Misfit Story - Imperfection

In this town I live in, Pleasantville, I stick out like a sore thumb. Everyone and everything is perfect. Not “perfect” but perfect, all the kids get good grades, no problems ever happen, the sports teams always win, but yet there is me. I like to rebel against our perfect lives. I break school rules on purpose and I trash the places I go to. I see all of the imperfections, mine are just out in the open. My drum’s just on a different beat.
By the way, my name is Justin Holloway, I have always been the rebel and I haven’t quite figured out why my parents moved here. My older brother, Timothy, is one of the star football players along with his friends; Michael, Matthew, and Jason.
School to me has always been a drag. Here we wear uniforms and are required to walk to school. I live on the farthest corner of the neighborhood from the school. I normally ride my skateboard or roller blade to school. These last few months of my junior year have been interesting. More and more things have happened in this perfect town.
It all started in early January. When the football team won the championship game and they came back and celebrated. That Tuesday was the worse ever.
“Well Justin, we won again,” Timothy said, ego blown out to god-only-knows-where.
“Well Timmy, I Don’t Care,” I replied with enough emphasize to get my point across.
“Well it is my senior year and we won all 4 years I have been going to this school,” Timothy tells me in return.
“Whatever,” I said as I grabbed my skateboard.
“You aren’t supposed to take that with you!” I hear Timothy yell down the stairs.
“Shut Up Timmy!!!” I yelled back up the stairs at him. “Hey Caddy,” I said sweetly to my little sister as she sat in her play pen. She looked up at me with her great blue eyes and I picked her up. “Mom, Caddy needs breakfast,” I yelled down the hall at my mom.
“Her baby food is in the pantry,” I hear yelled down the hall back at me.
I sat Caddy down in her highchair and I went to the pantry to get her food.
“Why must you call Candace, Caddy?” my mom asks as she is putting her last ear ring in.
“I like Caddy better,” I replied and started to feed her.
“Well I am headed to the diner. Dad is taking Candace to the church with him today,” Mom told me as she walked toward the door.
As I finish feeding Caddy, Dad walks into the kitchen. “Is Candace fed?” my dad asks in haste to leave.
“Yes, I just finished up,” I replied.
“You are going to be late. You need to leave now,”
“I am going to go and finish getting ready and then I am going to leave, see you later,” I said as I started toward the stairs.
“You are ready. You have on your sweater and tie, your white button up shirt, dress shoes and your slacks. Just grab you backpack and go,”
“It is upstairs,” I said as I ran up stairs to change before I left for school.
I got rid of my sweater and rolled the sleeves of my white button up shirt. I undid my tie but kept it around my neck. I also took off my dress shoes and put on my old black converse. I grabbed my backpack and my drum sticks. When I got to the front door I grabbed my skateboard and went on my way to a wonderful day.
I boarded to school as always and as I was rounding the corners of the streets weaving up and down the neighborhood’s roads. I passed by my brother and his friend, Matthew, but they we’re waiting outside Matthew’s house as Alice ran out of the house.
I quickly swerved in front of them and made my brother mad as I quickly went to the other side of the street. I heard a faint yell behind me as I turned onto a new street.
I continued on my daily route along the streets of the neighborhood. I finally arrived at the school 10 minutes late. I rode into the school and into my class. I got off my board and walked to my desk.
“Justin, you are late again!” Mr. Burkes yells at me, his face turning cherry red.
“Yeah, I know,” I said back, waiting for him to be done talking to me.
“Next time, the principal’s office,” he says as I mouth it along with him.
I drop into my desk and drop my head on the desk and start to doze off. I hear tapping on my desk so I look up over my arms. The person in front of me was trying to pass back the tests. As Mr. Burkes discusses how the test is laid out, I started and finished the test. I raised my hand.
“Yes Justin?” Mr. Burkes asks with annoyance in his voice.
“I finished. Do you want me to bring it to you now or at the end of class?” I say as my voice is dripping with sarcasm.
