Exception

Author's Note: Started...waaaay back. =)) Finally finished it, huzzah! Not exactly sure what to think of this.

This was supposed to be so much shorter, I dunno why it got so long. =))

So after weeks and weeks of writer's block, a sudden burst of 1, 500 words needed to finish this story!
///
I’m not lying when I say I loved her, even more so than I did myself. I still have the notebook she gave me with some of the things she had written about me. I always thought she was an amazing writer, I’ll never figure out why she thought she wasn’t. Then again, I’ve never been artistic; I guess I can’t be the judge.

Her parents hated me. They always went on and on about how I was bad for her.

xXx

I.

We met in the playground; I think I was around 7. I was an impatient kid back then, so I ended up pushing her down the slide when she was taking too long. Even a few years afterwards, she would still be as deathly afraid of heights.

She skid her knees and ran away crying. Her parents found out and had talked to my dad, and he beat me and grounded me. Mom called me a demonic child, and started praying and weeping. My older sister laughed when I went into our room with a swollen eye, before going back to her studying.

II.

I was used to failing school. Teachers always scolded me and said I could do a lot better. Maybe they’re right, but I honestly didn’t care.

My Homeroom teacher was nosy. God, I hated her. She had demanded for me to be tutored by an “exemplary student.”

I wouldn’t have agreed, but my dad said it would be best for me.

I knew he thought I was a bad son. My sister was always getting high grades, and praises. She was her batch’s Valedictorian, and student council president.

She was what my parents considered the family pride, and I was the son they wanted to disown one day.

~~~

That was the first day she tutored me. I recognized her immediately-few people had hair that red and eyes that green. She sat beside me and asked what our lesson was.

I was 11, and that was about the physically closest a girl’s been to me.

Her name was Alice.

And I could only be relieved that she didn’t remember who I was.

~~~

I was alone at lunch, most of the time. While the occasional ditz came over to try to get closer to the school’s “mysterious loner.” I usually ignored them until they went away.

Alice surprised me; she had sat down at the table, across from me. And without a warning, she started talking to me.

She was interesting, I’ll give her that. I didn’t know a lot of girls back then that played video games. We started talking about games at the arcade, about games that were coming up. That was one of the longest conversations I ever had with anyone at school.

I couldn’t help but notice when she put one of her hands down on the table. Her fingernails in particular stood out-they looked badly chewed.

III.

I’m not sure why, but I guess after that we just spent practically everyday together. People started talking about the two of us in school, I honestly didn’t care.

After going through the embarrassment of talking to her during that time my voice was cracking, I was 13 and getting relatively better grades. She was what people would call my best friend, I suppose.

She got a haircut; her red hair wasn’t straight anymore. It was a layered frame around her face, and people started noticing her more.

Damn, that was the first time I realized she was beautiful.

~~~

She had auditioned for a play; I even helped read lines with her those entire 2 weeks. All she talked about then was how nervous she was. It amazed me, how someone could be so ambitious. It made me think for a while about what I wanted with life. I didn’t know, but I thought thirteen was a bit too young to worry about those kinds of things.

Then she came over to my house the day results came out. My parents and sister had just left for another family dinner that I refused to go to, and it was around 9PM at that time. I was surprised when I opened the door and she just fell on me for support.

That was the first time since she fell in the playground that I’ve seen her cry.

Part of me hated myself for not knowing how to make it all better. I led her to the couch and she bit her nails again and again in the attempt to stop her sobs.

~~~

I wanted to tell her not to, but I couldn’t be the one to dictate what she should do with her life. I wasn’t the one who knew what was best for her. So to everyone’s surprise, she had quit the school newspaper to make room for acting workshops and classes.

She had just turned 14, and told me she needed bigger dreams.

I could only wonder what was wrong with her dream of becoming a journalist. Then she said a thirteen-year-old wouldn’t understand.

I didn’t know, if she was right about that or not. All I wanted during that time was for her to be happy.

IV.

