She was the girl with long lost smile. Golden curls seemed to spew out of her head, blue eyes that looked like the ocean, and pale porcelain skin that never burned and never tanned. She had the essence of a ghost, mysterious and frightful, yet sometimes inviting. She had no friends, no one knew her, many never even knew her name. When she walked the halls of school, no one looked and no one got near her.

He was the boy who everyone loved. Chocolate brown hair that made the girls swoon, green eyes that were captivating, and tan skin like the beach. He played sports, not one person didn't know his name, and he had a forever frozen smile on his face. But, like many, all of this was fake. His smile wanted to turn to a frown so badly, but he knew no one would accept him like that; sad, alone, and quiet. He had to be perfect, he just didn't want to be.

They went to the same school, she knew his name, he had met her once. She thought he was perfect, he thought she was awkward. Little did they know, that their paths would cross and their little wishes would become reality.

She walked the hall like any other day, no one got near her, she never spoke a word. She sat against a pale pink wall in her mathematics hallway, waiting for the early morning class to start and be over with. Girls walked by, laughing. Boys walked by and paid no attention. She was silent, but secretly hoped someone would just say hello, or acknowledge her existence. But no one ever did, she had gotten used to it.

He walked the hall with all of his so called friends, a fake smile thrown on his face. His friends split off to go to their classes, he entered his mathematics hallway. He looked around, saw no one, loneliness overtook his heart, a feeling he had felt many times; even with his friends. He sat against a sky blue wall, he looked up and noticed the most beautiful girl he had ever seen. As he went to say hi, the bell rang and she quickly got up and left.

As she walked to class, her heartbeat rose and butterflies flew in her stomach. She wanted to know his name, who he was, and why he looked at her without disgust. She sat in her newly assigned desk, near a beaten up tan wall. An empty desk was beside her, but she knew no one would be placed their. Silently, she prayed he would be in her class.

He sprinted to his mathematics class, with so many thoughts running through his head. Why was she by herself, why did she look so sad, who was she. As the final bell rang, he sat in the only open desk, without realizing that the girl next to him was the one he thought was so beautiful.

She looked over at him, he had a smile on his face. She could tell it was fake, she had faked a smile for many years in middle school. It pained her to see him like that, he just projected the feeling of perfect.

He smiled at her, she didn't smile back. He memorized what she looked and acted like within five minutes. From her 5'8 stature to her imperfectness at math. He asked her name, softly she whispered Raine.

His voice was soothing, like hearing the clouds float atop of the air. She loved his name, Ryder. Raine and Ryder, she thought it had a nice ring to it.

As the days dragged on they began to get to know each other better and even got paired up on a project.

When the weekend came, Raine walked over to Ryder's house. The outside was a cream color, it had many stories, and looked like a model home. She quietly knocked at the door and Ryder answered, a goofy smile on his face. She shook her head and welcomed herself inside. He quickly shut the door and followed closely behind her, as she walked up the stairwell to his room. She sat on his bed and pulled out sheets of lined paper from a binder that laid atop his nightstand.


He pulled the papers away from her, showing Raine how to correctly work out the problems. She blushed pink, being wrong wasn't something she enjoyed. Ryder laughed, Raine smiled. Quickly, the got to work and withing four hours they had finished their presentation and poster board.

Ryder offered to take Raine home, even though it was a cold and breezy winter afternoon in Washington, he didn't feel she was safe walking by herself. He was right, but she chose to walk alone anyways.

Before Raine could even turn the corner to leave the gated neighborhood, two girls from her school kicked her knees in. Raine fell on the concrete, with a grimace forming on her face. One girl laughed, her light brown hair blowing in the breeze; the other girl stood there, studying Raine's movement to be sure she didn't leave. They kicked her sides, not knowing what was hidden under her baggy clothing. Raine held in the tears, not from the pain but from the sting. The girls laughed, yelling at her to not talk to Ryder, Raine agreed she wouldn't. But, they hurt her anyways. She pleaded for them to stop, begging and hoping they would listen. It went on like that for what seemed like hours, but was only thirty minutes. The two girls were finally bored and left, smiling wider than when they came.

Raine got up and limped back to Ryder's house. When he opened the door and saw Raine's injuries his smile quickly faded and rushed her inside. He wrapped her ankle that she sprained and cleaned her cuts.

All Raine did was stare at him and finally Ryder asked what was bothering her. Raine laughed as she tilted her head at him. He didn't understand.

She shook her head, “you never actually smile. You have everyone surrounding you and everyone loves you. Ryder, it makes no sense. Why help someone you barely know and care about? I'm awkward and quiet, I'm not pretty, and I'm not smart. I'm just broken and I can't be fixed.”

His eyes opened wide,”no one's ever noticed that about me before. Even in a sea full of people I never feel like I'm with anyone. But, when I'm with you, I don't feel like that. You're different than everyone else too. You don't like me because I'm perfect or popular.”

She looked down, “to be honest, you're far from perfect.”

He looked down too, “oh, well you can go now you're fine.”

She looked up, “just because you aren't perfect doesn't mean people won't accept you. I'll still accept you.”

He smiled and grabbed her hand, “well you're perfect to me and I'll always accept you.”

They both laughed and ever since that day Raine and Ryder were the perfect imperfect couple. They have their ups and downs, but they always get through them together, no matter what the situation. Raine has friends, ones who actually realize she's walking down the hall way. Ryder has real friends, ones that can tell when he's upset. Raine and Ryder are and always will be the perfect pieces for one another brokenness and that's the way it should be.

Their smiles fit,
their eyes stay locked,
together forever,
that's just their love.