Breaking Perfect

1

The summer rain streamed down as I ran home. I pulled my hood over my head, trying not to get wet. My eyes were watery. I wasn't heartbroken, I was sad. Tomorrow is the first day of my senior year of high school and I had just broken up with my boyfriend. Hunter and I had been together for about a year. He was the perfect guy, nice, good-looking, loving. But I wasn't in love with him. And I hated myself for it.

When I woke up the next day, I dreaded the whispers in the hall, the glances, and the attention the breakup would bring. As I was lying in bed, thinking about ditching school, my mom came in. "Summer! You are seriously not missing school because of some guy." My mom said as she pulled my blanket off me. My mom is my best friend. My mom had to raise me and my younger sister, Sadie on her own after dad left. He left when Sadie was a baby, I was 6. Mom never talks about him, but after searching for him on Facebook, I found out that he has a new wife and two baby twin boys. He stopped sending birthday cards after my 12th and Sadies 6th.

"You know I never liked that Hunter guy. There is something weird about him." Mom said. "No Mom, he was perfect," I said as I poured myself a glass of orange juice. "If he was so perfect, Why did you break up with him?" Mom confusedly asked. "You broke up with Hunter?!" My younger sister asked in shock. "Loved that guy," Sadie added, now in a much calmer voice. As I was about to respond I heard a car horn outside, I looked out and saw Brooklyn and Faye, my two best friends in the front seats. "As much as I would love to stay here and chat with you guys about this, I've got to go" I quickly said as I opened the front door.

"Summer!" Faye screamed as she got out of the car to give me a hug. "We were thinking you needed a ride since Hunter usually gave you a ride to school," Brook said with a cute smirk. "You guys are the best." I smiled as I got in the car.

When we walked into the halls of the school, eyes immediately shot at me, and the whispers soon followed. "Summer don't worry about them, this is your year. Coach is totally making you cheer captain this year." Brook smiled. "Yeah Summer, everyone at this school totally loves you, they are so going to be on your side," Faye added. As we walked down the hall I noticed Hunter and his friends from the football team. I looked at him, but he didn't look back at me. He seemed hurt, and I hate the fact that I hurt him. Because I loved him I really did, I just wasn't in love with him.

People were nice though. Many came up to me, giving me hugs, telling me that it was going to be okay, and so on.

Faye and Brook were in every single of my classes that day except for art class, after lunch. Every class before lunch went pretty well. Faye and Brook wouldn't leave my side, and I was so grateful. I wouldn't have survived those first classes without them. Everyone from the cheer team sat together at lunch as usual. They were asking questions about the breakup, but Faye and Brook would shut them down every single time. Some girls from the team pointed out that Hunter kept glancing at me. I didn't turn around to see if the statement was true. Soon the same girls were notifying me that Hunter was walking over to our table. I turned around and he was. The brown-haired boy had his hands in his pocket avoiding eye contact as he was walking over. He seemed nervous and unsure of himself, a state of him that I'd never seen before. "Summer, could I talk to you, alone?" He calmly said as he approached the table. While the girls from the team were gazing at us. "Sure," I said hesitatingly. We walked to the empty halls. Before I could say anything he blurted out. "Who is it?!". "What are you talking about?" I replied. "Well, you obviously are seeing someone new. Why else would you have dumped me? We had the perfect relationship" The brown-haired boy explained. "It isn't someone else. It's just me alright. I don't want to be in a relationship right now." I lied. "Summer we belong together, please." he continued. "I'm just not in love with you alright!" I blurted out. Hunter turned silent. He looked at me. His body turned stiff as he looked down. I looked down at the dirty high school floor as well, and we shared an uncomfortable moment of silence. "Okay then." He quietly said as he calmly walked away. The school bell rang and the halls were filled with distracted high schoolers. I froze in the middle of the hall, thinking of my harsh words. I soon remembered that I as well had class. I panicked as I realized that my class was on the other side of the school building. I quickly started sprinting.

When I reached the classroom I quickly pushed the wooden door open. I was met with a class full of people gazing at me. "Oh wow. Look who decided to join us. Summer Levine. Not a good look, the first day of your senior year" My art teacher, Mr Johnson smirked. "Sorry Mr. Johnson I-" "I'm not in the mood for your excuses Summer, lets just forget it." the grumpy 50-year-old interrupted me. Mr. Johnson was my favorite teacher. He never gave detention and was really interested in the arts. He was the reason that I began loving everything contains art, photography, and film. "Well summer, everyone has already chosen their partners for the next project" "I can be her partner" Jimmy ecstatically said as he stood up and smiled at him. "No Jimmy, you already have a partner." Mr. Johnson calmly said. Jimmys partner Tom gave the ecstatic boy a slight slap on his shoulder as he mouthed something I couldn't quite make out. "Does anybody not have a partner?" Mr. Johnson continued. The class went quiet for a second before a brunette shyly raised her hand. "Perfect! Summer and Madison you are working together." Mr. Johnson exclaimed. I walked towards the empty seat beside the girl. I had weirdly enough never noticed the quiet brunette before. As I sat down Mr. Johnson began explaining what the project was about. "Since you guys are seniors now, you all are probably starting to think about your futures. This project is therefore about expressing your future through art. You are working together as a par to get inspired by your partners future. You will merge your projects together at the end of the proses Please start!" Mr. Johnson said as he sat down. I looked at the brunette, but she didn't say anything. "So" I sighed. "Confusing project huh." I smiled. Madison just looked at me, nodded, and smiled. What a weird girl, why isn't she saying anything I thought. I glanced at her again, she had pretty eyes. They were forest green, warm, and soft. They were big and matched her dark brown hair. She was wearing a white tank top and baggy skater jeans. "You look cool." I blurted out. "Thanks, I guess." She mumbled confusedly as she continued to doodle in her notebook. "Why aren't we friends?" I asked. "What? Summer you sound like a kindergartener." The blonde replied. "You know my name?" I smiled. "Of course, we have gone to the same school for three years. Quite frankly it's very hard not to know your name." Madison said. "Well, Madison. You're cool. So I have decided, we're friends now." I declared. "Okay?" She giggled with an uninterested look on her face. I was intrigued by the girl, I don't know why she was just something else.

"So Maddie, what do you want to do in your future?" I grinned. "No one calls me that." She answered. "Well, I do now. It's cute." I smiled and waited for her to answer the question. "Alright, well I want to go to art school, but I'll probably just become a boring lawyer like my parents." She answered. I glanced over at her notebook. "You're good, like very good. These are so cool." I said as I pointed to her doodles. "You should do it. You are like for real talented." I smiled at her. "Thanks." She smiled at me. I looked at her. We locked eyes, I quickly looked away. My cheeks turned red. I looked away hoping that she wouldn't see. We spent the rest of the class talking, about small, dumb things. When the bell rang I stood up. "I'll see you around then." I smiled at her as I was about to leave. "Well I hope so, we have a project to do." She joked. As I left the classroom I couldn't help glancing at the brunette packing her bag one last time.