The Concept of Perfection

Chapter Five- To One Girl Only

Chapter Five- To One Girl Only

            “I cannot believe this,” Kelli hissed through gritted teeth.

            Under the night sky, with three blankets set on top of the sand, just ten steps away from the high tide waves, we were all there, with the steak ready to be eaten. Kelli looked mad. Angry. And she was even crossing her arms over her chest.

            “Nate left,” she added. “He’s impossible.”

            Guiltily, I said no comment as they all talked about him ditching us and all. I’m the one who drove their friend away. What can I tell them? I had fun repelling the guy who never came with them to Stargazing Night for the past two years, making him leave? Yeah, right. There are moments it’s best when I keep quiet. Just like that night when I overheard my mother and father speaking in their room. There was nothing I could tell them when my father suggested leaving. This is one of those moments, and I just let it unfold.

            “Don’t take it too hard on him,” Aunt Isabelle warned them. “We all half-expected this.”

            Everyone shut up about their opinions about Nate. Confused, I looked at her. Not all of us half-expected that. I hoped he’d disappear, yes, but I didn’t expect he would. But what is it that they are talking about?

            I sat down on the blanket in the middle. Soft red and white checkered cloth, giving off a picnic sort of feeling. Everyone else settled into seats. The girls all together in one blanket, the boys sitting on one but using the other one “creatively,” as they put it, but all I can see is them using the blanket to wipe their fingers after devouring T-bone steaks. Aunt Isabelle just rolled her eyes.

            Everyone finished eating. I tried not to look at the blanket they used “creatively” because it was just plain revolting. Something my mother would have freaked out over. But I’d be lying if I told you I didn’t use it. I did. I used it to wipe the sauce on my fingers (them forcibly urging me to), and I actually felt a whirr of rebellion or something. Yeah right, like wiping your hands on a blanket is called rebelling.

            “What happened?” I asked as everyone dispersed into groups. The boys stuck with dishwashing chores, because the girls “had to keep me company,” or so they reasoned out. So Kelli and Violet are with me, still by the shore, but somewhere much closer to the water crashing over each wave. “With Nate, I mean,” I added.

            Kelli bit her lower lip, and I can tell she hesitated. Violet did, too. But Kelli took a deep breath, and answered, “Maybe it would be better if you asked him. After all, it’s his life. I know he’d be mad about it if I go on telling you, when he wants nothing but everyone to forget it.”

            I nodded, somehow understanding what she said because of my past experiences.

            “He’s a cool guy, actually. If you really get to know him. He can talk to everyone. It’s like magic. And… he can make you laugh at lame—”

“—Very lame—” Kelli interjected.

“—jokes. And… he’s just being a jerk now. He’ll come around,” Violet informed me.

            I didn’t tell her I highly doubted her opinion on him, mostly because I already have my own version of an opinionated comment on him. I already know people like him. I know plenty about them, enough to know that they’re nothing but trouble.