When she first met you, she was the girl that soared on the wings of the butterflies you left in her stomach. She was bubbly, funny, open... you said so yourself. She saw the good people, the endless possibilities that resided in each person. She trusted you with everything and in fact, you were her best friend. She was swept away, caught up in the good things, the bright days. She felt like she had trapped an entire galaxy in a jar with you. In her mind, you were a difficult puzzle to put together, and believe me, she had never loved a jigsaw so much until her bookshelves were lined with dried bouquets from you.

You were "that guy". The boy with the world at his feet and the unshakable desire to run away from anyone and everything who got too close. You had strange wishes the girl couldn't bring herself to fulfill, lofty visions she couldn't understand. You used her to create a new image. You used her to try to get what you wanted most. When you couldn't accomplish that, you left her in a dark house filled with the ghosts of all that could have been.

For some time, the girl was decimated. She awoke each morning with a wet pillowcase and went through each day trying desperately not to cry. She wrote poems, made breakup playlists, climbed mountains, and held on to the tiniest sliver of hope that maybe one day, things would work out for the better. She still believed in you, all the way up into the shattering realization that you had already moved on, preying on a new girl.

It was then that she realized she was tired. Tired of being defined by you. Tired of feeling like a shell of who she once was. She didn't want to flinch at the mention of your name every time it came up and she was sick of avoiding your new lover at school. So, she took down all the pictures of you and her that she had, replacing them with silly things, people that would make her smile. She went out at night, scaling park gazebos and stuffing herself with delicious food. She ordered her own tall glasses of Pepsi, enjoying the freedom of not having to share it. She stayed far away from basements and drive-ins and Netflix. And she regained her strength.

Now, she is the girl who questions peoples' motives, surprising herself when she stumbles across a boy with good intentions, a person who truly cares. However, she is also the girl who will not allow herself to be fooled again. She is coming into herself once more, stronger and brighter than ever. She still tries her best to see the best in people. Tomorrow, she will. Tomorrow, she will be an unstoppable force. She will be different, but she will be herself. She will be free of you at last.