Page 82 of Crazy for this Girl

LAYNEE: He was in pain. The little guy wouldn't let me catch him and take him to the vet or something.

CAL: Did he tell you that?

LAYNEE: He didn't need to; he struggled. It doesn't take a brain scientist to notice that.

CAL: I dunno, he got into the water just fine and he probably didn't want to get manhandled by the person who stepped on his ass.

LAYNEE: I wasn't going to manhandle him. I wanted to HELP him.

CAL: Well, if you want to help animals, then being a vet is definitely in the right direction. You'd be making sure they’re healthy and putting them down to put them out of their misery.

LAYNEE: Cal...

CAL: What?

LAYNEE: You just ruined the only plan I had.

CAL: LOL. It definitely was one of your random plans. You've never mentioned ever wanting to be a vet.

LAYNEE: I just did. Now you caused me to have to go back to the drawing board and figure something else out.

CAL: You have time.

LAYNEE: I don't want to get a degree when I'm forty.

CAL: The average person changes their major like seven times or something. You got at least six more changes down the pipe for you, Laynee.

LAYNEE: Whatever makes you sleep better at night. Just know you tore a dream from a girl's mind tonight.

CAL: Yes, it'll be very difficult not watching you break down with a family as you peacefully put down their beloved pet.

LAYNEE: I literally can't stand you.

CAL: Aw, keep tellin' yourself that.

LAYNEE: I didn't get your last text. Did you send something?

CAL: I'm always saying something.

LAYNEE: Too much. Always too much.

CAL: It's never too much with you, baby. I gotta go. Have fun on your trip. Learn a cool word for me. I fucking miss you.

And then he's gone.

And I never go to Switzerland, with my heart still latched onto his last words that I have no idea where they lie or came from.

Yet another thing he ruined for me.

SIX MONTHS LATER…

Fidgeting with my fingers, I pace the sidewalk of Troy's condo. He's been so busy with his new job as a journalist for a local newspaper that we rarely see each other, and when we do, it's us half passed out with the TV still on.

Except those days are over.

Today, I'm breaking up with Troy.

This—us—has been going on for long enough, and my lies are starting to get too easy to where I'm borderlining as a pathological liar.

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