“It doesn’t matter, do as you please,” Mr. Burkes tells me as he rolls his eyes.
I get up and grab my stuff, I walk up to him and hand him my paper. “Have a nice day,” I say with a forced smile on my face.

I walk to the door and drop my skateboard; I get on my board and ride off through the hallways. I spend time in the library, before everyone’s study hall, reading and thinking about my “town hall spray painting” plan. I eventually went outside to the bleachers behind the school. I hear the bell all the way out at the football field but yet I don’t move yet.
“Science class….yay,” I say aloud to myself with sarcasm, “but I do get to see Ms. Nighy this block.” I get down from the top of the bleachers and head toward the school. I walk back through the back door and through the hallways and to my science class, with 10 minutes missing from class. “I have another test in here,” I think to myself, “Why is today test day? Test Tuesday.”
I stare at my science teacher and I look at her forest green eyes. My eyes start to glaze over after a few minutes of listening to her nonchalant voice. My mind starts to shut down and I start to drift to sleep.
“Justin? Justin? Are you listening to me?” Ms. Nighy’s asks as her voice floats across the room.
“Yeah….yeah,” I say as my mind comes back to class from my short nap.
“Well then, what was I telling the class about?” she says as she flashes me a smile and a look in her eye that says “You don’t know.”
I quickly look over the board and at what is on my desk. “Science,” I reply while I continue to build up knowledge of the current topic.
“Really? Isn’t that what class we are in right now?” she says with an annoyed look in her eyes now.
“Yea, we are in science and we are talking about ionic compounds and balancing equations,” I reply and show her a smirk.
“Okay, you do know what we are talking about then,” she said directed towards me, “Time for the test class.”
She hands out the tests and everyone starts but me. I put my head on the desk and I start to doodle on my spare piece of paper, not even bothering to look at my test.
With twenty minutes to spare at the end of class, everyone else is still working so I decided to start. The multiple choice was really easy and the essay, even easier. I walk up and place my test on her desk and give her a smile.
The bell rang for third block as I grabbed my stuff and headed out the door. The halls were flooded with people all wearing the same thing and carrying close to the same things.
My dyed fire engine red tips on my short, spiky black hair made me stick out. My skateboard was attached to my backpack and my tie was completely undone. The principal knows me by name and she sees me all the time, and yet I continue to do what I normally do.
I arrive at the library for study hall five minutes late. Our teacher for study hall is Coach Bob and he yells at me “Go see Principal Freeman now!”
I walk up to him instead and I hand him a brown paper bag with a few Little Debbie cakes inside. I pat him on the shoulder and smile at him and start my journey to the office. I stopped at a row of tables no more than 3 feet from the coach and I take my backpack off. I remove my board from the straps and place it on the table. All the students at the table looked up at me and gave me the “What in the hell are you doing look?” I jumped up onto the table and got on my board. I rode down the table over people’s stuff if they didn’t move it and I jumped off the end of the table and rode out the open door. I rode all the way to the office and I got off and walked into the office. I walked right past the secretary and into the principal’s office, knowing that no one was going to be there. I placed a bright, shiny, red apple on her desk and I sat down in her chair.
I sat there and looked around at the pictures of her kids and her husband. I tried to place any new things, but there was nothing new to see. Pictures of the family were on the desk and filing cabinets. A small tree was snuggly resting in the corner behind me. Her light mahogany desk made an L in the room. The longest part was against the wall to my right and the shorter part was right in front of me. I looked at the door a little bit longer, waiting for her to come back. I noticed on the computer screen that she had all the grades listed on the screen. I was going to change Timothy’s grades but she walked into the office before I could do it. I quickly got up and jumped over her desk and sat in the chair meant for me. She walked in and I said “Hello. How has your day been?” trying to be nice.
“Justin, how many times are we going to have to do this?” she asked as she rolled her eyes knowing the answer to come.
