The Perfect Couple

Prologue - Of Unbelievable Meetings

Everything about her was a lie. Her hair, her clothes, her smile – the very air she breathed.

Everything about him was the truth. His handsome face, his quirky smile, his love for animals – his kind nature.

Against all odds, they fell in love. The girl did not understand what the boy saw in her; in the mirror all she saw was lies. The boy did not understand why the girl wanted him; surely there were others who were more suitable.

Yet, neither minded the others flaws. They did not believe these flaws even existed. Truly, love was blind, they thought.

These two met in a park on a rainy day. The girl was coming home after a long day of hanging out with her friends and having to smile her sickly sweet fake smile when it suddenly began to pour. She immediately ran into the park to take cover under the canopy of trees. As she stood there all she could think was that her golden, dyed, hair would frizz.

The boy was on a walk with his notebook in his hands. He enjoyed writing and found the best place to do it was in the park under the willow trees. When it began to rain the boy did not mind one little bit. He thought the rain created beauty. The world became hushed and muted when it rained, enveloped in a haze of falling crystals. The rain caused the earth to smell of freshly cut grass, and flowers released their scent into the air.

The girl thought the rain destroyed beauty. Her hair was a mess, her make-up was running, and her dress was unsalvageable when she fell slipped in the mud underneath the willow trees. The girl punched the ground in frustration and refused to get up. It would only mean another fall, and she did have some dignity.

"Are you alright?" came a soft-spoken male voice from above her. The voice was baritone, and chocolaty smooth – it sent shivers down her spine. The girl didn't dare look up. She couldn't believe that there had been someone there to witness her humiliation.

"Are you alright?" The voice was becoming increasingly frantic, the words taking on a concerned lilt. The girl's eyes welled up with tears. She did not want to encounter someone whilst looking like a mess, and thought that if she didn't look up perhaps the man would go away. Then, jean-clad knees were lowered into the mud in front of her, dirtying and ruining them. The man didn't seem to care.

"Are you hurt?" The girl figured that if she did not look up or answer the man he would not go away.

"No," sighed the girl as she raised her head to the persistent voice of concern. Promptly she gasped and looked back down immediately.

"Is there something wrong?"

The man, no boy, because he could not be older than 18 was the most beautiful person she had ever laid eyes on. He had full lips, a square jawline, a regal nose, a curtain of black hair, and piercing blue eyes. Even with their positions on the mud-covered ground the girl knew he had to be at least 6 foot. A perfect specimen. And here she was, dishevelled and dirty. Her frustration at her day and this entire situation caused her to burst into tears. Fat drops rolled down her cheeks as she started to bawl.

"Oh no," the boy's voice was becoming panicked, "where does it hurt? Please tell me. Should I call an ambulance?"

The girl's head snapped up at the last question and she shrieked, "No! I'm fine. Please don't call an ambulance!" She would never survive the humiliation. Immediately she attempted to stand to show just how fine she really was. The boy stood with her, hovering close in case she lost her balance again.

And lose her balance she did. The girl almost toppled over, slipping on mud and perhaps her tears, but the boy managed to catch her just in time. Instead of falling to the ground, the girl fell into the boy's broad chest, feeling the heat radiating off of him. It was a scene from a fairy tale, a romance destined to last, if she wasn't getting mud and snot all over the handsome boy.

"Oh God!" she exclaimed, her face heating as she pulled back quickly. The girl took a few steps away from the boy, prepared to run from the embarrassment.

"I'm sorry," the boy implored, looking at her with soft, mournful eyes, "I didn't mean to frighten you. I should've asked permission to touch you, but you were falling and... That's not an excuse. I'm sorry."

The girl froze in her tracks, escape plans halted. She had ruined the boy's expensive looking button-down shirt, and he was apologizing? He's not real, she thought despondently, I'm going crazy and hallucinating hot guys. Except, the way the boy was nervously shuffling his feet seemed real enough. And he seemed solid enough when she fell on him. Maybe she hadn't gone completely insane.

"No! Don't be sorry. It's my fault. I'm a wreck." Those were the most honest words that had come out of her mouth in a very long time, so she punctuated it with one of her signature smiles; a little shy but grateful nonetheless, and completely fabricated.

The boy smiled back, his nothing like hers. It was genuine, showing of his perfect, straight, white teeth. His large hand pushing back his damp air betrayed a slight nervousness though. The girl found she liked his shy nature, and that was a first. He seemed to be her complete opposite. The boy stepped forward and held out his hand.

"I'm Lance. It's nice to meet you." The smile had yet to slip off his face. It had merely evolved into something, softer and more intimate. It took the girl's breath away.

The girl grasped Lance's hand, his engulfing hers and she felt the callous worn skin. Yet, the handshake was gentle, like the boy's smile.

"I'm Juliet." Her smile had also changed without her realizing it, becoming actually happy for the first time in forever.

The two opposites stood shaking each other's hands and staring into each other's eyes until the rain stopped. Blue and brown. Soft and harsh. Light and dark.

And so it began.