Perfectly Imperfect Ch. 2 - Spitballs Taste Good

"Hey, um, Spence..."

Why can't she stop battering her long lashes? Because it melts my heart as every heartbeat synchronizes with every flick of her eyelids. She pursed her rose-colored lips as though something is stopping her from spilling whatever she's supposed to say.

"Spencer... I'm falling for you. I think I love you already, God, your ocean-blue eyes framed with those glasses! I can't help but stare at you as you sleep every history class. When you snore, I laugh my heart out. Not because you look like a loser, but because you look cute. Spencer, I'll break up with Caleb for you-"

She won't stop her mouth from blabbering stuff about how she likes me and this has flattered me too much. But my pride choked me.

"I'm sorry Rhian, but we can't be together."

I walked out in the midst of her confession. Damn, it feels so good rejecting the coolest girl in school. I felt her grip stopped me. With lips puckered, she gave my cheek a wet, disgusting kiss. I pulled out in reflex.

"Rhian, I deserve someone better."
"Spencer, please don't go..."

Poof! Dream is over. Time to get up.

Just by the time I opened my eyes, that's when the door creaked open.

There's Andy, ready for school this early-his brunette hair barely brushed to one side, his usual not-very-well-pressed polo paired with khaki pants and high-cut Converse shoes. Me? Snuggly tucked inside the refuge of my blanket pretending to be soundly sleeping but looked to obvious that Andy teasingly pulled it from below.

"What's with the 'I'm sorry Rhian, we can't be together'?" That face again. No way, he heard me!

Think of a pig, you'll see Andy. But what's different is when he mocks you, he's gonna pout his lips and look like a 16-year-old baby. What is worse is when he starts baby talking you, it's gonna take a lot of canteen visits [care of you] to stop him and get him back to normal.

"Right. I dreamt about me and Rhian." was my reply to his mocking mechanism.

"Cool. What happened?" His piggy eyes lit up like a kid eager for a bedtime story. Eyeing him, I gave out a chuckle through the nose.

"She said she loved me, I rejected her." I made the story straight and direct to the -his face turn acid from sweet. Like he ate a roll of sour tapes.

"Geez Spence. Even in your dreams you're stupid?"
A sneer was my retort.

Groggily, I made my way to the bathroom to wash up and brush my teeth. Breakfast isn't in my vocabulary on weekdays especially that I wake up 15 minutes before school starts. I shut my laptop off, picked my bag up and raced out of the room.

The smell of fried bacon and egg filled the kitchen. The aroma makes me salivate that I can't help but grab a few pieces and stuff it into my mouth. Now that a pitcher of orange juice's inviting me for a drink-I can't resist. 5 minutes left before class starts, nah, I poured myself a glass and gulped it down. Vanished. Now I'm ready for school.

"I remembered Caleb's cronies took a picture of you sleeping." Andy muttered while munching a few strips of bacon.
"Man. It must be all over the net by now."

I'm used to this already-somebody taking a picture of me and my silly face. Next thing I know? It's already posted in Facebook, Tumblr, and Twitter. Comments will flood saying 'what a loser' or 'Great face you have there'. No one can do anything to stop them-they spread faster than viruses could.

"Might as well be all-over the school." He added eerily.
It sounded so hollow that it thudded like it's the end of my life. It's just a photo of me sleeping for goodness sake. Like what Rhian said in my dreams, I look cute when I snore.

"It's just a photo, Andy. No big deal-uh oh."

We're only a few steps away from school when I looked back into the direction of South Crest High.
"Right. Just a photo, eh?" Andy mocked me monotonously. Both our eyes sprung out of their sockets .

Maybe it's really the end of my life now-it's all-over the school. They looked like campaign posters but 'Vote me' isn't the thing written... it's 'Kick my ass'. Yeah I look cute, but what destroyed the whole picture was the sparkling flow of drool from the center of my mouth. In reflex, I pulled every poster out as I passed down the corridor for my next class.

The posters might be crumpled and balled in my fists already, but the damage is already done. Hundred pairs of eyes are boring holes at my back as I make my way through the overpopulated hallways and inside the Chemistry lab. I thought I was safe already, but no. it was just the beginning of my end.

Spitballs came flying mid-air and into my face. Splat.

Imagine 25 students inside the Chem lab, all throwing spitballs to your face. I want to run away but I'll look so weak. Then a girl's voice reined the room, silencing everyone, pausing the time so she could speak. Oh here comes the ultimate female bully.

"Will you guys cut it off?"

That's unexpected. Rhian defended me? Has she gone nuts?! Maybe not, because she looked hell serious. Even me, I was scared of her fierce face. Everyone scrambled back to their seats. I made my way to mine-very well engraved with doodles by Caleb's cronies.

I tried to meet Rhian's eyes, but she's very much absorbed to the Elle's magazine she's reading. Then I noticed her hand trembling. With fear? No way. She's like the most confident person I've known. Why are her hands shaking?

The class bell rung, at last. Thank God, tomorrow's Friday-party time. By the way, what I mean by party is one night stand...with my laptop. I noticed Rhian's a little bit clumsy today, her hands still are involuntarily moving, and she dropped her books and magazine. That's a BIG no-no for her. Her Elle Magazine touching the filthy floor? I'm sure a few seconds from now she's gonna fire out never ending swear words.

3...