“I don’t know. As many times as I get sent here,” I replied with a smile on my face.
“Well let’s go through the riot act now. The rules you have broken to my knowledge in the student manual are:” she says as she pulls out the student manual,” 1) All students must wear school uniform during school hours, 2) Students must show up at school at exactly 7:30, 3) Students must be in class on time, 4) Students are not permitted skateboards, roller blades, cars, etc….”
I started to zone out after the forth rule broken. I hear the same list every time I arrive in the principal’s office. As she starts to end her speech, I come back to reality.
“…I don’t want to see you in my office for the rest of the day,” she says staring at me with her green eyes.
“Can do boss lady,” I reply as I grab my stuff. “It is too late to go back to third block,” I think to myself and I head for the back of the school.
I head back out behind the school and sit in the bleachers. I go over today’s rule breaking charade and I start a list of all the rules I broke over the day to bring to the principal later. When the bell finally rang for forth block, I had a list of nine school rules broken so far today, but if I repeated some of the rules I broke, there would be a lot more.
I headed back to the school to meet, Mr. Nile for history class. My monotone teacher that I absolutely can’t stand to be around.
I dozed off as Mr. Nile started to discuss World War II. When I finally got bored of sleeping and being in that class, I got up and went to leave.
“Where are you going,” asked Mr. Nile, his voice unchanging.
“I don’t know, some place that is not here,” I say as I look around the room at the other students. “See ya later Mr. Nile,” I say with a nod.
He raises the volume as he says “Come back here,” as I walk down the hall.
I ignored him and then started to skip down the hallway just to mock his lack of authority.
As I round the corner, I decide to head to the cafeteria for a late lunch considering I was outside at that time.
I skipped math with Mrs. Johnson and attempted to skip P.E. but the coaches finally found me sitting at the very top of the bleachers.
“Hey you!....Tim’s brother, get down here!” he yelled up at me.
“I am not going by ‘Tim’s Brother’ and last time I checked my name was Justin,” I yelled back.
“Come down here,” the coach yells at me from the field.
“I don’t think so,” I yelled back and I sat back down and pulled out my MP3 player and pulled out my list and added that to it. I read my list:

1) Disobeyed teachers (4 times)
2) Skipped class (once)
3) Left class early (3 times)
4) Skateboarded in the halls (6 times)
5) Arrived to class late (4 times)
6) Inappropriate clothes
7) Talking back to the teacher (3 times)
8) Showed up at school late
9) Skateboard at the school
10) Slept in class (3 times)
11) Had my MP3 player out on the school grounds

I decide that my list is good enough to turn in at the last bell, I probably missed some stuff for the day but all is good.
As the last bell rang for the day, I ran down the bleachers and started toward the back doors. I avoided the coaches because I knew what was to come if I got caught. I dropped my skateboard, which rolled in front of me, and I jumped on and rode on through the school to the office. I knocked on the door and dropped to my knees and slipped my list under the door before anyone answered. I heard some talking behind the door but I ignored all of their conversation. I continued to travel through the school’s hallways and then headed home.
When I arrived home, I ran straight upstairs and dropped my stuff on the floor. I changed into my jeans and Breaking Benjamin t-shirt and grabbed my skateboard and left before the drama of the household began.
Around 9 o’clock, I had to come home. I needed food but I doubted there was going to be any for me tonight. “Mom? What’s for dinner?” I yelled as I closed the door behind me.
“You’re late again. Dinner is put away,” she yells back.
I look at my dad almost asleep with a beer in his hand as he is watching the news. Caddy is no where to be seen and Timothy was probably still out partying with the rest of the football team. I walk into the kitchen and my mom asks with a sneer on her face “What are you doing here you good for nothing creep?”
“I am looking for food,” I reply as I roll my eyes and look in the pantry.
“Dinner is over. Come home earlier for now on and you might get food,” she says without softening her glare.
“Well fine, I will go without food and not eat,” I yell back as I head up the stairs and slam my door.
