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Description
"Alice," I heard his voice from down the boardwalk and turned my head. Toby looked, as always, incredible in his dark suit and one tiny flower in his pocket. Which I would have normally been thrilled and about, with butterflies reigniting in my stomach and fluttering around. Today, though, it just made everything harder.
"Hey," I said as he leaned down and kissed my cheek lightly. God, he was sweet. "You look great."
He gave me the once over and smiled. "I was just about to say the same to you." He blinked. "So should we get going?"
I shrugged. "We could hang out a little before prom." I told him, having to tilt my head back to see him. He was amazingly tall, and I just a little shrimp. I had no idea how I would muster up enough confidence to tell him.
"Okay," Toby put his arm around my shoulder, "let's walk along the boardwalk?"
"Sure." I nodded, sucking in a breath. I couldn't hold it in longer without it tearing my heart apart. "So... listen..."
He smiled over at me and I darted my eyes away from his, staring down at my feet. "I'm all ears."
"We've been dating for... I guess it's been two years now." He inhaled quickly, a sharp breath. Need I say more? He had figured it out. Exactly what I had been planning, running through my head like a script, he had figured out in one simple fact.
He slid his arm back down to his side, tucking his hand into his coat pocket and stopping in his walk to face me. "I'm really sorry to cut you short, but I probably should when I know what's coming."
I nodded, agreeing. It was so hard to see him bite his lip, like he normally did when he was nervous. To see him flustered like this, unable to find words. "I'm sorry."
He reached up to his top pocket, removing the pin on his corsage and handing it to me. "I'd rather not wear this." Toby said. In my palm, half of it felt soft and fluttery, the pedals of the flower. The other side of it was sharp, a pointed needle against my skin.
With that, he turned around and walked away. Never had I expected a break up to be so simple. He was good at masking his emotions, I knew that, but it was something I had almost wanted him to be upset over. To know he cared enough about me to cry would have probably made me feel loved, in some twisted way.
I kicked off my heels, hopping atop the wood railing of the boardwalk and sliding my feet over the edge, dangling my toes down into the air. My dress was a blue the same colour as the sea, which was a rare color for the ocean to reach. Most girls got so excited over dresses and proms and boys. I had just let all of that go, walk out in one simple action. I slid my corsage off from around my wrist and held the two in my hand. It was really over, done.
I held out my hand, turning it over the water, and watching as the two flowers drifted down, floated against the air past my face, my knees, my feet. They were falling so low no one could catch them now. And finally, with a small ripple, the flowers landed like lily-pads into the water, resting forever on the surface.

Description
"Alice," I heard his voice from down the boardwalk and turned my head. Toby looked, as always, incredible in his dark suit and one tiny flower in his pocket. Which I would have normally been thrilled and about, with butterflies reigniting in my stomach and fluttering around. Today, though, it just made everything harder.
"Hey," I said as he leaned down and kissed my cheek lightly. God, he was sweet. "You look great."
He gave me the once over and smiled. "I was just about to say the same to you." He blinked. "So should we get going?"
I shrugged. "We could hang out a little before prom." I told him, having to tilt my head back to see him. He was amazingly tall, and I just a little shrimp. I had no idea how I would muster up enough confidence to tell him.
"Okay," Toby put his arm around my shoulder, "let's walk along the boardwalk?"
"Sure." I nodded, sucking in a breath. I couldn't hold it in longer without it tearing my heart apart. "So... listen..."
He smiled over at me and I darted my eyes away from his, staring down at my feet. "I'm all ears."
"We've been dating for... I guess it's been two years now." He inhaled quickly, a sharp breath. Need I say more? He had figured it out. Exactly what I had been planning, running through my head like a script, he had figured out in one simple fact.
He slid his arm back down to his side, tucking his hand into his coat pocket and stopping in his walk to face me. "I'm really sorry to cut you short, but I probably should when I know what's coming."
I nodded, agreeing. It was so hard to see him bite his lip, like he normally did when he was nervous. To see him flustered like this, unable to find words. "I'm sorry."
He reached up to his top pocket, removing the pin on his corsage and handing it to me. "I'd rather not wear this." Toby said. In my palm, half of it felt soft and fluttery, the pedals of the flower. The other side of it was sharp, a pointed needle against my skin.
With that, he turned around and walked away. Never had I expected a break up to be so simple. He was good at masking his emotions, I knew that, but it was something I had almost wanted him to be upset over. To know he cared enough about me to cry would have probably made me feel loved, in some twisted way.
I kicked off my heels, hopping atop the wood railing of the boardwalk and sliding my feet over the edge, dangling my toes down into the air. My dress was a blue the same colour as the sea, which was a rare color for the ocean to reach. Most girls got so excited over dresses and proms and boys. I had just let all of that go, walk out in one simple action. I slid my corsage off from around my wrist and held the two in my hand. It was really over, done.
I held out my hand, turning it over the water, and watching as the two flowers drifted down, floated against the air past my face, my knees, my feet. They were falling so low no one could catch them now. And finally, with a small ripple, the flowers landed like lily-pads into the water, resting forever on the surface.