Perfectly Imperfect 1

9- I'm Elle

CAL:

I pull on my hoodie and climb out of my car. I finally found a room in a motel nearby. I may be stabbed if I go in late at night and all, but at least it’s a proper roof over my head. Plus, it’s cheap and nobody will ever find me there.

I walk across the damp grass heading towards the spot I met my mystery girl last night. But she isn’t there.

I sigh deeply and sit down on the grass. It was definitely too good to be true. Why would she come back for anyway? It’s not like I actually listened to her or anything. I just spent the entire encounter moaning and groaning about my pathetic life.

“Hey, this spot taken?” a feminine voice asks, making me look up in shock.

Despite not knowing what my mystery girl looks like and all, I’m so sure it’s her. The girl beside me has the same build and same voice, not to mention the same hoodie, thrown over her head that blocks out her face.

“It’s a free country,” I murmur wryly. “Or at least that’s what they tell me. Funny phrase isn’t it? I mean the whole free country thing? Especially since everyone knows nothing is free!”

“I think they didn’t mean it literally, you know?” she corrects, giggling.

“You’re a giggler! I wouldn’t have guessed,” I murmur, smiling wide.

“So...Cal, right?” she asks and I hear her voice falter slightly. 

“Yup, mystery girl. Speaking of names...what’s yours?” I ask softly.

“I’m...I’m...Elle,” she whispers. She sounds as if she’s bracing herself for an insult. I wonder why?

“That’s a pretty name. Are you from Falcon or did you just move here or something?”

“I’ve been around,” she mumbles mysteriously.

“So...” I breathe, blowing on my hands a little. “What are you doing out here? Again?”

“I...just felt like I should come,” she admits shyly.

“I’m glad you came actually. Sitting in the park alone is kinda lame. Perfect way to mark yourself as a loser, you know?” I tease, lying back on the damp grass.

“What would you know about being lame?” she mutters glumly.

“What do you mean?” I ask confusedly.

“Come on! Look at you! You must be a jock, king of your high school! Am I right?” she challenges softly, sadly.

“I was...” I whisper. “Then I hurt my leg last year. I can’t run, at least not without risking my injury recurring.”

“Oh...I had no idea!” she squeaks.

“Just kidding! I do play sports. But I don’t consider myself a jock. And I really did hurt my leg last year. Got kicked off all the sport teams. And well...I just haven’t tried out to get back in,” I admit, shrugging.

“But you are the king of your school, aren’t you?” she prods.

“Not by a long shot. I’m just Cal. The weird guy who’s blue,” I chuckle.

“Why are you blue?” she asks, a smile in her voice.

“Coz I’m hot?” I tease, laughing out loud. “I got slushied. Still think I’m the king of my school?” I challenge.

“Yeah, actually. But why did you get slushied?”

“There’s this girl...she’s new and well, people are kinda mean. This guy from the water polo team decided to slushie her, and well...I couldn’t sit by and let him do that. So I went to stop him...and as you can see from my smurfness, it didn’t really work!”

“That was really nice of you,” mystery girl murmurs, finally lying back on the grass beside me.

I flip over so I’m on my stomach and I watch as she stares up at the sky. Is she admiring the stars?

“Maybe it is? But I know what it’s like being the outsider. I was a stoner a couple of years back. Nobody wanted to be my friend. Nobody cared about me. And then...things changed. And now all the guys want to be me and all the girls want to sleep with me. And, I suppose, they still don’t care about me,” I confess.

Mystery girl, Elle, remains quiet. 

“You know, you said your family is full of overachievers, right? I think I found your forte,” I murmur.

She sits up quickly and turns to stare at me. Or at least, I think she’s staring at me. Her stupid hood covers her face!

“What?” she demands eagerly.

“Picking up random guys in parks,” I chuckle at her huffing before she lies back down.

“You said you left your home yesterday...” she trails off, uncertain how to proceed.

“I don’t have a home. I have a house, but that’s it.”

“Where are you staying now?” she asks softly.

“In a motel! It’s wicked cool! It’s filthy and sleazy and everything! It’s like exactly how they make it out in the movies! Crazy, innit?” I gush, smiling wide.

“You’re a weird guy Cal,” she laughs.

“I suppose I am. I did come all the way to the park to talk to a girl I don’t know, didn’t I?” I ask rhetorically. 

She suddenly sits up and pulls her cell phone out of her pocket and puts it to her ear.

“I’m in the library! I’m on my way home now!” she mumbles guiltily before stuffing her phone back into her pocket. “I gotta go.”

“Yeah. I mean, you shouldn’t be staying in the library till such a late hour, you know?” I mock reprimand.

She shoves me lightly, laughing along with me before the both of us suddenly stop.

“So, umm, will I see you around?” I ask her hesitantly.

“I donno,” she murmurs honestly. “I think my family is getting a little suspicious.”

“Can I at least have your number?” 

“My number?” she asks, obviously shocked.

“Yeah, you know, the number that can be used to reach this revolutionary device called the cell phone?” I tease.

She pushes me again but holds her hand out for my phone. I grin and pull it out of my pocket. She punches her digits in and hands it back to me.

“It was nice talking to you again Cal,” she murmurs shyly before heading down the dark path.

I grin to myself before deciding to call her. I press the call button and wait for a couple of seconds before she picks up.

“Hello?” she asks uncertainly.

“Just making sure you gave me the right number,” I chuckle. “Besides, you didn’t say goodbye!”

“Goodbye Cal!”

“Good night Elle!” I whisper before disconnecting the call.

I sit on the damp grass for a few more minutes before pushing myself off the ground and heading back to my car.