I Hate You, Jason Lawrence
Absolutely Perfect
Chapter One
It was the last day of Summer break.
A bittersweet day as it was the last Summer break I'd be spending as a high school student, and this was the last school year I'd be spending at West Hills High. After that, I was off to college, away from my parents, and completely on my own. My eighteenth birthday was only a few months away, and I would be plunging headfirst into adulthood. The weight of that reality had hit me many times during my Summer break. And it was hitting me again as I stood in front of my floor length mirror, holding up different tops indecisively.
"Tomorrow marks the beginning of the end of our time at West Hills High," I said, more to myself than to my best friend, who had made herself comfortable on my bed as she looked at videos on Youtube. I held up a pale pink blouse with tiny white polka dots, frowning.
"You make it sound like we're being sent to the electric chair after graduation," Charlotte replied looking up briefly, and I playfully shot her a dirty look through the mirror.
"It's just weird, you know?" I tossed the pink blouse to the side, holding up a dark green cable knit sweater with quarter length sleeves. "I still remember our first day of high school, being terrified that the seniors were going to shove us into lockers, or dump us into the trash cans. Now we're the seniors. And we're almost adults." I tossed the sweater to the side, beginning to grow grumpy. My outfit for the first day of my senior year had to be memorable, impressive. And so far, my wardrobe was letting me down.
Charlotte glanced up at me, cocking an eyebrow. "I think it's exciting," she smirked. "After this, we're onto new things, tackling bigger adventures. I can't wait to get out of West Hills."
That didn't surprise me at all. I was still desperately clinging to my adolescence, while Charlotte was welcoming change and getting older with open arms. It was a perfect reflection of just how different our personalities were. But I suppose that was why we'd been best friends since the sixth grade; she was fun, and impulsive, and everything just rolled off her back, and I overthought everything, and made the responsible decisions.
"I suppose you're right," I admitted, giving my closet one more look. My eyes lit up as I spotted a dark blue cardigan, brand new with the tag still on it. I held it up to my body, grabbing my white tank top from the pile of clothes I'd tossed on the floor. "What do you think?"
Charlotte looked back up at me again, her brown eyes studying the clothes in my hands. "Better than the last two," she answered honestly, and her mouth curved down into a grimace.
"But is it perfect?" I asked impatiently, stressing the last word.
Charlotte rolled her eyes, her left eyebrow quirking again as she looked at me curiously. "You've never been this concerned with your outfit before," she said.
"I want tomorrow to be perfect. I was this year to be perfect." I paused for a moment, then added, "And I want Ryan to finally notice me."
"Ah, there it is," she chuckled. "The truth comes out. I knew there was more to... all this." She gestured at my pile of clothes before flicking her bright red hair over her shoulder, grinning. "Last year at West Hills means last year to win Ryan over."
"Yes, and you're not helping to make that happen!" I let my hands drop to my sides, giving her a sideways look, and she shook her head at me.
"You are so dramatic today," she sighed, pushing herself up into a sitting position, and crossing her legs. "Blue cardigan, black tank top, and black wedges with your skinny jeans." She barked the order so quickly that it took me a moment to comprehend.
I rummaged through the pile, making a bigger mess on my floor as I searched for the tank top and jeans. When I finally found them, I laid them out on the floor in their respective order, and grinned.
"Perfect!" I exclaimed.
"Okay, you seriously have to stop saying that word."
I grinned up at her. "Fine, fine," I said, gathering up my clothes, and hanging them up neatly. I began working on the mess I'd made, but gave up when my mom called us down for dinner.
Charlotte and I sat with my parents, eating pizza and laughing as we chatted happily. And when Charlotte left a little while later, I headed back up to my room, deciding to leave the pile until the next day. I lay in my bed, my blanket pulled up to my chin, and my alarm clock set twice. I closed my eyes, letting sleep take me, my last thoughts being that it was a good end to the last day of Summer. I'd even say it was... Perfect.
