You Should See the Other Guy{(#Breakup)}

You think I look bad? You should see the other guy.

You should see the other guy. Crooked face. Essenceless. Blissfully unaware of conflict.

You should see the other guy, smug as ever. Unearned bravado and a history of met expectations will do that to a guy. He’s fancy but soulless, like the Ritz-Carlton in Orlando.

You should see the other guy, telling all his friends that he got you. Because he thinks that you are a thing to be gotten.

You should see the other guy, whose Instagram stories are full of him and you, laughing, smiling, looking at a sunset. His views are going up because I can’t stop taking my medicine, and refreshing it again.

You should see the other guy, fooling everyone because he has mastered the traits of likeability without actually caring about anyone. Fooling everyone that his leaps of faith are brave. That potion eventually wears off.

You should see the other guy, faking his way through the world. Pretending he loves art, and history, and literature, and whatever else he’s deemed impressive that week. Go ahead and ask him a question about any of it. See if he knows.

You should see the other guy, collecting experiences and cherishing nothing. Certainly collecting, not cherishing you.

You should see the other guy, who isn’t a fighter either. We’re both the smart-ass type. Self-proclaimed intellectuals who think a few cutting words can convince everyone how strong we are.

You should see the other guy, who lost a step. He got comfy, filling up on empty compliments and generic adoration. He probably laminates his resume.

You should see the other guy, who is already bored of his bounty. Ready to move on and expecting to get more. Get. There’s that word again. The other guy loves the destination without treasuring the journey.

You should see the other guy, who doesn’t have anyone in front of him, pushing him. And I can see him from here; he’s fading back to the pack. Getting lazy and making mistakes. He should be seeing me soon, because I’m still driving.

You should see the other guy, and make sure he is alright once I pass him. Once I become his other guy. Or don’t. He may never have existed at all.