Perfect in His Imperfection

“Step on a crack, break your mother’s back,” I chanted, skipping over the pavement before purposely pushing my foot down directly on a crack. My mother hadn’t rung me yet this week so I figured she deserved a little punishment.

I took a hold of my t-shirt and shook it a little in an attempt to cool my body down somewhat. It was really hot today, and being the intelligent individual I am, had decided that the middle of the day was the perfect time to walk down the road to the comic book store. I had regretted it the second I stepped out the door and into the sweltering heat, but there was no way I would turn back. My friend Bob had rung this morning to say he had seen the comic I had been hunting for over a year in this comic book shop, so I instantly dressed and skipped out the door. I was not missing it again.

The last time I had come close to finding it, it had been in the hands of another. Of course, what with my luck, they had already bought it and were not willing to give it to me. That was six months ago and the memory of being so close yet so far still depressed me.

I pushed open the glass door as I finally reached my destination, welcoming the cool air-conditioning that immediately hit me as I stepped into the comic book shop. The shop was run by a man who would rather have been a comic book writer, but didn’t have the talent. So he was stuck with running the place where the people who had his dream job could show off their talent. He didn’t even look up as I entered the small shop, preferring instead to focus upon adding funny captions to the newspaper in front of him.

I headed towards the back of the store, to where I knew my comic would be situated along with some others that were not so hard to come across. I reached the section where I thought it would be and looked around, trying desperately to find the comic tha] Bob had sworn he‘d seen. Picking up comic after comic and moving them aside, I searched for the one that I wanted more than anything else before finally coming to the realization that it wasn’t there. I sighed in defeat, so close yet so far-again.

I saw some movement out of the corner of my eye and turned my head slightly to find a man who I hadn’t noticed standing in the aisle, due to my haste in finding the comic. It wasn’t him I was interested in, but what he was holding that caught my attention. He had my fucking comic.

All I could do was stare at him with wide eyes as he flicked through it. Not reading it, but just scanning over the pages, turning each one delicately with his long fingers.

He must have felt someone’s eyes on him, because he looked up and noticed my staring, a smug grin forming on his face.

“Like what you see, kid?” he asked me, raising one eyebrow.

Was he crazy?! Of course I did, I had been looking for that stupid comic for ages.

“Hell yeah!” I replied, causing his eyes to light up and the smirk to be replaced by a cocky grin. “I mean, that’s a limited edition. I have been looking for it everywhere!”

He froze for a moment, processing my words, and his face dropped slightly before he regained his composure and his lips curled up into a cold smirk.

“Well, keep looking kid, ‘cause it looks like I have the last copy,” he told me, dangling it ever so slightly in my face to flaunt it.

My face instantly fell, the excitement of seeing the comic now long gone.

“Oh,” I said, not knowing what to say and unable to hide the disappointment in my voice. “And you’re…buying it?” I knew I probably looked pathetic, but at this point I didn’t really care. It was frustrating not to be able to have something that I so badly wanted.

He looked at me, taking in my sad face, the smirk disappearing as he straightened up.

“Um…nah. I’ve…already got it,” he said to me, handing over the comic. I took it quickly in my hands, not being able to hide my obvious delight as a huge smile spread its way across my face.

“Really?!” The excitement was now bubbling in my stomach, I probably looked ridiculous just standing there grinning the whole time, but I was far too happy to care.

The man in front of me closed his eyes for a minute, breathing out, before opening them again and nodding. “Yeah, sure.”

“Hey! Gerard!” A voice called. I turned to see the comic book shop owner making his way over to me and, who I assumed was Gerard.

“Hi Benny,” Gerard said, lifting his hand in a welcoming gesture.

“Did you see that!? We got that special edition in that you’ve wanted for—oh,” Benny trailed off when he saw me standing there, the comic in my hands.

Wait, what? Gerard had just told me he already had it, but Benny here was saying he had been looking for it for a while…oh.

He’d given it up just so that I could have it? I don’t think I’d have done that for anyone, especially someone I didn’t know.

Gerard just looked awkwardly at the ground, knowing he had been found out.

“So, you don’t have it yet?” I questioned him, biting my lip and knowing that if his response was what I thought it would be, there was no way I could take it.