It was the last day of Summer break.
A bittersweet day as it was the last Summer break I'd be spending as a high school student, and this was the last school year I'd be spending at West Hills High. After that, I was off to college, away from my parents, and completely on my own. My eighteenth birthday was only a few months away, and I would be plunging headfirst into adulthood. The weight of that reality had hit me many times during my Summer break. And it was hitting me again as I stood in front of my floor length mirror, holding up different tops indecisively.
"Tomorrow marks the beginning of the end of our time at West Hills High," I said, more to myself than to my best friend, who had made herself comfortable on my bed as she looked at videos on Youtube. I held up a pale pink blouse with tiny white polka dots, frowning.
"You make it sound like we're being sent to the electric chair after graduation," Charlotte replied looking up briefly, and I playfully shot her a dirty look through the mirror.
"It's just weird, you know?" I tossed the pink blouse to the side, holding up a dark green cable knit sweater with quarter length sleeves. "I still remember our first day of high school, being terrified that the seniors were going to shove us into lockers, or dump us into the trash cans. Now we're the seniors. And we're almost adults." I tossed the sweater to the side, beginning to grow grumpy. My outfit for the first day of my senior year had to be memorable, impressive. And so far, my wardrobe was letting me down.
Charlotte glanced up at me, cocking an eyebrow. "I think it's exciting," she smirked. "After this, we're onto new things, tackling bigger adventures. I can't wait to get out of West Hills."
That didn't surprise me at all. I was still desperately clinging to my adolescence, while Charlotte was welcoming change and getting older with open arms. It was a perfect reflection of just how different our personalities were. But I suppose that was why we'd been best friends since the sixth grade; she was fun, and impulsive, and everything just rolled off her back, and I overthought everything, and made the responsible decisions.
"I suppose you're right," I admitted, giving my closet one more look. My eyes lit up as I spotted a dark blue cardigan, brand new with the tag still on it. I held it up to my body, grabbing my white tank top from the pile of clothes I'd tossed on the floor. "What do you think?"
Charlotte looked back up at me again, her brown eyes studying the clothes in my hands. "Better than the last two," she answered honestly, and her mouth curved down into a grimace.
"But is it perfect?" I asked impatiently, stressing the last word.
Charlotte rolled her eyes, her left eyebrow quirking again as she looked at me curiously. "You've never been this concerned with your outfit before," she said.
"I want tomorrow to be perfect. I was this year to be perfect." I paused for a moment, then added, "And I want Ryan to finally notice me."
"Ah, there it is," she chuckled. "The truth comes out. I knew there was more to... all this." She gestured at my pile of clothes before flicking her bright red hair over her shoulder, grinning. "Last year at West Hills means last year to win Ryan over."
"Yes, and you're not helping to make that happen!" I let my hands drop to my sides, giving her a sideways look, and she shook her head at me.
"You are so dramatic today," she sighed, pushing herself up into a sitting position, and crossing her legs. "Blue cardigan, black tank top, and black wedges with your skinny jeans." She barked the order so quickly that it took me a moment to comprehend.
I rummaged through the pile, making a bigger mess on my floor as I searched for the tank top and jeans. When I finally found them, I laid them out on the floor in their respective order, and grinned.
"Perfect!" I exclaimed.
"Okay, you seriously have to stop saying that word."
I grinned up at her. "Fine, fine," I said, gathering up my clothes, and hanging them up neatly. I began working on the mess I'd made, but gave up when my mom called us down for dinner.
Charlotte and I sat with my parents, eating pizza and laughing as we chatted happily. And when Charlotte left a little while later, I headed back up to my room, deciding to leave the pile until the next day. I lay in my bed, my blanket pulled up to my chin, and my alarm clock set twice. I closed my eyes, letting sleep take me, my last thoughts being that it was a good end to the last day of Summer. I'd even say it was... Perfect.