Scissors and Smiles

Chapter 2: Jarrod Matthews

Every body has that one distinct feature about them. Whether it be a birth mark, bright eyes, hairy legs, or an annoying laugh. Every one has one. Jarrod Matthews has something that's... different. Something strange and horrifying, yet somehow cheerful. His grin. His lips stretched across his from ear to ear. To his anguish its a part of his chemical makeup. He was always ridiculed for it, every one was calling him freak, Smiler, monster. People were scared of him; the people at the orphanage had even put him in his own room in the attic so they wouldn't have to see him much. Nobody ever cared for him. He has been haunted by the constant fear and judgment of him by his peers all his life. However, his deformity is a part of him, and he can't run away. He acts like he isn't phased by the harmful words, but when he goes to rest his head at night he lays in bed for hours lucky enough to get even three hours of sleep. He does naught but lay there. Sometimes he weeps, sometimes he just blankly stares at the ceiling, or maybe sharpening his blades. At times Jarrod had made attempts on his own life. To his own sorrow, he had failed.

Every day he goes through the same abysmal torment."Jarrod is a fucking freak! Oh my god just look at him." Murmurs about his face. He takes it in, wishing he could be rid of this disease of hatred. As he dodged the daily insults, he ducked into his next class. Math. The worst. It's not that the subject is bad, it's the people. Just like everyone else but worse, even when stuff isn't towards him, they still agitate the lowly teen. They are simply loud and annoying.

As an image splattered his mind, the gruesome death of all of them, blood sprayed on the walls, corpses hung by there own entrails, eyes popping outwards. He relished this thought. He started to... to smile. To actually smile.

"God he looks even creepier. " He heard one of the pompous jerks say. His smile faded. He looked by the doorway to see the clock. "Damn," he says, "still twenty minutes."

As he said this, he saw a figure run pass the door. She was wearing all black with flawless pure white hair, she was running. Sorrowful. Tears running down the sides of her face. Instant sympathy he felt for her. The girl made him forget the image he had. "Who is she?" Jarrod thought to himself.

"Jarrod?" Mr. Sandon cut in.

"Uh, sorry can you repeat the question?" he said, surprised by the tremble in his voice. That's new. he thought to himself. Mr. Sandon angrily repeated his question. Jarrod wasn't able to answer, for he wasn't listening again. So the annoyed teacher skipped over him.

"Jesus what a dumbass" some of his peers said. The same gruesome image flashed in his head again causing another smile to cut across his face.He pulled the hood of his dark blue hoodie over his blonde hair, and tightened the draw strings so it would hide his face. He started to draw to get his mind off of things. He drew the scene he so horribly - yet wonderfully - thought of earlier, with the girl through the doorway. He heard the comments about it. This time, he didn't care.

After the hell ended he went to his locker to grab his stuff for his next class, art. Jarrod was genuinely ecstatic for this next class. Other than the people Art seemed really nice. He liked art, mainly drawing but still, it's art. He started to close his locker when he noticed someone breathing on his neck. He turned around and immediately was struck in the stomach with great force. He fell over, writhing in pain.

"Hows it going Smiler?" he shouted, antagonizing. He picked Jarrod up and threw him against the locker.

"Fuck off Will, I don't need your shit"

Another strike in the gut.

"Bitch, you better watch it!"

"Fuck off!" Jarrod yelled loudly hoping to intimidate the ignoramus in the slightest so that he would back away. Another blow straight to face. He could tell he was bleeding. He let Jarrod go and walked away. Jarrod started run to his art class. He was late. As he entered the vacant doorway, he looked around.

"You're late, Jarrod." The teacher said. "You're just gunna' have to partner with..." She said scanning her clipboard. "Ah, Forfex Fowl." He looked over to her. She was wearing all black with pure white hair. It was her. The girl, there was no mistaking it. No mistaking that beautiful white hair. He walked over to her, sat down and put his head down.

"So, uhmm, hello." she said. Jarrod lifted his head. She was making eye contact with him. She was even prettier up close. "I'm Forfex, and you must be Jarrod." Her voice sounded ecstatic. It sounded warm and sincere, welcoming, even. He didn't know what to say to her.

"Uh, yeah, hi." he replied, looking away so she couldn't see the ecstacy spread across his lips. He had never been this excited to meet a person.