Heartbreak | Henry Turner

1

Poppy

"Pops, c'mon," My best friend pleads, while doing her makeup in front of her room, "Mason is fucking his way through the breakup."
Oh don't I know it.
Embarrassingly, I have been stalking my ex boyfriend since we broke up, and not like it's obsessive... probably not, but I just checked up on him.
A few times a week, maybe...

I know it's unhealthy and it's not the prettiest way to get over a long time ex, but you don't love someone for two years and then suddenly, you don't see them anymore.
In July, Mason and I were apart for a few days because I had a friend visit, so I didn't really see him for the week. A few weeks later, I got a DM from a girl saying that she had hooked up with him and she didn't know he had a girlfriend or something, so I asked him about it and he fucking confesssed on the spot.
Haven't seen him since.
The silly thing is I thought I was going married this boy.

We met Freshman year of college and he asked me out right after two weeks of meeting me. I really liked him at the time, so obviously I said yes. Three months later, we were in love and happy together, at least I thought we were.
Him cheating broke me, I didn't realise it at the time but he was such a red flag. This one time, I saw him with a girl at lunch, he said it was just a friend, a few weeks later, he was making out with the same girl three weeks after the break up. Another time is when Mason would come home late because he "was at the Hockey House", but when I asked the guys on the team, they had no idea what I was talking about.
It's so funny how your life can change in the span of two weeks.

Turning off my phone, I face it down on my stomach, "I have nothing to wear," I say dryly, thinking of the quickest way to get out of this.
Sighing, Anika looks at me pointedly, getting up to grab something in her closet, "go change," she walks over and yanks me up off the bed, I give her an innocent frown. "Oh don't you give me that look. I'm only going to make you have fun."
"Nika, your definition of fun involves a boy," I remarked, walking to the bathroom.
She laughs, "I will supply one-"
"No," I shout from the bathroom, stripping off to change into the clothes that Anika gave me.
This is going to be a long night.

***

Hockey House is the place where 90% of UCMH students are partying. It's where the Seniors and Juniors hockey players live, I have been here a handful of times but Mason didn't let me go anywhere near this place without him.
Red Solo cups and alcohol bottles are already littering the walkway to the front door, muffled EDM music pumps from the house and different kinds of cars are parked outside the house.
I pull on my leather jacket, the outfit that Anika gave me is not fall appropriate, a tiny black shirt with a black miniskirt is currently on my body.

In society's eyes, I am the ideal beauty standard. But I don't feel pretty, I don't see what is pretty about myself.
I'm skinny, to the point where I look unhealthy, I have long tanned legs, Repunzel chocolate brown hair, my face is a supermodel face and I have vibrant blue eyes.
I know people would kill to look like me, and they sometimes think I'm stuck up for not appreciating my appearance but I don't like the way I look.
I eat a ton of junk but I could never gain any weight.

"You look so pretty, Pops," Anika whispers in my ear as we walk through the open door, "stop overthinking."
I nod, taking a deep breath as Anika leads us through the house to the kitchen.
One of the many differences between me and Anika is she is the party girl and I like quiet.
Despite being Indian and mildly strict parents, she is the craziest girl I've ever met and I love her for it.
So I'm not surprised that everyone is saying hi to my friend.

I met her in elementary when some boys were annoying me, my first impression of her was "who was this badass brown-skinned girl that just told an eight year old to fuck off". Anika was the only one who would actually stick up for me and we became best friends ever.
"Shamra!" An Asian boy with long hair and a muscular body structure, called us over, grinning widely when we came closer, "and Poppy Griffin," he says in a flirty tone.