FicWad

Breaking Up:

Break-ups are a difficult thing. Adam has to do this, however. Sakura waited for an answer from him. He turned on the video camera and hit record. The man took a breath on the couch.

"Hey Carmen," he opened with. "I'm so sorry I left you. There was just so much going on. My dad hadn't changed and I was so scared." Adam lowered his head and lifted it again. "Anyway, how are you?" he asked. "I hope you are well. Maybe you'll move on and find the right guy for you and..." The man shook his head. "I'm so sorry!" Adam yelped. "This is so hard for me to do. I hope you have a good life! Uh... bye!" He shut off the camera. The man lowered his head.

That part was out of the way. He still needed to do more work to break free. That was take number forty-eight, Adam thought. Oh man!

Clearing up was half-finished. Most of Carmen's things were in the box to go back to her house. She was staying with her family from the last that he heard. Every time he went over there, they would turn him away with angry insults in Spanish. However, Adam couldn't give up just yet. He looked up at the ceiling./I have to do this/, he thought.

The next morning, Adam packed up everything in his car. He slammed the trunk and drew in another breath. /Today will be the day that I have to do this/, he thought. Adam stood up straight and walked around to the driver's side of his car. He climbed in and clutched the steering wheel. Suddenly, his cell phone buzzed in his pocket. Adam jumped at the sound.

Come down, idiot! That's just your phone. Your phone! Adam reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone. He noticed he had one text from Sakura. Curious, he opened it.

Hey, pal. I miss you. Can we hang out today?

Adam couldn't help but smile at her message. Sakura... However, he knew that he could go forward without breaking away first. The man became serious and typed his message.

I missed you too. Sure, we can hang out today. Just let me get this one errand over with and then I'll come pick you up, okay? Bye.

Once he hit send, Adam was ready to get this over with.

This drive wasn't so pleasant like it was months before. He swore to himself this would be the last trip down the neighborhood he would make. The man could already see their judgment eyes on him already.

She must have told everyone in that damn neighborhood! Adam cursed himself behind the wheel. Damn you, woman! Why did you have to go and complicate things? Adam stomped on the car floor.

"Damn it!" he shouted. A loud horn behind him brought him back to present day. Adam looked up in his rear mirror and noticed a trucker honking at him.

"Yeah, yeah!" Adam shouted. "I'm going, I'm going!" The man pulled away, frowning. Just get this over with!

Adam pulled up to his ex's house. As expected, two of Carmen's cousins sat waiting for him on the porch. For days, they refused to let him through to his ex. The pattern went that he would try to talk reasonably to them, they would cuss him out in Spanish, an argument would ensue, and Adam would end up going home with no resolution. However, today was going to be different. He shut off the car and got out. The man could feel their eyes on him as he took the boxes out of the trunk. I better make this quit. I'll be in and out so I can move on.

"Good morning, guys!" he greeted the cousins as he walked up the driveway. Already, he could feel their stares burn a hole in his soul.

"What are you doing here, Gringo?" the one with the silver earring asked.

"She don't want you here," the shorter one added.

"I can see that," Adam said.

"Get lost!" Sliver earring shouted.

"Look, I don't want to talk this time," the ex insisted. "I just came by here to drop off her things she had at my house. Is that okay?" The cousins didn't say anything as walked up the pathway to the porch.

"Up!" Silver earring shouted when he got halfway there. "That's as far as you, Gringo!" Adam shrugged his shoulders and set down the box.

"Fine," he said. He made four more trips to that spot with boxes in hand.

"She loved you, you know?" the short guy shouted. "Then you threw her away!"

"I'm sorry I did that," Adam explained. "I left her a videotape apologizing with all of my heart. Again, I really am sorry." He set down the last box on the stack. "Good day, guys."

"Fuck you, Gringo!" Adam heard as he turned and walked away. He just walked back to his car and got in. That's done. He reached into his pocket and pulled out his cell phone. Adam texted Sakura a new message.

I'm coming over now. Where do you want to go today?

If I Had Been On Your Mind That Day