You stood in front of the class and I couldn’t take my eyes of you while the teacher introduced the new girl to us. Sit beside me, I hoped, but you sat with the smart kids. After school, I carried your books home. You used me even then, you bitch.

***

You lived about two blocks away in a great big old house. It’s still there, although you have long gone. I walked past it the other day on my way to work; it’s not out my way, much. I looked hard, but no memories were hanging about, just bad ones.

***

Where was our first kiss; I think it was there at the end of the road beneath the chestnut tree. I put my arms around you and you smiled at me. My heart raced as I looked into your blue eyes. It’s long ago now and not really that important.

***

We had drifted apart and then we drifted back. We sat together on the school bus and laughed at stupid jokes while you blew smoke in to the air. We were sixteen, no longer children, or so we both thought. You thought right, I thought wrong. More smoke, more drifting.

***

The first time you cheated on me, you cried over the phone.

“We have to talk,” you said.

We walked in bruised silence through the park, then sat and stared over the hill.

“I don’t understand,” I said at last.

“Let me explain,” you told me, “We’re not a couple.”

***

I walked with you, holding your hand, trying to save each moment.

In the autumn leaves we stood and I could barely breathe with the weight of my sadness.

“Will you wait for me,” I asked.

“No,” was the reply you gave.

The last leaves fell; the branches all bare.

***

“I can’t believe she said that, she’s such a bitch.”

“What did she say?” I asked; my girlfriend looked away and would not tell me. I never did find out.

I could guess anyway; it was probably the truth, but why say it? You just had to screw this up, too.

***

Facebook is a wonderful thing. You look really happy in your anniversary pictures and your partner looks nice. I’m happy for you. But you’ve aged a lot and you’re not the girl I knew. I would not have recognised you.

P.S. I’m bald and fat now. It’s only fair you know.