2...

1...

BOOM.

Nothing happened. I sighed and approached her to offer some help. She accepted.

"You alright?" I squat on the floor, picking up her fallen books and notebooks while my head is tilted up to meet her eyes.
"None of your business. And don't touch that." her red-polished nails pointing at the magazine.

Right, I can't touch that because I'm contaminated. But she squat on the floor with me seconds after. Her skirt like a flowing river that covered her legs showing only her feet lined with diamond-studded laces of her flats. Then Caleb suddenly popped from nowhere to the lab's doorway.

She grabbed the books from me and walked towards his evil boyfriend, without even saying a single thanks. I haven't even thanked her for saving me a while ago too, so that's a tie. But just before the evil duo vanished from the thick crowd of students in the hallway, I managed to yell something that's still within her earshot.

"Thanks for, um, saving me from all those spitballs."

She stopped walking, as though stunned with what I just said. She made a 180 degree turn and there, she mouthed her reply point-blank, with one of her well-trimmed brows raised.

"Don't need to. Anyway, I didn't do that for you."

Nice, you're Welcome that I was expecting. Before they disappear like thin air as they merge with the thick crowd of students, I saw Caleb laughing his ass off, and Rhian's head dropped to the floor. A gesture more like...regret.

I totally forgot, I still have one more class today-Greek Mythology. Special class because I'm Mr. Druid's only student. I loved Greek Mythology, how stupid the gods were...nah. But today's class is gonna be extra special 'coz I'm learning how to read and write in Ancient Greek! I dug deep into my hoodie's pocket-thrilled.

The atmosphere inside Mr. Druid's office dramatically changed. Usually, the smell of soiled socks will fill your nostrils once you entered his dungeon. But now? Is that potpourri on his table?!

"Sup Mr. Dru."

Shocked? I greet him like this. I don't treat him like the way I treat teachers. For me he's my mentor. I know, I know. They're synonyms! But I listen to my mentor more than to my teachers...that's the difference.

Weird. He typically replies with a head bang, sticking his tongue out, with that rock star hand gesture-you know what I mean. And that's the reason why I like him. He's totally not the pressed-polo-with-ultra-shiny-black-shoes type of teacher. He looks more like Marilyn Manson with his gothic get-up. Yet today, he's behaved. He's not even wearing eyeliner!

"H-hey. What's with the change?" I really can't believe what I'm seeing right now. I felt my jaw dropped, but what made my skull crack was the mysterious figure sitting on the couch-on MY spot.
Pointing my lips to the direction of that phantom couch stealer, I eyed Mr. Druid with my eyebrows knitted. He replied with a forced grin, like telling me to calm down. But I didn't-it freaked me out more.

"Mr. Adams, will you take your seat?"

Was that from Mr. Druid's throat? There is no way that man is my mentor. No no no way.

I made my way past the dusted wooden furniture [He dusted his tabletops?] and sat beside that phantom, without meeting his eyes. I'm not emotionally ready meeting the person who stole my sofa spot. I might rip his throat with my bare hands.

"Spencer. Meet your new classmate in Greek Mythology." His voice was crisp. I have not misheard, I have a new classmate.
I cleared my throat before I turned my head to his direction and made sure I have the most ironic smile pinned to my face-I'm going to scare this guy and make him regret why he took Greek Mythology. But in the corner of my eye...I have mistaken.

"Rhian?-"
"Spencer?-"

We were in perfect opposite unison. Same reaction. Same facial expression.

"Why is she here?" I retorted in annoyance. After what happened minutes ago? No way I'll deal with her for the whole school year as my sole classmate in my favorite class.

"Oh. Practically, you think you own this class? Well, now? You don't."
"Oh. Practically, you don't look like you like mythology, Ms. Jackson."
"I didn't say I do!"
"Then why are you still here?"

She was silenced. I thought it would be forever, but she managed to speak.

"I hate this, no, I hate YOU!" She sounded like a squealing pig, giving emphasis to the last word.
"Likewise." I darted my most sarcastic look to her which made her raise the white flag (I think.)

War's over! I won!

Not yet.

"Will you two shut up for a minute?" Both of us were silence. I shot a glance at her annoyed face-one brow raised, pupils dilated, arms crossed. The sound of her shoes tapping on the newly-polished floor just irritates me. My glasses fogged up a bit that I have to pull it out and wipe it. From my blurred vision, I saw her looking at me-and her stern face softened.

"Ms. Jackson here, failed History-" My silent snicker intruded his explanation of Rhian's state. Failed History? It's like the lamest thing I've ever heard! Look at me, I sleep on class but I still get B+! And Rhian got a F?

"Ms. Jackson failed History when she wasn't able to take the final exam after being severely fractured during a cheerleading routine. She decided to drop that class, and enroll to Greek Mythology instead so her credentials for Yale University won't be affected."

Wait. Let's take it slowly. She's planning to go to Yale for college? Maybe I did underestimate her-looks do deceive. So, I now have a potential-Yale-student for a classmate.

"Impressed?" Those eyes have regained their confidence again. What if in the end, I will be the one running home, waving a white flag? Hell no!

"You're the most exasperating woman I've ever seen." I can't think straight anymore. I should pin her down, even just for once.
"And you're the...loserest man I've ever seen!"
"You're not only gonna fail History...might as well English."

Round 1-I won.