Something Beautiful

One: Average

"Beauty is a short-lived tyranny. " - Socrates

"Elena, you're nuts," says to me my supposed best friend, Carl.

Always the best at pep talks and encouraging words, note the heavy sarcasm, Carl has been the best friend in my life since I'm guessing fifth or sixth grade. I can't exactly live without the dude, but sometimes I wish he'd just... I don't know go away and never ever... Ever, ever, ever come back!

Right now would be one of those instances. We're walking through the corridors of my large, not to mention menacing, prison of a high-school. I may be one of the few people who view it that way, but hey, I've got my reasons. Though Carl may beg to differ.

"You are not gonna become one of those girls, El. I won't allow it. I'd kill you first," he warns then as we reach his locker, and finishes his threat with, "but first I'd build a time machine, go to the future, eat your children, then kill you."

Surprisingly that's a pretty civil threat for Carl.

Sighing I slump against the locker next to his, watching, but not really paying attention, as he spins in his combination. After kicking it once, the locker pops open allowing a waterfall of miscellaneous crap to tumble out onto the floor. Papers, wrappers, possibly random dead animals disguised as old food.

"It was just a thought," I state rolling my eyes at his dramatic tendencies. I swear sometimes he's more of a girl than me!

A pout sets on my face, which he sees, then causing him to roll his own sky blue eyes. He must be used to my childish ways by now though, as he sets his face in one that normally only a mother could pull off, and with hands on his hips begins to scold me.

"Elena Marie Johnson. I am not going to let my best friend become some sort of hoe bag just so she can stop being so... so single. No, you're waiting for Mr. Right even if I have to make him out of clay for you in art class," and with an air of finality he slams his locker shut and nods his head making his long, mahogony bangs whips his eyes.

A passerby pauses slightly at the scene, watching curiously; I attempt to send them a helpless plea with my eyes. They just laugh though and keep walking- thanks dude. Carl is totally oblivious to the entire exchange though, and when he finally takes a breath, I jump in to save myself another possible half hour of lecture.

"Okay, okay! I won't put out, like I said. It was just an idea!"

"A stupid one," he states sounding annoyed and repulsed, then continues,"the very idea of it... disgusting," and his face mirrors his said disgust perfectly and for added effect I watch as an obvious shudder ripples through his being. Drama queen.

With a heavy sigh I straighten up from leaning on the cold metal locker, and readjust my heavy books in my tired arms. Pushing some of my dirty blond hair behind my ear, I shrug.

"Guess I'll just keep dealing with it," I say sounding sad, even though I hadn't meant to. Sometimes sadness just can't be helped.

Just as expected though, Carl goes from scolding mom-figure, to loving older brother. Pulling me into a teddy-bear hug, he rocks me back and forth- making my arms flail and my face to smoosh into his chest- while cooing loud and obnoxiously.

"Oh my poor baby! It's alright, Carl's here!" which of course causes me to instantly push him away, laughing, but trying hard to glare.

Fixing my hair and tugging at my clothes, I shake my head at this freakish ways. His little show did the trick though, I of course feel better. Carl has a knack for making me happy. One of the reasons I've hept him along for so long, not that I had a choice in the matter. He seems pretty much satisfied work, too. Throwing his keys lightly in the air then snagging them quickly, I can tell it's time to go.

"Let's go then, Boo," he says using a random nickname he probably just came up with on the spot.

We start to walk together down the now deserted hallways, school's over for the day and he's giving me a ride to work as usual. Lucky bugger got a car before me. I'm still saving up to buy my baby from the shop, George the mechanic's been fixing her up for me. Which is also why I currently have a job at my dad's diner unlike other juniors in my class who all spend their afternoons on Facebook or playing video games.

"I need to stop home to get my uniform," I inform Carl as we burst out the doors into the parking lot of our school. It feels nice to be free and out in the cool, post-winter air. Springtime's on its way,but that stupid groundhog ran from its shadow, so apparently it's six more weeks of friggid temperatures.

"Sure," he says, shrugging indifferently and playing with his keys. We make it to his car, which is a rundown old model from the sixties that George restored for him the best he could, but at least it's a set of wheels. It's still a mode of transportation, and not to mention freedom.

We get in and quickly are tearing out of the lot. Unlike the cool kids our car doesn't rev up or throw dust behind it's wheels, but it gets us as far away from that hell-hole as possible, so we don't care.

This afternoon I'm supposed to be working late at the diner, which I'm really not looking forward to. Lots of kids from school come to my Dad's diner before they head home, so I have to deal with a lot of taunting and banter. Sometimes though, if I'm lucky, I just get ignored. Really I'm not sure which I prefer though, the ignorance or jeering. Let's go with neither.

Well, who knows, maybe tonight will be different... Eh, who am I kidding? It's never different.

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