Writing Exercise: “Collective We” Narration
He had dirty blonde, gel-styled hair that was pushed up and to the right side of his face. He was almost six-feet-tall and was still in high school, in addition to accelerated college courses. He worked one job during the school year and added another during the summer. He had been in relationships before but this one was the source of his downfall.
He fell in love with a girl at his year-round job. He was a busser and she was a waitress. We were never sure of how he fell in love with her so quickly. It seemed as if one day they were coworkers and the next they were acting like a couple. Go figure, they did date for about a week. She ended it quickly. The relationship ended just as quickly as it started. He seemed absolutely crushed but she never showed anything but happiness.
We were curious to find out what went on between the two of them. He only worked weekends, so we asked her what was going on the instant we knew it was through. She said he idolized and depended on her. She was his source of happiness and source of sadness, when they barely spoke. She felt like she was dragged into the relationship because she did not want to see him become more depressed than he was at the time. She enjoyed how happy she could make him, but despised how upset and jealous he got when she gave her attention to others. He wanted to talk and be with her all the time, but she needed space. She didn’t want or need a boy that was four years younger than her clinging to every word she said and every hug she seemed forced into. He was a sweetheart, she told us, always complimenting her and making her feel special. She got sick of that though. She didn’t need someone to tell her how cute she was every time she turned around or how much he loved her every time there was a break in the conversation. She felt like she was using him. She didn’t need a relationship, nor did she want one; however, she thought he may tone it down once they began to date. She assumed he was saying all those things in order to be with her and wouldn’t need to state them once they were together because he would understand that she knew. She was wrong.
The hugs became more suffocating. The butterflies left her stomach when he held her hand. The times they spent together became more awkward. She felt herself becoming distanced from him. She had fallen in love with the idea of being in love, not with him. She had hoped things could work out, she told us, but she was wrong and she regretted it. She did not want to lead him on or get his hopes up, but she had to cut it off.
She woke up to twelve text messages on a Sunday morning, after a night they worked together, because he was convinced she had lost interest in him since she talked to her other coworkers more. He was jealous and selfish. He only had eyes for her, but she did not see him in the same love light. He was obsessed and talked about how he could see them getting married. She knew he was simply feeling lust. He said he would always want to be with her, regardless of their relationship status, but she could not say the same. He talked about all the things they would do, when they would talk, and made plans for the near and distant future. He talked more than her and talked over her, without even noticing. He always asked if she was okay, but she would lie. She didn’t want to see the joy from his face vanish, so she put on a smile and pretended it was alright. She warned him, from the beginning, that if he depended on others for his happiness, he was setting himself up for failure.
Once she broke up with him, he was devastated. She explained why she wanted to stay friends and he was glad of it, we found out. He said he had done the exact same thing with other girls, but they never stuck around to explain why they left. Now he knew why. She explained it all to him. He was thankful, but could hardly move on. It was obvious how tough it was for him the next few days. She was worried about him, but did not want to contact him. She wanted him to realize how much more growing up and maturing he had to do. He was still so young and she needed someone who matched her mental age, not a teenage boy with more emotional range than her. She would not succumb to being someone’s mental foundation and strength; she needed someone who could match or be greater than her own. She was too independent for a partner less than her. She needed someone to be able to challenge and push her to her limits in faith, dreams, and overall life.
He was broken. She grew stronger. He lost his faith in love. She overcame obstacles. He would not move on. She left the past behind.
