(Author’s Note: This song has been sticking around in my head for the last 5 days. It’s an earworm of a song, one that I head first when I was a little guy riding my bike around my neighborhood in Minnesota. And as a bonus, the band is from my adopted hometown of Portland, Oregon. So I hope you enjoy “Harden My Heart”. )
© J. Hardy Carroll
Harden My Heart
by Miles H. Rost
(100 words)
Jane Metzger stood next to the phone, waiting. It was 45 minutes after her boyfriend, Mike, was supposed to pick her up. She picked up the phone, and slid her calling card.
*ring*
“Hello?” a relaxed voice answered.
“Mike! Where the hell are you?!”
“Wha…?” the voice panicked, shuffling in the background confirming what Jane had already knew.
Jane made a quick decision.
“Mike, you don’t need to come and pick me up. One of my friends will bring me home.”
“Uh…okay?”
“I’ll see you when I get back.”
“Okay,” Mike said, pausing, “Bye.”
*click*
She never did go home.
Music and Fiction 
I love moments of decision or action when life changes irrevocably
In her case, it was a needed change. As the song perfectly states.
I hope he sent on her things.
It’s entirely likely.
🙂
That sort of phone call will ruin a night out.
Or it’s the start of a new night.
She made the right move. Good for her.
It’s been done, she moves on. Works for her.
Dear Miles,
Oops. He’s busted. Yep, time to harden her heart and move on. Catchy tune.
Shalom,
Rochelle
Thanks for listening! I’m always happy when someone listens to the song to get the true meaning of the story. 🙂
Oh dear. So calm. And she’ll see him when she gets back. No. Just drop him. Just walk.
She ain’t seeing him anymore. She’s gone, just as in the song.
Ah must listen to that song… so long…
That’s a great story, a great lady and a great song! 🙂
Thanks for listening! ^_^
Yay, good for her! By the way, I lived in Minneapolis and in Portland, Oregon!
Woo hoo! A fellow transplant! 😀
My take on this was that she could’ve met with foul play? Usually the worst usually befalls characters on Friday Fictioneers.
xx Rowena
Nah. In this case, she just walked out like the song indicates. 🙂
Oops. Busted.
Let this be a lesson.
Sometimes rash decisions are the best decisions, while quiet rash decisions are always superior. Loved it!
Yep. Sometimes something just has to be done and ended.
Smart decision on her part, although from his reaction I’m not sure he cared.
He wasn’t paying much attention…if you understand my drift.
Gotcha. Yes…another port in the storm.
I hope she finds someone more reliable
Who knows. Right now, she’s just moving on!
Oops! Hope she’s safe somewhere else.
We’ll see sometime down the line. 🙂
Oh dear.
That’s right. Big things afoot!
Well, that put a damper on things, didn’t it? Nice work, Miles.
Oh, and I LOVE that song! It was one of my favorites back in the day! I remember driving my dad’s 1967 Oldsmobile convertible the summer of 1984 down the highway and this song was blaring. I had the attention of a lot of people. Fun times!
If I ever get back to the USA, I’m refitting my next vehicle with the best in analog speaker technology, with massive bass work, and I’m going to go cassette deck on it. Record from records to cassette, and then BOOM! Rock all the cars on I-5.
Nicely told. Sometimes you just have to do it!
I’ve been there in the past. And yes, sometimes you do just have to do it.
Good for her. Nicely told.
Thanks! Though it’s more her story rather than mine. She just whispered it to me as the song went through my head.
Good for her, though she’s missed an opportunity for a good, cleansing yell!
…a good cleansing…”Rebel Yell”? (Billy Idol. XD)
Hope she is in a safe place.
http://ideasolsi65.blogspot.in/2017/07/the-sunday-call.html
We’ll see. Not totally sure.
Good for her, and no looking back. Great story and song, that’s one weird video though.
Good for her… No excuse would be good enough…
Good if she decided to leave. Surely, if you care, you would have remembered. Interesting take.
Sounds like she’s well rid of him, and she’s finally made the big decision.