Gerard’s eyebrows knit together as he formulated a response. “Ahh,” was all that came out.
“Are you kidding me?” Benny cried. “He’s been looking for that for two years! You think he would look that hard for something he already had!?”

Benny’s laughter rang through the comic book store as he wandered away, and I tried to hide my look of shock. Two years! That was a year longer then I had been looking for it. I looked up at Gerard, who had been so willing to give it up to a stranger, a small smile forming on my lips.

“I…I don’t want it,” was all Gerard could say.

I laughed at that. “I think you do.”

“No,” he shook his head stubbornly.

“It‘s Gerard, right? I think I heard the shop keeper say it?” I asked. He ignored this, so I continued talking anyway, “There is no way I can take this from you.”

Gerard just shot me a look and began to walk out. I stood rooted to the spot as I just watched him, more confused than ever about what was going through this man‘s head.
“Hey Benny, you let me know if you get another in okay?” Gerard called to the shop keeper, who saluted in response.

I sprang into action, he was not leaving this shop without the comic. I was feeling guilty as hell.

“No, Gerard! You don’t need another, because you can have this one,” I yelled frantically, making my way to the door where Gerard was standing.

I stood in front of him, glaring at him defiantly.

He looked me directly in the eyes, holding my gaze for a few seconds before whispering hoarsely, “Take it.”

He held my gaze for a couple of seconds longer, then pushed open the glass door and left the store.

I ran quickly up to the counter that Benny was sitting behind and threw the comic on it.
“How much?” I asked, nodding my head at the comic.

Benny looked up at me and glared. “I can‘t believe you’re fucking taking it, you dick,” he snarled, “Eleven fifty.”

I handed him the money and turned to leave, just as another thought struck me.
“Do you have like, a bow or something?”

Benny just gaped at me. “Are you fucking serious?” he asked, eyes bulging.

“Uh, yes. You know, one of those things you stick on presents?” I supplied, hoping he would have something.

“It’s a comic book store, not fucking Hallmark!” he raged, which I took as my cue to leave. I quickly made my way to the door and pushed it open, running onto the street and looking both ways. I spotted the person I was looking for and ran over to him.

“Hey! Hey, Gerard!” I yelled, trying to catch his attention as he stood next to a shiny black motorbike.

He turned around, saw it was me again and rolled his eyes.

“Wow, you must really fucking like me,” he said, a small grin appearing on his face against his will.

“I like you enough to buy you this wonderful present,” I said smiling and thrusting the comic into his hands. “I wanted to put a bow on it, but apparently comic book stores don’t sell bows.”

Gerard let out a loud laugh. “You asked Benny to put a bow on it?” He asked, laughing louder.

I suddenly felt embarrassed, my cheeks turning a tinge of pink.

“Yeah…I wanted to make it pretty. You know, look more like a present,” I tried to explain, which seemed to just make him laugh more. “Well, happy birthday, see you around.” I gave a wave and began to walk away.

“Hey! Get your ass back here!” Gerard yelled and I turned around to see him grinning.

“What you want a card with that? Not happy with the present?” I asked cheekily.

Gerard laughed, walked up to me and leant down. His soft lips met my cheek, leaving a small patch of warm salvia on it.

“Thanks,” he said brightly.

“No problem,” I replied, wiping my cheek with my hand. Gerard raised his eyebrow at that, but didn’t say anything.

“Now, I don’t know about your mom, but mine always taught me that sharing was caring,” Gerard said, turning to his motorbike and tossing me a helmet. “Come on.”

I looked at him in confusion. He wanted me to come with him? Where? I voiced my thoughts aloud but was simply met with a knowing smirk and a head-jerk towards the back of the bike. I looked down at the curb and back up at him. What the hell, I decided and put on the helmet, climbing on the back of the bike and wrapping my arms around Gerard’s waist.

“You better not be a mass murderer, or I just made the biggest mistake of my life,” I told him, seriously thinking the idea over. After all his was the guy that had just kissed me on the cheek after five minutes of knowing me.

Gerard just cackled in response and kick started the bike.

“Why do I get the feeling I did!?” I giggled and held on tighter as we moved away from the curb, riding off into the setting sun.