Perfectly Imperfect

1

   I was just barely 15 at the time it happened. My birthday had been just a week prior. The night before it happened, I was out with Dean, my boyfriend. It was about 1 in the morning and I heard pebbles tapping my window lightly. That was how he told me he was there. He had started coming to visit me in the night a couple weeks ago. He didn't know why we hadn't thought of it before, but we had never actually done anything...sexual. We were kids and people just didn't do those things in out perfect little town. And if they did, the whole town gossiped about it for months and you were never looked at the same. I opened my window and let him in, and I got back under my covers with him after hugging him and showing a sleepy smile at him.
   We stayed up for a couple hours, kissing, talking, smiling at each other. We always talked about everything, we never hid anything from each other and we told each other personal things that we couldn't tell anyone else. He was perfect. After doing all that, we fell asleep in each other's arms. I always felt safe in his arms. I always knew he wouldn't let anything happen to me as long as I was in his arms. He would try his best to make sure I was safe even when he wasn't with me. Before I knew it, my phone started vibrating, my alarm. I had it set so that Dean would have time to get home before his parents or my parents found out where he was.
   As we stood on my floor, his arms around me and mine snuggled up to his chest, he told me he had to go.

  "Just one more minute, please." I asked with a soft voice.
  
   "Alright." He whispered back to me.

   The sun was barely visible, and he stood there holding me. I knew my parents could come in at any minute, but I didn't want him to go. But the time came, and I kissed him goodbye, and told him to be careful. He climbed out my window, and started walking. He only lived about nine houses down, but he had to be careful because here, in our little town, everybody is friends with everybody. So if a kid was seen walking around at 6 in the morning, people are gonna talk.
   I decided to go back to sleep for a little while longer. As I drifted off to sleep, I could smell faintly his cologne on my pillow and blanket.
  
   "Mystery, hey, hey toad. Mom says come downstairs, it's time to get up. She just woke me up. Come one, let's go!" My younger brother Cody said to me.

   "Alright, let me get dressed and I'll be downstairs." I said groggily, half asleep, eyelids half closed.

   I looked at my phone, 8:34. Neighbors would start waking up and you'd hear lawn mowers running and kids running outside and cars going by. Cedar Falls really does seem like the perfect town. I checked the weather, it was supposed to get up to 87 degrees today. I looked through my dresser, pulled on my jean shorts and a crop top that read "Karma's A B!t#h"
   After brushing my hair and brushing my teeth, I went downstairs and the smell of waffles and maple syrup and bacon hit me and I swayed my way to the kitchen to find my brother setting the table, my mom cooking breakfast, my dad reading a newspaper at the table, and my younger sister right outside the door picking flowers. Perfect family photo.
  
   "Mornin' sunshine. How'd you sleep?" My dad asked me.

   "I slept well, but the heat has been getting to me. I found myself rolling back and forth to find cold spots on my blankets all night."

   "Yeah, well we'll get you a fan soon." My father replied, still reading his newspaper.

   I sat down at the table as my mom gave my brother, dad and me a plate and called Anna in to come wash her hands and get ready to eat. Anna rushed in and started digging into her waffles as soon as possible.

   I had been so happy that morning, I had no idea that my life would forever change on that day.