what does that even mean? What difference does that make?”
For a moment he thought about saying more but realised there was more impact in letting her face the questions alone, and so he waited, watching her open and close her mouth a few times trying to remember how to speak.
“You’re my boyfriend you’re supposed to support me!”
Another excuse she used to get herself out of trouble, and wherein the past it had worked, now it just deepened his disappointment.
“Support you how? Just let you carry on this way? Let you do exactly as you please with zero regard for the people around you? And then you have the nerve to stamp your feet and whine about how important your feelings are! What about the feelings of everyone else who you’ve just stepped on?”
The words were coming hard and fast to his mind and as she opened her mouth to protest he snapped ‘shut up!’ at her.
“You don’t get to talk now. Every one of those people tonight has someone who told them they’re unique and special in some way, and if that’s what’s really so fucking important, then why don’t they matter to you? You’re not special, you’re just a selfish brat who knows better but hides behind the excuses we tell children … God! I think that’s the part that I really hate the most, you know better, you’re smarter than this you just like to hide, because you actually like being this way. It doesn’t matter who you’re with, what you do, you love being a spoilt brat, because it gets you attention! And I hate it!”
The room fell into a loud silence as he turned to pace around, consciously breathing to try and calm himself down.
“You… You hate me?”
Her voice was low and small and after everything they’d been through, he couldn’t help but feel it was another act. Another thing to hide behind. A calm realisation spread over him like a wave of goosebumps.
“Honestly? No. I don’t feel anything for you anymore. I couldn’t care less about you. Now that I think about it, I’m actually incredibly disappointed in myself. Disappointed that I hang on this long. I thought I was smarter than that too. And you know what, maybe I’ve just been giving you too much credit, my own excuse to hide behind. You’re not better than this. You’re a fucking unique and special flower, just like every, body, else.”
His face carried a look of such profound disappointment that she once again found herself lost for words, because she believed him. Every part of her believed that he suddenly and seemingly without warning had no feelings for her, and there was nothing she could do or say that would change it. So no words came to mind. After a few long silent moments, the fight finally settled around them. Frank stopped and thought, then nodded to himself, picked up his jacket and left. Quietly wondering if he would even remember her name.