It was only the eye in the storm of loneliness
By Jamal Al-Bayaa, Staff Writer
Local Vancouverite Jim Brant was recently featured in the Other Press for an incredible accomplishment: Breaking out of the friend zone and going all the way with his long time crush Natalie Luth. Despite happy beginnings, the relationship didnât last.
He originally attributed his success to a combination of dogged persistence, passive aggressive comments, andâmost of allâhis social status as one of the ânice guysâ, which, according to Jim, is the same as being one of the âgreat guysâ that every girl tells their girlfriends to date.
âI send flowers to her work, I bought a six foot tall teddy bear and brought it to her by bus, and I text her every day. Right from the get-go I told her what had been on my mind for so long: âI love you, I want to marry you, Iâll never leave you.â I donât know if she took it too well. Isnât that what every girl wants, though?!â
Although persistence, sass, and being a nice guy may have paid off in the short term, Jim wonders whether it was really a good idea to keep it up in the long run.
When asked about the cause of the breakup, Jim was at a loss. âAt first I thought it would be because she got back with her ex, Ryan, but when I checked his Facebook it said that he just got into a new relationship a while ago. It seems heâs been pretty happy about it all week judging by his statuses, so it canât be him.â
Although Luth wouldnât comment on the why of the breakup, she did have this to say: “I understand that he just wants to be considered a good guy, but all that sucking up and acting pathetic is why no one wanted to date him in the first place! I got so accustomed to it that I forgot how terrible it is to be on the receiving end of that. Itâs just major insecurities coming through, and itâs hard to be around. I regret that I hurt us both, but I did that by saying yes to him, not by saying we had to break up.â
The silver lining in all of this, Jim says, is that he has discovered his love for expressive poetry. Now he writes almost daily, using “rhymes instead of crimes” to let out his frustrations in a more productive way.
J: Hey Natalie (2:09am)
N: What? (2:09am)
J: Someday youâll cry like I cry,
deep sad tears that will last for years
and always increase when youâre near.
You crushed my whole reality,
and now youâre mad at me?
You crushed my soul so badly
Oh love brought me down like gravity. (2:15am)
N: Omg Jim⌠go to bedâŚ. (2:17am)
