The first things we noticed in the pretty pink trashcan were the photographs. The crumpled up photos all showed the same boy and girl laughing, kissing, hugging, and talking. One of the photos was ripped right through the middle, separating the young, blond-haired, blue-eyed girl from her laughing brown-haired, green-eyed partner. Devil ears were added onto the boy’s face with pen. Another picture in the trashcan was fixed inside of a metal frame with hearts pasted onto it. The glass that protected the picture was cracked and cut into the photograph. Different pieces of jewelry weighted the trash down. A Tiffany locket, a metal bracelet with the words “Katie and Devin Forever,” and a silver ring with a sapphire jewel were wrapped in paper.
Inside the trash, there were two letters. One began, “Dear Katie, I’m sorry I have to do this. We’ve been together for a while, five years actually, but it’s not working. I think we should start seeing other people. All this time together is just overwhelming. I’m actually already seeing someone else…” The other letter read, “Hey Devin, I’m fine with you leav-” and the rest was crossed off in black ink, unreadable.
The trashcan also contained tickets. A ticket to a football game, three tickets to different basketball games, and four to different concerts. There were playbills from various shows and even a few CDs.

There were also sketches on lined paper. “Katie + Devin,” “Love Forever,” “Together Since October 2, 2005, and “Happy Three Year Anniversary” were a few statements penciled onto the different pieces of paper, surrounded by hearts and smiley faces. A few of the papers with these sayings were torn up and barely readable.

On the top of all of the other junk in the trashcan, there was a picture of the same boy, but with a different girl. He’s kissing her on the cheek while the girl laughs. Underneath the picture, in black marker it reads, “Since February 22, 2011.” The picture is torn into two and the faces are covered with pencil. A big X is drawn out over the entire picture, and the photograph shines with wet, salty tears. “Betrayed” is stenciled underneath the photo in pencil and circled in dark gray.