Normal or Unique?: Chapter 1

“Benjamin David Leonard get your lazy ass up or I’m never giving a ride while I’m living on this damned earth” It was my mother again. It was weird that she woke me up every morning like this since I was actually never late.

Anyways I just grabbed any shirt I found on the ground and kept my shorts that I slept with (not as nasty as it sounds). I put on one of my many pairs of sandals (the California life is overrated) and grabbed my messy backpack to head to school. I didn’t really care about my appearance since no one important had time to make fun of me for not having the latest Jordan’s.

As I head to the first day of senior year I sigh at the thought of college applications, to most of the school I’m known for my miraculous study techniques for the SAT. The only reason I did this is so I can get a chance to talk to Grace Covington, with her glistening brown hair matching her eyes and sweet voice, she is the most beautiful creature I have ever seen, well maybe not. She isn’t the most popular girl that is why I aim for her instead of going for Cara Steinman she basically runs the school.

When I walk into school I’m already crowded by the Robotics room, ok you caught me I’m a bit of a nerd but anyways all everyone is talking about is college. I’m fine going anywhere, MIT is my dream though, I’m pretty sure I will never get in. So back to the crowded part, everyone is asking me for tips on their applications, they act like I work for the Harvard’s Admissions office. I barely got out of the crowd and I started to head to AP Literature.

I spent the whole class staring at Grace, she was definitely the one I was going to ask to senior prom, everyone goes to senior prom. Well everyone normal, so as I was walking out of class I spotted my best friend Larry who haven’t seen all day and I don’t want to know why.

“Hey Benja” Grace said as she intercepted me on my way to Larry

“Hi” I try to say without sounding any more awkward then I am.

“Can you stop by my place tonight I need some help with application to UNC” she said cheerfully.

“Sure” I spat, realizing that I might have expressed my disappointment.

I start heading to Larry with my head down he is co-captain of the Robotics team but always hangs out in the orchestra hall where his basically dated all the girls there.

“Hey I saw you talking to Grace, did she say she’s going to give you something special tonight” He said as he was nudging me in the gut with his shoulder.

Larry was light skin with blue eyes and brown hair (now you don’t have to ask why he gets all these girls), he pretty much has the same personality as me expect one tiny difference, he’s a HUGE pervert. I on the other hand am a black bushy haired scrawny white boy that looking like someone forgot to flip him on the grill.

“Nah, I got school-zoned again” I said with obvious disappointment

“Don’t get to down bruh, every sex scene in highschool movies starts as “studying”, anyways if it doesn’t work out you can always have one of my pretty ponies” he said with a creepy wink.

“If you ever say that again I will bawl your eyes out, before you do it to yourself” I say as we walk to AP 3D Art

The rest of the day was uneventful, I would say normal but if it was normal that would mean I’m normal which I’m not (not saying this in a good way). Anyways as I got home in my mom’s mini-cooper, yeah I know it’s embarrassing, I should call my dad and ask him for a new car. Let me just go back in time 9 years ago and do it or I can go to his grave. As I pull up to the drive way I see a figure dressed in all black, if I didn’t see the glowing screen of her phone I could have mistaken it for a knife and it wouldn’t have ended well from there.

“Um, can you move” I say nervously as I approach this figure

“Shut up Benja, you pussy” It said with an obvious feminine voice. The silence broke after a few seconds “Its Cara you ass-face, damn no one can be a spy around here without people pissing their pants” she said with an extremely loud laugh.

“What are you doing in my drive way” I say as she pulls off her black hood allowing me to see you face, she had dirty blonde hair with sea green eyes and an amazing.

“I’m here to warn you about what we are going to do tonight, stop staring at me you pervert” I looked away as soon as she said it. “Anyways don’t go to sleep, I’m coming with a bucket of ice anyways and fill up that mini-cooper we are going on a road trip a.k.a mission”

“Wait up, who said I agree to this what the hell” I yell after here as I see her disappear into the woods behind my house.

I spend the rest of the night trying to work on my application essays but just end up think about thinking about what Cara said to me, as I look at my phone to check the time I see an unread voice mail, its Grace! I just remember that I promised to help her with her application, did I just blow off Grace Covington.

As I sit in bed and watch my clock hit midnight I think about when she is coming and if she is coming. As that thought had just began to pass I hear some music, is that Drake, SMACK something hit my window. I open up the window and see Cara dancing with a stereo on her shoulder with that same black outfit on.

“Turn that shit down what the hell are you doing” I said in a half whisper half yell

“Stop being so grumpy, come on its time for our mission/road trip, don’t worry about not being back by morning its Friday just say you are sleeping over at Barry’s house or something” She said happily “And don’t for get to wear all black, we need to match”

When I hop out the window as quietly as possible I already find her standing by my mini-cooper.

“You take forever to change, we are not going to one of your robotics tournaments damn” She said with a giggle as she saw my face that looked like it had been dipped in salt.

“Why do you want me to come with you” I ask while I quietly pull out of the driveway.

“The real question is why you are so quick to come with me?” She said with a smile.

I was caught, why was I so quick to come with her without even the slightest hint of struggling. “I don’t know, you tell me” I say with an obviously fake attitude.

“Because you need it” She says as she frowns at the window. “We need it”

“Anyways where are we going in the middle of the night on a Friday as minors?” I say to break the silence.

She turns back around with a smile and hold up two fake IDs “Were going to Las Vegas”

At that point I completely stopped the car and turned to look at her like she was a madman, which I was beginning to think she was.

“Have you gone mad?!” I say louder than I meant

“Well what did you expect we were going to do at midnight, watch Netflix and eat ice-cream, go play laser tag?” She says with confusion

“Um, not those exactly but something I guess normal” I say nervously

“See that is your problem, you always want to be normal” She says plainly “The idea of you standing out and you being unique scares the living hell out of you”

“Than what is your problem” I say happily for thinking of a great comeback.

“The exact opposite” She said with a frown, than turned around happily and said “That why I’m here to help you and you’re here to help me!”

I feel bad for her but then again why should I she has everything I ever wanted, she said she was the exact opposite of me. Does that mean I have everything she has ever wanted? I return to feeling bad.

I take the car out of park. “Las Vegas it is” I say as she turns around and shows me her smile.