There’s no such thing as a clean break, even in college. Sure, there aren’t any kids or divorce papers or alimony to complicate your life (hopefully), but in the course of a serious relationship, you come to share more things than you might realize at the time—his sweatshirts, DVDs, music, passwords and movie streaming capabilities.
An abrupt breakup means your things are still at his place. Depending on the breakup, it might be worth it to sacrifice your belongings in order to avoid an unpleasant encounter. But what about the things you have come to share remotely? Namely, his Netflix account.
It’s a post-breakup Tuesday night, and there’s nothing you want more than to watch Laguna Beach reruns. You know for a fact that season 1 is available for instant streaming. Unfortunately, Netflix lists the account’s recently watched videos, and there is no way to cover your steps. Is it worth it?
It’s hard enough getting over a meaningful relationship without having your access to TV shows cut off. Reruns are comforting and familiar. They take you out of your world to Central Perk, Pawnee or MacLaren’s (from Friends, Parks and Recreation and How I Met Your Mother, respectively).
Imagine him turning on his Xbox to watch Arrested Development and seeing that, apparently, he is in the middle of “What Happens in Cabo”. It’s not worth it. When you break up, you lose all mooching privileges. He’s not paying for your dinner or your movie ticket, so he’s probably done feeding your Laguna habit, too.
If you need more convincing beyond imagining his reaction, you’re probably going to do it anyway, so enjoy LC’s flared jeans and Kristin’s trucker caps.