I had tried to make her a cake for her birthday, despite my sister laughing her head off when she saw me baking in the kitchen. The cake wasn’t a failure, I think. I’m proud of that.

When I came over to her house, I was wondering if she even liked chocolate. I was worried for so long in front of the door before I finally got the courage to knock. Her mom opened the door and frowned.

She knew I was the guy her daughter’s been tutoring. I tried to be as nice or as charming as possible, but I guess I’m just not good with parents. She told me Alice had an acting class and closed the door in my face.

I waited on the sidewalk until she came back. The icing on the cake had melted by the time she got home, but she just laughed and thanked me for it before taking a piece of the cake with her fingers.

She ended up with a bit of chocolate smeared on her right cheek.

And I silently thanked the God I was slowly starting to believe in. She was still the amazing girl I’ve always known.

She started talking about another upcoming play, and she rested her on my shoulder while subconsciously biting at her nails.

V.

I still couldn’t believe she had said yes to me when I asked her to prom.

She had had her hair curled, and her fiery-colored ringlets around her face made her look even more amazing than I thought she did. Her nails were now covered with what she called fake ones, and it was hard for anyone who had just met her to believe she used to chew on them.

We were both 17.

And I was still too much of a coward to say anything about how I felt.

~~~

That day, I got on the honor roll for the first time, and she finally got the lead role in a play.

We spent that afternoon after school at the arcade, and we saved the world from the next zombie invasion.

~~~

She failed her first quiz that day, and was completely devastated while talking to me during lunch.

I didn’t know how to make her feel better, so I just stayed silent and gave her the last scoop of ice cream in the cafeteria that I was able to get. I never liked sweet things, so I hadn’t even touched it. She told me about how rehearsals gave her less time to study.

She had finished the ice cream and the bell that told us lunch was over rang. And when I got back to the classroom, one random realization hit me. She didn’t bite her nails the entire time.

~~~

I’m not sure what surprised me the most-the fact that she was off the honors list for the first time, the fact that I was on it for a second time, or that Alice didn’t even seem to care anymore.

My family suspected I was cheating in school, and my dad beat me up again that day. My sister, who had just quit her job because she got a better one (gee, lucky her, Mom and Dad were proud again), sneered at me and told me if I wasn’t cheating, I was getting lucky.

Part of me was glad Alice didn’t ask about the bruises when I ate with her at lunch. She seemed too preoccupied with the script she was reading.

Reluctantly, I asked about what her parents said when they found out she was off the honor roll. She shrugged and said they were never strict about her grades, how it was only her own goal that gave her the push to study hard.

I’m not entirely sure if I should be worried that she just basically told me she didn’t give a damn about her grades anymore.

I tried to ask if she wanted a break after school, since there was a new ice cream stand across the street. I knew they had her favorite flavor.

She glared at me and told me I should know better. The bell rang and she said she had no more time for breaks, before going ahead of me to her next class.

---

I was used to walking home alone, but somehow that day felt terrible. The 3 o’clock heat was scorching, and my bag felt heavy from the workload that day.

A bunch of guys who were notorious for being the neighborhood delinquents passed by and stepped in front of me. One of them smirked and asked me if I was the guy Alice was dating.

I couldn’t lie, I wasn’t dating her. They laughed and told me that was good, because otherwise I was being cheated on.

I had no idea what the hell they were talking about.

Apparently there were rumors about how she was with the president of the drama club. One of the guys in the group said Alice let him fuck her for the lead role in the play.

I’m not sure what happened next. All I know is that I was overcome by rage, and I think I punched him.

There were five of them, and they were really big. I woke up on the street, with a bloody taste in my mouth and unbearable pain in my left arm, and swore when I tried to move it. It felt like it was broken. Fuck, it was broken. Those bastards, AH, shit. I shouldn’t have tried to do that, now I think I made it worse. I tried to check my phone with my other hand for the time, but that and my wallet were gone. Great, I’ve been robbed.

I looked up at the sky, and after a while guessed it was around 5.

Somehow, it scared me to think I could have been one of those guys. I was, for a while. When I was 10, I thought throwing rocks at the noisy cats on the street was funny. They were a fairly fun group of people to be with, at the time. Although I finally left when one of them brought a pack of white powder and they all started sniffing it.

I knew back then, when I was 13, that drug abuse was the reason Alice’s older brother died. They started ignoring me at school after that. I didn’t really care. But knowing them, I guess I can’t count on them to give me my stuff back.

I didn’t know what to tell the people at hospital, as I came in looking bloody and with a limp arm. The nurse asked if I had been mugged, and since I didn’t know what else to say, I just nodded as they started wrapping my arm.

My dad was angry when I got home. He called me a careless idiot when I told him I got mugged and sent me to my room.

With the numbing pain everywhere in my body and the questions running through my mind, I couldn’t fall asleep. The memory of what that one guy had told me was making me think until my head start throbbing.

Eventually I decided that Alice wouldn’t have done that. No matter what anyone said, I was sure they were wrong. I know she always told me about how badly she wanted this, and I know for a fact that people are goddamn selfish by nature, and they lie through their teeth to get what they want.

But she was an exception.

