Nerds & Boyfriends (unfinished)

Scarlet Red

   There’s always going to be someone who just doesn’t like you, despises you even. I guess you can say Scarlet Johnson was one of them.

   I never knew why, she just didn’t seem to like me. Ever since we were young, all she’d do was taunt me about every flaw I had. She found everything and anything, even the most subtle imperfection.

   She was ruining my life, leisurely and excruciatingly.

   I never really told anyone. Who would believe me? Everyone loved Scarlet. She was intelligent, and attractive, and popular, and rich. Scarlet was everything.

   Scarlet had everything. Virtually anything and everything was handed to her on a silver platter.

   She was virtually perfect.

   Now, Scarlet was after Carson.

   “Hello Ari,” She smirked.

   I nodded in response.

   “Carson is one hot guy,”

   I flinched. I had never referred to Carson as hot or anything like that. I thought of him as attractive, mysterious, complex, dangerous, caring, beautiful, amazing, inspirational, all except for hot. Carson was so much more than a temperature, or some sort of spice. Carson meant everything to me. I sounded a bit obsessed, but without him, I’d probably still be in my perfectionist of a world, living out my fantasy, or rather, my parents’ fantasy of a spectacular future.

   “On edge, huh, Ari?” I ignored her pathetic remarks. She only meant to intimidate me.

   “You know, Ari, Carson deserves much more. And you need to rest. Every day you try to be as perfect as I am, it must really tire you. I wouldn’t mind taking him off your hands,” Scarlet was so sly and devious. I was in no way trying to be as perfect as her. We simply strived for the same goal, to have a beautiful future. It just happened that it came easier to her than it did to me.

   “No,” I was uncompromising. My mistake.

   “You’re not worth Carson’s time. You’ll see,”

   Scarlet had never liked me. I didn’t expect her to like me now. But why, why was she after Carson, the only thing that could possibly repair me.

   I feel broken, torn, between what I truly want. Carson could fix me. Carson could put me back together.

  Scarlet, Scarlet was beautiful. And rich. She could have anything she possibly wanted. And she was smart.

  But she always wanted more, more than what I had. I had nothing, yet she strived to become better than I was. I was caught between constant competitions with her. She was always after what I had. Her goal was to make me completely miserable.

   She never told me why, and I wasn’t able to guess.

   My chances were slim, but I wasn’t ready to let Carson go. Carson was my only chance at finding my true self. I wasn’t prepared to let him go, at least, not by Scarlet.

   I was on my way to literature, my fourth period. I turned to corner leading to my classroom, when Scarlet’s fiery red hair caught my eye. She stood across a slim boy, tall, with jet black layered hair hidden behind his beanie.

   My cheeks burned red, tears welling up in my eyes.

   It was Carson.