Anything
turn my bones to sand
Heart racing, legs pumping, feet pounding against the street.
Though his body was its edge of exertion, Kendall’s mind remained numb. His thoughts were focused on the vintage sky blue convertible that was speeding away.
Though the neighborhood seeped through the corners of his vision, all he could see was her. Dirty blonde waves, fox-like face, eyes like melted chocolate, all of the features that were so uniquely Jo. They were the things he used to see everyday, the details that he had taken for granted.
They say you don’t know what you’ve got until it’s gone, and Kendall knew firsthand the truth in that statement. He’d unknowingly thrown everything that ever meant anything to him away, and in that instant, he’d give anything to get it all back.
In the grand scheme of things, it was more than just Jo Taylor, much more. More than Kendall could’ve ever comprehended in the moment.
The girl with the perfectly tousled curls was just the last straw, the one block too many that caused his tower to come crashing down around him, leaving him to reach for the pieces.
The resilience that had embodied Kendall before seemed to be wearing thin, revealing the joke that he’d become in the span of only a few months. Everyone considered him the leader of the group, the glue that held the four boys together. When everyone else was drifting off into outer space, high on spray tans and designer labels, he was the one that brought them back down to earth.
Everyone seemed to forget that even glue loses its hold sometimes.
He could remember one time in first grade during art class when he’d attempted to make a statue of his mom out of popsicle sticks for mothers’ day. He’d been so proud of his work when he’d finished, but he hadn’t held the popsicles together long enough for the glue to dry. The Elmer’s quickly gave out, causing the figure to cave in on itself and leaving him left with a nothing to show but a gloppy mess.
But this wasn’t first grade art, this was Kendall’s life. He couldn’t just start all over, no matter how badly he wanted to at times.
The rubber soles of his faded red Vans skidded across the pavement as he came to a stop, his shoulders slumped as he worked to catch his breath.
The decision to break up was mutual. Hollywood wasn’t exactly the ideal environment for young love, and with their careers in the entertainment industry vying for their time, it quickly became too much work to be together than either of them was willing to invest. Going their separate ways was just the easiest option, and for once in his life, Kendall felt like taking the easy way out.
A month later, he was already regretting that decision.
He’d never realized that he’d have to come to terms with the pain of seeing Jo with someone else so soon. There was a nagging part of him that couldn’t understand how she could be too busy to be invested in a relationship with him, but as soon as they’d broken up, become involved in a relationship with her co-star. How was that any less time consuming?
As he walked home along the empty suburban street, the inky blue of nightfall began to devour the pinks and lavenders of sunset. As his surroundings grew dim, he realized that he couldn’t remember the last time he’d seen her that happy.
It wasn’t exactly Jo that he longed for, it was more what Jo represented: the wish to have one thing that was concrete and stable in this new chaotic life.
Even though his longing was misplaced, Kendall would’ve still given anything just to have her in his arms again.
He’d give her anything.
Though his body was its edge of exertion, Kendall’s mind remained numb. His thoughts were focused on the vintage sky blue convertible that was speeding away.
Though the neighborhood seeped through the corners of his vision, all he could see was her. Dirty blonde waves, fox-like face, eyes like melted chocolate, all of the features that were so uniquely Jo. They were the things he used to see everyday, the details that he had taken for granted.
They say you don’t know what you’ve got until it’s gone, and Kendall knew firsthand the truth in that statement. He’d unknowingly thrown everything that ever meant anything to him away, and in that instant, he’d give anything to get it all back.
In the grand scheme of things, it was more than just Jo Taylor, much more. More than Kendall could’ve ever comprehended in the moment.
The girl with the perfectly tousled curls was just the last straw, the one block too many that caused his tower to come crashing down around him, leaving him to reach for the pieces.
The resilience that had embodied Kendall before seemed to be wearing thin, revealing the joke that he’d become in the span of only a few months. Everyone considered him the leader of the group, the glue that held the four boys together. When everyone else was drifting off into outer space, high on spray tans and designer labels, he was the one that brought them back down to earth.
Everyone seemed to forget that even glue loses its hold sometimes.
He could remember one time in first grade during art class when he’d attempted to make a statue of his mom out of popsicle sticks for mothers’ day. He’d been so proud of his work when he’d finished, but he hadn’t held the popsicles together long enough for the glue to dry. The Elmer’s quickly gave out, causing the figure to cave in on itself and leaving him left with a nothing to show but a gloppy mess.
But this wasn’t first grade art, this was Kendall’s life. He couldn’t just start all over, no matter how badly he wanted to at times.
The rubber soles of his faded red Vans skidded across the pavement as he came to a stop, his shoulders slumped as he worked to catch his breath.
The decision to break up was mutual. Hollywood wasn’t exactly the ideal environment for young love, and with their careers in the entertainment industry vying for their time, it quickly became too much work to be together than either of them was willing to invest. Going their separate ways was just the easiest option, and for once in his life, Kendall felt like taking the easy way out.
A month later, he was already regretting that decision.
He’d never realized that he’d have to come to terms with the pain of seeing Jo with someone else so soon. There was a nagging part of him that couldn’t understand how she could be too busy to be invested in a relationship with him, but as soon as they’d broken up, become involved in a relationship with her co-star. How was that any less time consuming?
As he walked home along the empty suburban street, the inky blue of nightfall began to devour the pinks and lavenders of sunset. As his surroundings grew dim, he realized that he couldn’t remember the last time he’d seen her that happy.
It wasn’t exactly Jo that he longed for, it was more what Jo represented: the wish to have one thing that was concrete and stable in this new chaotic life.
Even though his longing was misplaced, Kendall would’ve still given anything just to have her in his arms again.
He’d give her anything.