~~~

I guess it was too much to hope for that I would stay on the honor roll. I was off soon enough, and my sister just told me my luck had run out. My father said he knew it wouldn’t last either.

I didn’t mind much, after all, I was just as surprised as they were when I got in. I was just slightly disappointed with myself, I suppose.

A few days after that, I realized it was almost prom. With everything that had been happening, I’d been too distracted to even think about it. Now here I was, without a suit, because apparently the one in my closet has shrunk too much around my arms. I have terrible luck.

When I came and reluctantly asked my parents to get me a suit, my dad just started laughing and wouldn’t believe that any girl, let alone Alice, even agreed to go with me. Seeing as that was a success, I went back into my room and was suddenly grateful I started saving up last school-year. I had more than enough money to buy a suit.

Hell, I can’t even begin to describe just how nervous I was when I looked in the mirror during prom night. My hair actually cooperated with me, and I had to admit I looked fairly decent. I’d probably look terrible next to her though, but oh well.

I felt shitty, not having a car to pick her up in, but she told me she was fine with just meeting me there, at the gym.

It looked great, which wasn’t what I was expecting. They had done a winter theme, and the place didn’t look anything like the old and worn-out gym we knew. I looked around, and people were already sitting by tables, chairs, standing around and talking to each other. No sign of Alice, so I stepped out of the room and waited by the door.

Then she arrived. I didn’t notice her at first, because I had spaced out while staring at a locker door. She had called my name and I turned, and well, what can I say. I was stunned. She looked amazing. So I pretty much just stood there, kind of gawking like an idiot for a while before she tilted her head and asked what was wrong. I had to say something then. ANYTHING, to keep myself from looking this idiotic.

I told her the color of her dress was black, and she just laughed and told me that she knew, and we both went into the gym. Damn, I’m just really…brilliant. God.

Somehow, once I had gotten my senses back, I was able to ask her to dance with me. I’m not sure whether or not I should consider it a mistake, because apparently, neither of us have any kind of sense of rhythm. We tripped, stumbled, and were basically the complete opposite of our teacher’s instruction of ‘dance elegantly and gracefully.’

But after that, we just laughed it off and went to get some punch, and she told me that at least she doesn’t have to dance for her play.

Honestly, prom wasn’t all it was cracked up to be. Around 2 hours in, me and Alice were extremely bored, and she suggested we go out and watch the new horror movie. So still in her dress, and me still in my suit, we left and headed for the cinema, where people stared at us while we were in line for the ticket booth.

I didn’t give a damn at that point, and we decided to talk in fake British accents to try and pretend we were classy and rich.

We failed, miserably, and even more people stared. But at that point during the night, we couldn’t care less.

And so, some of the important things I learned that night:

1) I cannot dance worth anything.

2) I can’t pull off a British accent; Alice thought I sounded vaguely Indian, instead.

