not The Perfect Life

About 7 months earlier

Chapter2

Sunday, 2nd of September 2018

About 7 months earlier

There is a big party at the school. The festival before the first day of school of the new school year. As the deputy head girl, I cannot be absent, of course. Of course, that's the day everything has to go wrong. First I woke up after my mother tried to knock my door. I forgot my alarm clock. I couldn't shower or have breakfast this morning. When my day starts like this, I usually don't have the hope that it could get any better.

So this morning I just jumped out of bed, changed my clothes quickly, and immediately rode my bike to school. My bike lane is about 20 minutes. Halfway through, I didn't notice any damage in the road. I rode my bike over there and fell to the side. My elbow started bleeding but I had to keep driving and just ignored it.

Then I finally got to school. It started to rain slowly. I quickly hooked up my bike and ran into the school building. I could see the student representative Alexander and our principal Mr. Walsh.

That day started really badly and at the moment I can't see how it should get better. Alexander looks up at me from below. He's the most arrogant person I've ever met. He is always very proud of his office as head boy.

"Good morning, Alexander. Good morning, Mr. Walsh." I greet the two of them. My principal looks at me in horror and asks in shock: "What happened? How do you look?" I now look down at myself too. My pants are stained from my bloody elbow. Then I look at the two of them. Alexander tries with all his might to stifle his arrogantlaughter. I take a deep breath.

"I'm sorry," I sigh, "I fell off my bike."

Mr Walsh shakes his head and doesn't even look at me anymore. Then he tells me: "Please go to the bathroom and wash that off. If necessary, you can get something from the first aid kit. Ian is not coming today. You will take over his job."

Alexander bites his lip. His displeasure pisses me off again and again. Ian Groeler is the head of the school website and yearbook. His job for the day was to take photos and interview the new students. Now the work sticks to me. Alexander likes that, of course. To this day I am firmly convinced that he cheated on the school speaker election. Alex is a rich and conceited snob and a lot of people let themselves be manipulated by his money.

Annoyed, I go to the bathroom for the girls. I am all alone. Of course I am. It's a Sunday, after all, and the festival doesn't start for an hour or so. Besides, nobody was actually ever in the school bathroom. There is always a strange smell in the air here and I can well imagine that the school toilets are never cleaned. I go into the bathroom and turn on the first tap I see. Then I hold my bloody elbow under it and just let the water run for a while. Meanwhile, I look at myself in the mirror. I couldn't look any worse. I hadn't showered. I couldn't even comb my hair.

I turn off the water and dry my arm with the school paper towels. These cloths should be banned. I could probably rub my arm with sandpaper and it would hurt less. I look at my arm. The wound doesn't seem that bad so I don't do anything about it. Even though I don't like the way I look, I have to get out and start the work I got from Mr Walsh.

I leave the bathroom and see Alex. He was certainly standing in front of the bathroom the whole time. There is a big, mischievous grin on his face.

"Alex, what's your problem?" I ask, almost yelling at him. He does not answer. Alex just turns around and walks away laughing. This person roughly describes the spirit of our school. Either everyone is totally arrogant and far too convinced of themselves or just an asshole. Or maybe that's just my perception because I don't have any real friends. I don't think there is anyone in school who hates me, but I'm more of a neutral character in the community. Maybe it would be different if Alex hadn't cheated on the election. No matter what everyone says, I'm sure he didn't win the fair way.