Outer Beauty; Deep As Skin And Just As Thin
Him
After driving for a good 10 minutes, the sound of his irritating ringtone flowed throughout his car. His girlfriend Ada probably downloaded it, damn her. When he checked the I.D. he saw her name flash in bright letters. He could bet she was just calling so he would have to hear the annoying sound.
In a quick motion he flipped his phone open, pressed it to his ear, and begin to speak.
“Hey, babe.”
“Hey, Mattie, you almost here?” her voice sounded a bit downcast, but he decided he was just being too skeptical.
“Yeah Adie, I’ll be at the café in like two minutes.”
“Alright, see you then.” she hung up curtly, which kind of confused him, but, again, he shook it off.
He tried his hardest to focus on his lunch date with Ada, and get the thought of the beautiful, haunting girl out of his mind. What the hell did he care about her issues? For God’s sake, he should be thinking about his own issues; aka his freaking obsession - not with her- but with her bumper sticker.
By the time he replaced his thoughts of the girl and slogan with Ada. Ada. Girlfriend. Black hair. Green eyes. A-d-a.
He took a turn and voila- he was now parking in the crowded lot of the Star Café, his girlfriend’s most beloved place on the planet. After making sure he was parked straight, he pushed the door of his Mercedes open and hopped out. He clicked the lock button on his keys and made his way into the café.
He instantly caught sight of Ada. Her bright green eyes were glowing, but not with their usual excitement. Something seemed off…
He stopped only inches away from her, their faces nearly touching. About to place a sweet kiss on her plump lips, he was stopped by one of her long slender fingers.
“No, Matt.”
The use of his name, and not his nickname, instantly shocked him. But he kept his composure in check.
“Adie?”
“No, Ada. Sit.”
Her eyes were now wet and soft, her pretty face screwed up, as if she was going to cry.
Now, he was no idiot. He was smart enough to put two and two together, but didn’t say a word. He obeyed, and seated himself.
“Matt, Matt, Matt…” her emeralds for eyes were staring at the table, her manicured hands clutching his.
He looked at her in silence, because he was sure this would be the last time…
“Matt…I-I really care about you; honest to God. It’s just…I don’t think -” she choked on a sob now, but continued on nevertheless. “-that we…that we should see together anymore. I-it’s o-over.”
He saw it coming; the sobs, the eyes, the squirmish jittering. It was just, so difficult- no impossible to believe that it was over between them. They had been dating for 4 years, since they were fourteen year old freshman. He thought he had finally found the one…
“Ada?”
“I’m sorry…I’m so sorry.” With that she abruptly stood up, clutching her purse, mascara running down her eyes…her beautiful eyes.
“Ada, please…”
“Matt…” her voice was a bare whisper. “It’s over.”
And with that, she ran out of the café, leaving him sitting there, all alone.
Lifelessly he stared ahead at her, as if waiting for her to run back, run back into his open arms. But no, she wasn’t.
It’s over.
It seemed like a dream. But he managed to walk out of the small café. He ignored the stares, stares of both sympathy and anger. He managed to get home…somehow.
Her parked his car on the street, right in front of his apartment. After slowly walking out, he slammed it’s door shut.
Then he snapped.
He yelled; a scream so loud he was surprised children and parents didn’t run out of their cozy homes and stare at him, scold him. He was surprised the police didn’t drive right up to him and arrest him for some dumbass thing like disturbing the fucking peace.
Well, his peace was sure as hell disturbed!
He began kicking at everything; the ground, rocks, door of his apartment. He wa s about to kick at his car when those words; those god-damned words flashed through his mind.
Outer beauty; deep as skin and just as thin.
“God-fucking-damn it!” he roared.
In his mind - broken and unfurled- this roar would’ve been loud enough to decapitate the trees; their leaves dancing in the wind. Strong enough to crumble the mountains; break the sky so it’s cerulean pieces fell like rain. But no, his roar was by no means a match to those cursed words; those words that may seem so beautiful, while in reality, would be the downfall of his very sanity.
