The Anatomy of a Heart

“Blessed are the hearts that can bend; they shall never be broken.”

“I need to talk with you,”Axl says as he approaches Dexter who is waiting for him eating an apple.

“Sure, what do you need to say?”

Axl takes him by the elbow and pulls him into the washroom. It’s empty and their voices bounce off the walls. Dexter is distracted and looks around the washroom as

Axl tries to talk to him.

“I…I cant do this,” he says trying to explain what he’s thinking but coming short of words.

“Do what? ” asks the boy, confusion in his eyes.

“Be with you.” replies Axl quietly.

“Excuse me?” Dexter stops dead in his tracks his head turns toward and his eyes focus on Axl trying to figure out what just happened

“I think we need to break up.”

“ I really didn’t see think coming. I saw everything but that this morning when I got dressed and ran to school as early as possible to come and see you. Now I see I

might as well have pretended to be sick,” replies Dexter his eyes never leaving Axl’s,“I cant believe this. I love you! Isn’t that good enough?”

“I’m sorry, Dexter. I just love you a little less everyday.”

“What did I do wrong?” asks Dexter astonished at where this conversation ended up.

“Nothing, it just felt wrong. You were always here for me but just not where I wanted you to be.”

“What! This is your explanation. I’m dying here and all you have to say to me is this.”

“ When we first went out you had your problems that you couldn’t talk about and I understood. I think I always hoped you’d tell me eventually but you never did.

You were just around the corner never quite letting me reach you and I was okay with that, it was fine, but then just around the corned wasn’t good enough.”

“My problems are not of your business. I will tell you if I want to,” yells Dexter.

“That’s exactly it you don’t want to. I’m suppose to help you but you won’t open up to me. Eat your apple, you look pale,”

“ Of course I’m fucking pale. My boyfriend just dumped me out of no where, do you think I can still eat? You can’t do this. Please, please don’t do this to me.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Please Axl” he whispers quietly, his voice shaking in the wind, almost impossible to hear,” You’re breaking my friggin’ heart!”

“I’m not though. Hearts don’t break they only bend-”

“No, don’t give me this philosophy shit. I don’t want to hear it, not right now, not from you,”

“I’m sorry.”

After a long silence Dexter finally speaks.

“So this is the end?” he says his eyes looking everywhere except at Axl.

“Yeah,”

“It’s suppose to end like this. We were suppose to be together forever.” replied Dexter.

“Forever is always changing.”

“ What happened to us? We were so good together.”

“ Yeah, we were but we grew up,” explained Axl.

Dexter looks at him and he looks like he is about to cry. But then he bites his lip and looks away.

“Remember that summer in 10th grade when we first met? I was waiting in line to pay for my mother’s pomagranite and you crashed right into me, holding one of

those large crates filled with oranges. You looked at me, smiled and handed me an orange while asking if I wanted to hang out later. That summer changed

everything” he said.

“The summer that changed us,” agreed Axl not quite sure what to do from here. They were on the way to breaking up. The worst had passed now they were saying

their last words and soon they would both more on. From here on it could only get better. He really did feel sorry but it was going to happen some day. It was either

going to be him or Dexter who eventually realized their relationship was going no where. They had been together for a year and a half and it had been great. Dexter

was the best boyfriend Axl could ask for. I just wasn’t going anywhere.

“That was the day I traded an orange for my heart. I guess we all make mistakes” said Dexter bitterly breaking Axl’s thoughts.

“ Don’t be like this. This…us wasn’t a mistake it just wasn’t meant to last for eternity.” explained Axl.

“Do you remember it?”

“ Remember what?” asked Axl confused.

“The sticky sweet intoxicating, making it impossible to think or reason, smell of our love?”

“You were my first love how can I not” replied Axl and smiled.

“ I hate this. You just ripped my heart out of your sleeve and threw it back at me, just a minute or two ago and we’re already talking in the past. Like it was ages

ago when it was just yesterday you held my hand and laughed at my stupid jokes,”

“Dexter, please don’t do this, don’t make it harder than it is. I really can’t deal with it. Please” begged Axl as he looked down at the sink wet from a previous person.

“ Hey hun, sorry to shatter you bubble but I am the one who got dumped. I’m the one who should be unhappy.” replied Dexter as he crossed the room in three easy

strides and sat down on the counter beside Axl.

“ I have to go. I’m sorry. I did love you…once,”

“Don’t go. Not like this. Give me another chance I promise I’ll be better, I’ll be your everything…please” he whispered his voice dissolving into the air leaving hardly a

tremble.

Axl looks at him. He almost gives in. Almost. But instead turns around and begins to walk always. He gets to the door when a hand reaches out and grabs his wrist.

“ Do you regret it?” asks Dexter right behind him, silently waiting for the response. His eyes never leaving Axl’s. His face reflects how scared he is that this has

meant nothing to Axl. Just another boy just another face that will soon be forgotten.

“ Never” replies Axl without hesitation and walks away from the boy sitting on the bathroom counter shaking and shivering, quietly sobbing. As Axle turns around

seeing Dexter, deserted on the sink counter leaning against his own reflection, surrounded by empty stalls and walls painted yellow, he looked as though he had

already become a memory. He only looked back once before pushing the door open and leaving the world that had been so familiar, so safe, for so long. Now

entering a new world that ,just outside that green door, was waiting to happen.

“Did you hear? Axl broke up with Dex. Such a shame they were perfect together. Everyone‘s been talking about it. Apparently it happened at lunch yesterday. Axl

just told him in the washroom and left him there. Some guys found Dexter on the washroom floor bawling his eyes out,” asks a girl quietly sitting in the back of the

cafeteria.

“Yeah I heard, Facebook told me, replied the other girl taking a sip from her drink.

“Tsk, young people, they wear their hearts on their blog.”