Perfect

One

Come on, think. Who is the new character? Come on, you can do this.. think.

Okay. It's a boy. He's perfect. But... What would the perfect boy be like?

He'd have to be honest, kind, funny, well... Overall a good person. But he'd also have to be handsome. What would he look like?

Kenzie sits in her bed, the fluffy pillows propped up behind her, a notebook and pen in hand. She smiles as she tries to imagine her new character in her novel.

Would he have dark hair that falls over kind eyes, or a cute crooked tooth that shows when he smiles?

She hears a knock on her door. "Who is it?"

"It's just me." A voice says. "You're going to be late for school if you don't start getting ready now." As her mother's footsteps echo down the hallway, she shoves her notebook and pen under her pillow, trudging to the bathroom.

Kenzie looks in the mirror. She wears pink leopard pajamas and her wispy brown hair falls over her shoulders in a big tangled mess. Her eyes are underlined with dark sags and yesterday's lipstick is smeared up and halfway across her cheek.

After she washes her face, combs the bronze tangles out of her hair, and slips on a tanktop and shorts, she races downstairs, eager for breakfast. She throws open the cupboards and drawers looking for something to eat.

"Mooom?!" she hollers.

"What?!"

"What can I eat?"

"There are bagels in the fridge."

"Why would bagels be in the fridge?" she mutters to herself as she jerks open the door.

She crams a bagel in her mouth as she stuffs her homework into her bookbag, silently taking role call... science, math, english, history....

"Mom, I'm leaving, okay?" She yells up the stairs.

"Okay, honey, be careful! Call me if you need anything," her mother replies.

"Mkay!"

Kenzie puts her shoes on and quickly ties the laces, grabbing her bookbag on the way out the door. She opens the garage and wheels her bike out, hopping onto it, and racing to school.

When she arrives, she locks her bike up, just as she notices her friends waving her over. Lila and Codi are talking about the upcoming physics test just as she walks up.

"Hey! How are you, guuuurl??" Codi cries when she spots her. She wraps her arms around Kenzie, a smile plastered across her face, and a high-pitched giggle erupts from her throat.

"Oh, I'm fine. I'm just tired. I stayed up all night trying to figure out how to present my new character for the novel I'm writing." Kenzie says with a sigh.

"Well what kind of character is it?" questions Lila.

"That's what I'm trying to figure out..."

Suddenly, a loud ringing fills their ears. The bell.

"Ok, see you guys later I guess." Kenzie shrugs as she walks away to her first period- math.

When she sits down at her desk, she looks up at the board, noticing a different teacher at the front desk. He has long blond hair, sharp cheek bones, and a white-toothed smile. The name Lukehart is scrawled across the board .He catches her eye, which darts away quickly and focuses on her books. She removes her binder and math book from her backpack, thinking about her novel. Could he be the new character?