The Pride of Lily

The Faults of a Lily flower

Lily Silvan rushed through the door, tumbling over the dog, frightening away the cat, and generally being a clutz. She juddered to a halt by the pavement. Her hair was spread over her back and tangled, whilst her bag had one zip wide open. Her hands and knees were grubby and grazed. Bending over slightly, she examined her twig-thin legs. No scrapes, nothing to serious. She was just too clumsy too often for her legs to be not resistant to grazes and bruises. 

Shoelaces untied, she waited impatiently for the bus to pull to a smoking halt outside her house. She straightened her tie and smoothed out her dress.

And she still didn't notice her laces.

As the yellow bus steamed to a halt, she leaped on, hair flying in the wind. The kids on the bus continued busily chewing their Hubba-Bubba and staring at their phones. 

Muttering "Sorry, 'scuse me, comin' through", Lily carefully picked her way to the back of the bus.

"Well if it ain't Lily the Extremely ImPerfect. How disastrous was your day today, Water Lily?" mocked a cruel voice from behind her. Lily turned to see the teen Selena Gomez Becca Wilson and her cronies standing with their hands on their hips. Becca flicked her smooth-as-silk hair and puckered her perfect, pink lips. 

"Which boys are you ditching today, Retard Becca?" retorted Lily, imitating their strutting pose. Becca's ace turned purple.

"No one," she pouted, "because if you haven't heard, I'm with Jason Newman, and boy, isn't he just a babe!" Her crowing was too much for Lily to bear. She was just sitting down when clawed fingers grabbed her arm.

"I hear there's a new girl," cackled Becca, "and maybe, just maybe, she'll be as ImPerfect as you." She stalked off, sneering, as Lily settled meekly into her seat.

The bus spewed ugly, black clouds all the way to Cavalier College, and Lily wrinkled up her nose. She hated the old school buses. Their pollution stank. 

As she hopped off the bus, Lily stumbled, as usual, and bumped straight into a slice of heaven.