The Breakup from Hell

You could remember the day like it was yesterday, and it was still as toxic in your mind as the day it happened. After coming to college, you had met one other girl who would join your friend group for a short period of time. Her name was Hailey. Hailey Glass. She was a Biology major from up north, and the two of you seemed to hit it off almost immediately. She was funny, cute, energetic, and a blast to be around. You two were nearly inseparable for the first few weeks of your relationship, and she was the girl who took your virginity. Looking back at it, you can recognize all the warning signs that she was going to break your heart, but at the time you were convinced she was going to be the girl for you. You had managed to be dating for a couple years now, with you having your rental that she would often live in while officially living in the dorms. You were convinced that just because her eyes would often wander, or that she would flirt with other guys occasionally, or that she would spend less and less time with you, that didn't mean anything. Sure, she didn't want to move in with you, but she still needed time.

Then, she arrived on your doorstep. It was late, and you were working through an essay on the dining room table when she knocked on the door. She had a key, so you had no idea it was her till you opened the door.

There she stood, dressed in a skimpy outfit that you recognized rather well as one she would wear when she wanted to get frisky. She had on a very tasteful amount of makeup, including your favorite shade of lipstick.

And then there was the man she had her arm wrapped around.

The guy was easily a foot taller than you, and you recognized him from UNP's football team. His arm was also around Hailey, although he looked surprised to see you.

"H-Hailey... Wha.... who... why..."

You can't remember what exactly she said to you. You know that she managed to insult you with every other sentence, although unlike Kyra's jabs, these were made to hurt. She revealed very intimate details about you, saying in detail the fetishes you had or the fact that you were bisexual, and how fucking gross she found that. She told you how naive you had to have been to not notice she was done with your ass, and that for the entire semester she had been seeing Rodney on the side.

Rodney would later tell you that he had no idea that Hailey was dating someone until that night, and when he asked where they were going she just said "To make you my official boyfriend by getting rid of my current one." However, at the time all you saw was red. You jumped at Rodney, intent on breaking his nose.

Sadly, you were not Tina or Anna. You had no fighting skill in you, and wound up with your own nose broken.

The last thing Hailey said before throwing her set of keys at you was "Oh grow up Matthew. You were good for how long you lasted, but you are last years model. You're weird, you're gay, you're emotional garbage, and I am just moving on. Do me a favor and send me my stuff that is still here, or I'll come back with the rest of the football team."

You didn't get off the floor that night, only dragging yourself against a wall and crying yourself to sleep. You spent the next couple days crying, not going to class and contemplating how to rid the world of your garbage self.

Then, another knock at the door. You didn't answer it this time, and eventually the person let themselves in using the spare key under your doormat. It was Kyra, having wondered why you didn't show up for English at all and wouldn't answer anyone's texts. Upon seeing you, the dried blood still on your shirt and the tear tracts tracing your cheeks, along with the knives and sharpeners set out, she immediately set to work. She and the rest of your friends would spend the next few days at your place, helping you get back on track and slowly pull yourself back together. Your professors, thankfully, understood after your friends explained what was going on and you were able to slowly get back on track.

You never did give Hailey back her things, opting to burn them instead. When she did make do on her threat to send the football team, Kyra called on her sister to help her out. It was then that you learned Kyra's sister was a member of a biker gang, and that college football players are terrified of bikers wielding chains, crowbars, knives, and guns. Also, that Kyra looked just like her sister, who was even more badass than Kyra.

Kyra had hugged you that night, which was rare for her to do. As you stood there, your arms around her, she looked up at you and said a few words that you would never forget.

"Matthew, remember this. You are my friend, and I don't make friends with just anyone. I wouldn't be friends with garbage, as I have high qualifications for who I am friends with. And Matthew? You have managed to raise the bar on all of those qualifications. You are one of, if not, the best person I know. Don't let that bitch get to you. She wasn't worth keeping around. She didn't realize that she gave up the prime rib of people to go hang out with pig slop."