3) She scares easy.

4) It feels good to have her in my arms when she’s scared.

5) And damn, I was wrong to doubt her. She really is an exception.

~~~

I stood outside the theatre with three flowers in my hand(I wasn't even sure what flowers they were, but the guy at the flower shop said he was sure she'd love it.) Today was the first showing of her play, and she had given me a ticket for a seat in the front row. After all the practices she'd gone through, I was sure she was going to be great.

As soon I went in I cursed under my breath for not bringing a jacket because of the cold, but I couldn't go home to get one now. A lot of people pushed past me to meet up with the actors before the show started, and I looked around for Alice. She waved at me from behind a small crowd. But by the time I walked up to her and gave her the flowers, she only had time to mutter a thanks before she had to rush off because the performers were being called, which also meant I had to get in line.

---

The set was huge, and the backgrounds had been painted down to each little detail. Everything looked nice, and I moved in my seat to get comfortable. It wasn't easy, considering that I was freezing. One of the airconditioners was above my seat.

What were the odds.

And then the lights dimmed, and everyone stopped mumbling and whispering as a spotlight came on.

I have to give them credit, they don't take old plays and make revisions. They start from scratch and make entire new storylines, and that was one thing I admired.

Alice had volunteered to write parts of the script, from what she told me. I knew she had written the beginning, and so far it seemed brilliant.

And then she walked on stage, for the start of the next scene.

Fuck. Just...fuck.

Her acting was horrible.

The audience had gotten noisy again, and I could tell what they were talking about. But I couldn't seem to get mad at them. Because, well... so far it seems that everything about this play is brilliant except for her acting. No one could understand why she had a lead role.

After the play was done, and the people had left the theatre, I started to walk back home, still in shock.

I felt a tap on my shoulder, and turned around to see Alice smiling at me, and she laughed and asked what she thought of it. Apparently everyone backstage had congratulated her for a good job.

I wanted to tell her what I honestly thought(and what the audience thought), but I just took one look at how happy she was, and I just couldn't. I've never seen her smile like that. I didn't want to break her heart by telling her I thought it was godawful. I tried to smile, and told her she was wonderful.

~~~

The school newspaper didn't even try to sugarcoat what they wanted to say about the play. It had been distributed in the cafeteria at lunch that day, and Alice looked up at me, with tears in her eyes after reading. She asked me if I really thought she had done a good job.

I tried to meet her eyes, but her eyes were welling up with tears, and I looked away. When I told her that I thought she did amazing, she threw the newspaper down on the table and demanded I tell her the truth. Then I just shook my head and told her, as blankly as I could, that she was a bad actress, but that the script was great.

She shook her head and told me she didn't care about the script before running out.

I started to follow her, and I could tell a lot of people were staring in my direction. I clenched my fists and tried to tell them to mind their business, but I think I sounded more outraged than I had wanted.

And then some goddamn idiot shouted out that my "slutty girlfriend" was probably off to fuck someone else for another role to a play. I couldn't help it, I looked up to look for the source of the voice, and tried to start beating him up. I only landed a few punches before all his friends started to close around me, each throwing punches at me until I fell to the ground, at which point they started kicking me.

After a while someone had probably gone and told someone, because then the principal stood over me while I was curled up on the floor. The ones who had beat me up were gone, and I was walking alone to the office for detention.

I don't think Dad was as surprised that I had gotten in trouble, he probably expects me to get in trouble all the time, but he still walked in looking furious. I tuned out the sound of his voice as he started shouting at how much of an idiotic kid I was, and I looked up at the door as the knob turned.

Alice and the president of the drama club entered with a teacher holding on to both their arms, and I couldn't make out everything, but they were whispering a bit too loudly. I managed to make out the words 'closet', 'call', and 'parents'.

I wasn't sure what to think about that. I looked at her, and she met my eyes for a second before looking away. That look in her eyes was unmistakable.

And it slowly sunk in that all the rumors were true.

