Beauty & the Geek

Chapter 5

As Steve awoke the following morning, the sun's rays poured in through the curtains, casting a bright glow that was incredibly intrusive. He discovered himself in an unfamiliar location, a common occurrence in his life these days. Everything seemed foreign and unwelcoming lately, except for a particular blonde individual. However, some things are best left unexplored, especially considering the uncertainty of it all. Plus, it's a shot in the dark anyway.

In the back of his mind, Steve could hear his mother's sugary sweet voice spewing some crazed psycho-babble crap that she's heard on the latest Phil Donahue Show. "Today's a new day, Son. Don't let your history interfere with your destiny," she always says things like that during meals. He wants to tell her, "Look how far that's gotten you."

The dark-haired teen did a sudden second glance and noticed that he was also reclining on a plush, brown-striped sofa, feeling a lot of discomfort in his neck. At least the couch was comfortable. It has that going for it, a quality that couldn't be attributed to himself. Where the heck was he headed, or rather, where was he not going? Nowhere, including college. His academic performance was hardly noteworthy, and his once distinguishing athletic abilities were overshadowed by the arrival of the towering, muscular Hargrove. His hands clenched in frustration.

It used to be Steve was the talk of the town. People would say, "That Harrington kid is going to go far. I have no idea in which direction--- but he'll go far."

As he lay on his back, gazing up at the ceiling, the confused young man struggled to remember the details of the previous night: flowers, alcohol, yelling, feeling like a loser, more alcohol, and something akin to pain relief. This time, it wasn't the drinking or sex that eased Steve's pain. No, it was the last thing he heard before falling asleep: a gentle, soothing voice.

Maddy, his tutor! His tutor girl. So that must mean this is her house. With his heart skipping a beat, he turned his head this way and that, his still, tired eyes scanning the room for signs of life or anything clue-worthy.

Steve took in everything he missed last night: a colossal television dominating one wall, a lot of electronic gadgets strewn about (which made his parents' electronics seem like child's play in comparison), a neat line of shoes by the front door, walls painted in a bland beige hue, flowing white curtains decorating the windows, and an overabundance of pictures covering every available surface.

Steve truly means every surface. Judging by the pictures in the frames, they're all of Maddy and her dad or just Maddy alone. The images depict a seemingly blissful family, exuding happiness and contentment in each frame despite it being just the two of them. He should be disgusted, but he's not.

The dark-haired teen feels these two people genuinely embody the true spirit of family life, just like the photo in the bronze frame. In the picture, Mr. Newby is wearing a white plastic bib, with a plate of hotdogs in front of him and one held up to his stuffed mouth. Standing beside him, Maddy is beaming from ear to ear, encouraging her dad. This starkly contrasts the facade that Nancy's parents, and even his own, attempt to present to the world.

Steve sat up, feeling the tension in his neck as he rotated it to ease the kinks. He then ran his fingers through his disheveled hair, swiping them down his face in annoyance. As the young man reflected on the Halloween party's events, a wave of sobering realization washed over him. He was stuck. Why did everything in life, especially his life, have to be so complicated?

There's only one thing to do: Steve will persevere through it as usual. He has the personality to fake it. It's not like he hasn't done so before. Even if the teen has to pretend his way through this entire senior year, it's what Steve will do. He will smile so dang much that his fake smile eventually becomes genuine. Isn't that life imitating art or some such nonsense? His stomach plummeted because isn't that what he's already doing?