He began to run; run away from the world; no, the words! He ran until he was out of breath, until his legs shook with numbness. Until he was panting, until his cheeks were tinted red. Because that was all he could do to stop himself from breaking down, all he could do to keep those burning tears from searing his face as they had done so many times before.
In a quick motion he flipped his phone open, pressed it to his ear, and begin to speak.
“Hey, babe.”
“Hey, Mattie, you almost here?” her voice sounded a bit downcast, but he decided he was just being too skeptical.
“Yeah Adie, I’ll be at the café in like two minutes.”
“Alright, see you then.” she hung up curtly, which kind of confused him, but, again, he shook it off.
He tried his hardest to focus on his lunch date with Ada, and get the thought of the beautiful, haunting girl out of his mind. What the hell did he care about her issues? For God’s sake, he should be thinking about his own issues; aka his freaking obsession - not with her- but with her bumper sticker.
By the time he replaced his thoughts of the girl and slogan with Ada. Ada. Girlfriend. Black hair. Green eyes. A-d-a.
He took a turn and voila- he was now parking in the crowded lot of the Star Café, his girlfriend’s most beloved place on the planet. After making sure he was parked straight, he pushed the door of his Mercedes open and hopped out. He clicked the lock button on his keys and made his way into the café.
He instantly caught sight of Ada. Her bright green eyes were glowing, but not with their usual excitement. Something seemed off…
He stopped only inches away from her, their faces nearly touching. About to place a sweet kiss on her plump lips, he was stopped by one of her long slender fingers.
“No, Matt.”
The use of his name, and not his nickname, instantly shocked him. But he kept his composure in check.
“Adie?”
“No, Ada. Sit.”
Her eyes were now wet and soft, her pretty face screwed up, as if she was going to cry.
Now, he was no idiot. He was smart enough to put two and two together, but didn’t say a word. He obeyed, and seated himself.
“Matt, Matt, Matt…” her emeralds for eyes were staring at the table, her manicured hands clutching his.
He looked at her in silence, because he was sure this would be the last time…
“Matt…I-I really care about you; honest to God. It’s just…I don’t think -” she choked on a sob now, but continued on nevertheless. “-that we…that we should see together anymore. I-it’s o-over.”
He saw it coming; the sobs, the eyes, the squirmish jittering. It was just, so difficult- no impossible to believe that it was over between them. They had been dating for 4 years, since they were fourteen year old freshman. He thought he had finally found the one…
“Ada?”
“I’m sorry…I’m so sorry.” With that she abruptly stood up, clutching her purse, mascara running down her eyes…her beautiful eyes.
“Ada, please…”
“Matt…” her voice was a bare whisper. “It’s over.”
And with that, she ran out of the café, leaving him sitting there, all alone.
Lifelessly he stared ahead at her, as if waiting for her to run back, run back into his open arms. But no, she wasn’t.
It’s over.
It seemed like a dream. But he managed to walk out of the small café. He ignored the stares, stares of both sympathy and anger. He managed to get home…somehow.
Her parked his car on the street, right in front of his apartment. After slowly walking out, he slammed it’s door shut.
Then he snapped.
He yelled; a scream so loud he was surprised children and parents didn’t run out of their cozy homes and stare at him, scold him. He was surprised the police didn’t drive right up to him and arrest him for some dumbass thing like disturbing the fucking peace.
Well, his peace was sure as hell disturbed!
He began kicking at everything; the ground, rocks, door of his apartment. He wa s about to kick at his car when those words; those god-damned words flashed through his mind.
Outer beauty; deep as skin and just as thin.
“God-fucking-damn it!” he roared.
In his mind - broken and unfurled- this roar would’ve been loud enough to decapitate the trees; their leaves dancing in the wind. Strong enough to crumble the mountains; break the sky so it’s cerulean pieces fell like rain. But no, his roar was by no means a match to those cursed words; those words that may seem so beautiful, while in reality, would be the downfall of his very sanity.
He began to run; run away from the world; no, the words! He ran until he was out of breath, until his legs shook with numbness. Until he was panting, until his cheeks were tinted red. Because that was all he could do to stop himself from breaking down, all he could do to keep those burning tears from searing his face as they had done so many times before.