It's Just That Crazy

Chapter 1- The Unfortunate News

Chapter 1- The Unfortunate News

"Summer, I think we should break up," my boyfriend of two and a half years tells me one day after our usual Sunday night dinner with my family.

I nearly choke on my general tso's chicken and immediately start a very embarrassing and unattractive coughing fit. When I'm sure my airway is clear, I reach for my glass of water and chug it down quickly.

When I'm finished, I turn to him and stare. "Excuse me?"

I can't have heard him right.

He shifts in his seat and looks down at his hands and repeats his words to me. "We should break up. I think we should see other people."

I feel as if the wind has been knocked out of me and I try to remember how to breathe again. "Y-you want to see other people?"

Wow. I didn't see this coming.

He looks back up at me. Meeting my eyes he says, "Yeah. I mean, don't you agree? Think about it. We're gonna to be seniors this year. It's our last year to actually live before we go off to college. Don't you want the full experience? No hold backs."

I'm holding him back?

I blink back tears. "And we can't do that together?"

He slouches a little in his chair and sighs as if the answer should be obvious to me already. "You know I love you. But I don't know. I just feel like I need to try some new things. Get out there, and really enjoy myself."

"You don't enjoy yourself with me?" I look around the empty dining room and the cleared place mates on the table and feel relief that my family isn't in the room to witness me cry. It was embarrassing enough as it was alone.

"No," he says quickly. "I do. But..." he sits silently and struggles for words. "It's different."

Um...different? That's never a good word.

"Different how?" I press.

How come I'm only hearing about this now? Why he has he waited until the day before school starts before crushing my soul? He couldn't have told me this during the summer break? We just slept together for goodness sakes! Like two hours ago in my room before my Dad brought home dinner.

"Well, we've been dating for over two years and we've only ever dated. Don't you want to know what else is out there? Aren't at least curious about what it's like with someone else? Don't tell me you haven't thought about it."

"I haven't," I shriek and push my chair back and stand up.

Now my tears were gone and I was just mad. He actually thought about himself with other girls! Other girls! I just can't even fathom. Why? Why would he do this to me? Things were good. They were really good. We even joked about getting married this summer, but of course we never did. We weren't old enough.

"Shh," he says lowering his voice trying to shush me. "Your family is watching a movie in the next room."

"Don't shush me Matt Boyd! I want answers now!" I cross my arms over my chest and glare at him hard. "Have you been seeing someone else behind my back? Is she already lined up to take my spot as your girlfriend as we speak?"

He looks at me slightly shocked and stands up too. "What? No. Don't be ridiculous. I would never cheat on you. That's the whole point of this conversation. I don't want to hurt you."