You're Gonna Miss Me WhenI'm Gone

When I went off to college in the city, Jake Harding was living it up, dating every girl in his social circle. For some reason, he took an interest in me - the plain, shy, quiet girl. His grand romantic gestures started to win me over. But not even a month into our relationship, he dumped me, saying he was bored.

That day, as he watched me walk away into the pouring rain, someone said, “That good girl isn’t gonna do something stupid, right?”

Jake, already obsessed with his new fling, just asked his best friend, “Hey, West, could you check on her? I’m worried she might try to jump off the pier.”

That night, the rain was hammering down, and there I was, soaked to the bone, when West pulled me into his lap. He answered a call from Jake, his voice low and drawling, "Yeah, found her.”

He paused, then lowered his head to whisper into my ear, “You go have fun, bro. She's…being a real good girl now."

1.

Jake called me. Told me to meet him at that club he always goes to, in Room 808. When I got there, it started raining. My hair was plastered to my face by the time I stepped out of the cab, and I started shivering from the air conditioning as soon as I walked in. The door to the private room was ajar, and I could hear music playing. It took me a while to spot Jake; he was snuggled up with this super young, gorgeous girl.

When he saw me, Jake didn’t even flinch. Instead, he just held her closer. I stood there dumbfounded, my mind blank. I couldn't understand what was happening. Jake had chased after me for a solid year. I’d only agreed to be his girlfriend a month ago. And just three days before, he’d been smiling, pinching my cheeks, telling me he was so in love with me. Now, he's got another girl on his lap, a hundred times prettier and sexier than me.

2.

"Leah," Jake said, his voice flat, "I gotta be real with you." The music in the room stopped, and everyone was quiet, like they knew what was going down. I stood there feeling totally exposed and embarrassed.

"I was really into you, for a while," Jake continued. "But, I’m dating, not joining a monastery, you know? I respect your choices, you’re not into it, ok, I get it. But I’m over it, so we’re done."

The rain-soaked strands of hair stuck to my cheeks, icy cold. I couldn’t hear the sounds around me, or see the sideways glances people were giving me. I just stared at Jake, dumbfounded. “But… three days ago you told me you loved me.”

“Jake, I wasn't trying to push you away when I wouldn’t kiss you, I just wasn’t ready…”

“Alright, Leah, that’s enough," Jake said, cutting me off and looking at me gently. “I want to break up, can you understand that?”

3.

Tears that had been welling up finally spilled over. I grew up in a single-parent household, and I was plain, shy, and kind of a pushover. From middle school to college, I was practically invisible. Until I came to this city for school, until I met Jake. It was the first time anyone had ever pursued me like that, made me feel so cherished and adored.

I ...