be me, 23 years old, unemployed
hottest day of the year
ex comes to the door
years since I thought of her
she's shivering, cool breeze

“please, you know I never meant the things I said”
”just let me hold $100”
been thinking of her lately, look at her with pity
okay.jpg
tears well up as I hand her the cash, shut the door on her

biking to work right after
brisk day, 2025, you can still do that
“bastard, motherfucker, cocksucker, you're gonna die alone,” she yells after me
must have been that mean look I shot her, whatever though
drive slowly, take in the smells, neet so all the time in the world

get out of my car, hot day, sweating, throat sore
clock in two minutes late, hanging up my coat
oh shit it's the boss
it's fine, I'm still early
”you couldn't lock up your bike anywhere but on top of mine?”

gotta scramble to look for another parking space when I'm already late
ohshit.jpg, someone slashed my tires
2025, gotta find a payphone to get my car towed
go back to tell my boss
she's my ex

thisagain.nes
“please anon, it's just $100, I never wanted it to end that way”
shut the door on her, hit my vape
her fault for ending it without a word
oh shit i’m late to work, 2012 so i need keys, phone, VR headset
the snow (we still had it back then) swirls silently around my windowsill

sigh because I'm going to have to log the incident now
there goes my time until lunch break
was looking forward to alt-tabbing to and from YouTube, just chilling
29 unreads since yesterday
all from the same underpaying contractor

typing my reply when someone knocks on the door
2051, who even knocks anymore
“anon, you deadbeat, I need $100 for girl's night”
it's my bitch wife
tears well up, I never wanted things to end that way

suddenly pager pings
wtf.xls, termination notice
gf emails to tell me she’s breaking up
rush home in the tropical storm, bolt up the stairs via elevator
she’s not there

pull the covers over my head, phone blowing up, think about calling out
too late, why bother calling out, i don’t even have a job anyway
mom’s calling, wonder what i’m gonna tell the kids
pick up
she’s my ex

”anon, i just wanna…” hang up before she asks for $100 again
suddenly sirens, ”police, get on the floor”
fuckers break down my door and put me in a chokehold
take me to work, now I gotta log the incident
the cop is my ex

spend all morning writing a log on how my tires got slashed on the hottest fucking day of the year
boss shows up, gives plastic apology
all of a sudden someone knocks on the door, it’s 2009, who even knocks
it’s my ex
back with her suitcase

snow clears up
”anon, i just wanted to say i’m sorry, i never meant the things i said”
hands me $100
she’s my boss
i finally have a job

Edit

Pub: 08 Sep 2025 20:14 UTC

Views: 47