For a while, everything was a blur. Her parents stormed into the office, and I heard unclear shouting from both them and my Dad, from Alice, and the noise filled my ears. I heard someone saying it was all my fault, and I just couldn't take it anymore. These people were all idiots.

"SHUT UP!"

Everyone looked at me, and I ran out before anybody could tell me otherwise. I didn't know what to do, I was fuming. My clenched fists were shaking, and tears were gathering in the corners of my eyes. I grit my teeth at the sound I heard next. It was her voice telling me to wait. The sight of her fueled my rage. I wasn't in control anymore. I slammed her against the lockers and stared at her, while she looked back with her fear in her eyes. She opened her mouth and shakily tried to explain something, but I couldn't hear her. I didn't want to hear her. She screamed when I slammed a fist against the locker door beside her head. Damn it, I had missed. But instead of aiming for another hit, I just held on to her.

I think she cried out in pain when I gripped her shoulders too tightly, but I didn't care. I wanted to hurt her. Make her cry for nights on end for what she did. For what felt like eternity we both just stood there, in an almost total silence if it weren't for the quick, shallow breaths we were taking. There was begging in her eyes, and my own anger scared me. I wanted so much to crush her fragile little frame in my hands.

But fuck it.

I couldn't.

After I felt a tear start rolling down my cheek I let her go and looked away.

"I-I'm sor-"

"Save it."

I started to walk back to the office, and turned back toward her before continuing, to remind her she was still in trouble.

~~~

That was the last straw for my dad. He told me he was going to transfer me to a school that would fix me. That was going to be my last term at the school.

I just nodded when he said all that. Maybe I needed it. Maybe they're right, I'm just a stupid rebel of a kid who needed to be taught better. I thought she would be the one to fix me, to make me alright. I thought she was the one thing in my life that wasn't a mistake.

I was wrong.

VI.

She had tried to apologize a couple of times. Maybe I was just a douchebag, for ignoring her even then.

It was the last day of school, and it had hit the day of my 18th birthday. I had the forms in my hand, that would make it official that I was transferring. It was after final bell, and it was weird for me to see the school that quiet. I walked through the hallway, thinking this was the last time I would ever see this place. I wonder if I'd even get the chance to see her one last time.

A voice interrupted my thoughts; someone greeted me happy birthday. The voice caught me by surprise, and I turned around to see her behind me, with a box in her hands.

She repeated the greeting and extended her arms to give me the box. I took it, and opened the lid.

It had a chocolate cake that looked a lot like the one I had made for her before, only the icing of this one was still intact, and had neat cursive lettering that spelled out the words

I'm sorry

I just stood there for a while, and I wasn't sure how to react. I just stared at the cake, and I almost forgave her right then. I felt a smile rise up in my lips, as small as it was. It's been a while since I've smiled at all.

But then I looked up, and stared in surprise-she had gotten contacts for her eyes, and now they were blue. I stared at her eyes, and then at the ringlets around her face. My eyes trailed down towards the nails at the ends of her fingers. They glinted back in the light, coated in the nail polish she always had on now. She always had a nail file in her pocket too. And I realized just how different she was from the gamer, the brilliant writer, and the amazing girl I fell in love with 7 years ago.

She still had all of that, and I knew. But...she didn't want to be any of it. And maybe that was what made it worse.

So I looked back up to see her smiling expectantly at me. I'm not sure if her smile's different, or if I just never noticed before how sickeningly sweet her smile is. She tilted her head in that absentminded way she usually does when she's excited, and tells me she's worked really hard on it.

I stared into her now-blue eyes, and I just couldn't find it in myself to care anymore.

"I never liked sweets."

I didn't turn back, I didn't even look at her again as I dropped off the forms and walked out of the school. I only briefly stopped at the poster for the summer play, and noticed she had a pretty important role, yet again. Good for her.

I passed by the ice cream store I never got to visit with her and looked back down at the sidewalk.

I always hated sweets. And I guess she's just become too sugary for my taste.

I guess she's not the exception.

Not anymore.