ANOMALY

POV Jean

Marco is an anomaly has always been.

Marco has been my best friend and next door neighbour for the longest time I can remember. Oh wait! Who am I you ask? Well let me introduce myself first.

I am Jean Kirschtein, your resident high school asshole. Oh don't worry every school has one; those cheap, cheesy Hollywood movies were right for once!

I am the worst. I have the bluntest personality you can find out there. I can't stop myself from saying what I think. I don't have any filters. Huh...and my big potty mouth is the best possible cherry on top! Seriously I would bet my money that you wouldn't find another shining specimen like me for at least a few miles around. Times like these I feel like the scum of the Earth.

That's why I often find myself wondering why a person like Marco would be willing to hang around with me even after all these years. Most of the people I try to befriend always leave me or we usually have heated fallouts. So it's basic that I suck at making friends and keeping them. And I sure as hell don't deserve a friend like Marco.

"Why?" you ask.

That's because Marco is totally my opposite. If I am the North Pole then Marco is the south. Umm...wait that's not right. He isn't cold like that (well he wasn't). If we talk in terms of geography then Marco would be the tropics.

Yeah.

Definitely the tropics.

He has such a warm personality. He can melt the coldest heart no doubt! And he always smiles no matter what day or situation. Well there are days when he frowns too but you get me, right?

No? Well fuck if I can explain any better!

Anyways back to Marco. As I was saying he has the warmest personality and killer social skills. He makes friends left and right. And I am just a big ol' bag of grouch. That's why I firmly believe that Marco can ditch me any day he wants to because frankly I provide the worst companionship ever.

But he insists.

Marco says that I give him some sort of confidence and that I have killer problem solving skills of which I have no knowledge whatsoever myself.

Well I can vouch for the confidence part. I am pretty confident in myself in spite of my disastrous social skill, but problem solving whiz kid? I don't know what I did for Marco to come to such a grave misunderstanding. I always try to correct him but he just laughs and brushes me off.

"Jean, you really don't know yourself. You are quick-witted even if you don't think it. I am sure you would make a good leader, Jean. Maybe even a great one someday or under different circumstances. I believe in you even if you don't." Marco would usually say something along this line and smile for me like he won the lottery or something and my heart would flutter.....just a bit.

Marco is an anomaly.

He can't smile like he won the lottery anymore.

Well he can smile and it still makes my heart flutter but it's not the same.

"Ja..Je..Je...ah..n.." I hear a broken whisper of my name.

I look over my shoulder from where I am crouched near the entrance of this dilapidated shack, keeping watch. I found this place the last time I went out scrounging for supplies, a temporary refuge for me and Marco.

"Yeah buddy?" I ask softly.

Lately, looking at him always makes me feel a prickling sensation behind my eyes and my heart manages to collapse on itself.

Marco manages to pull himself up from the slouched position he was seated in with some difficulty and I have to will myself to not help him or just fucking hold him close and not let go. But I don't because Marco doesn't want me to. He says that he wants to try and be normal for as long as he can.