The next few days go by quick and the same events happened everyday. Friday, my plans were set into action. I went to the town hall around 1 o’clock in the morning. I grabbed my skateboard and my stash of spray paint. Before I left I grabbed my head lamp and throw all my stuff out the window. Dressed in all black, I jump out the window and collect all my stuff. I run into the deep black night and start to skate off. As I leave the neighborhood, I turn on my head lamp and ride across the empty main street and to the small side street that leads to town hall.
I grab my red spray paint and cover a large section of the steps. I then grab my blue and make strips on top of that. Then I finally spray paint this in silver on top “’Madness is actually a sane response to an insane world’ –Stephanie Ericson”
I finished up and dumped the empty can of red spray paint in the dumpster near the diner and then rode back to my house. I sneak in through the bathroom window. As I was pulling the rope into the bathroom, I hear Timothy leave his room.
“Shit,” I silently mouth to myself. I hold my breath as he passes by the bathroom and I wait for him to head back to bed. I heard another door close so I opened the door and peeked my head out the door. I didn’t see him any where so I left the bathroom and sneaked to his room. He wasn’t there so I ran back to my room and dropped my stuff and changed back into my pajamas and went down stairs to see if he was still at the house. “Timmy isn’t here. He isn’t that perfect. Ha, ha Timmy,” I say quietly as I head back upstairs to my room.
I woke up and went down stairs. Every one was gone so I went back upstairs to get ready for school and so I can see my wonderful art work. I grabbed my roller blades and went over to town hall. The whole town was at the scene of the crime. As I try to see it, I avoid Timothy and when I see him with all his friends and Alice, I walk away quickly. I noticed that she looked tired and abused but she was playing her cheerleader role well.
The day goes on as always but there aren’t many problems. I didn’t have to see Principal Freeman at all today. As the day ended I put on my roller blades and decided to go around the school a couple times. After the third lap around I decided that I needed to torture Timothy just a bit more today. As I rounded the corner to the gym I saw Timothy with all the football players standing in a circle around some one. I heard a girl screaming in the background and I turned around quick.
When I go home later after a few hours of skating, I headed back to the house just in time to hear Timothy start to brag about something in the living room. I sneak in quietly and sit next to the wall near the living room and listen in.
“Did you hear her scream?” Timothy asked his friends.
“Yeah, the bitch deserved it all. She needed to be taught a lesson,” said one of the other guys.
“Alice is not a bitch, but she deserved to learn a lesson,” I think Matthew said back.
“Perfection is key in our society and she was lacking in some aspects,” I heard Timothy say back.
I left before I heard any more; I couldn’t believe what I heard from them. I couldn’t get the thoughts out of my head.
As weeks went by, so did some more of the sane parts of me. I over heard my mom on the phone talking about Caddy. She said something along the lines of “Candace is your daughter George, just accept that fact.”
I heard him mumble some stuff back and I heard her say “I couldn’t figure out how to tell you till now.”
My mom saw me standing in the kitchen. “You little creep! Get out of here right now!” she yelled as she took off her heel and threw it at me, “That is an invasion of privacy.”
I quickly left to my room to ponder this and I figured out that George owned the general store and I really didn’t know that much more about him.
I couldn’t find that much out about him but in mid-February, a girl came up to me and said “Are you Justin Holloway?”
“Yeah, why are you asking?” I asked her with a look of boredom on my face.
“I heard that you have a little sister named Candace,” she said in reply.
“So?” I asked.
“Is your father the father of your sister?”
“I am assuming so,” I said even though I know that isn’t true.
“Are you sure?”
“Yeah, why don’t you ask Timothy these questions?”
“I figured you would be more help because you are not as stuck up as he is,” she said in reply, and she turned around and walked away.
After that encounter I haven’t heard much more about Caddy but Alice has been big talk amongst the guys. All I hear about is how she is gaining weight and a bit more aggressive with the attitude.
My next attack on the town was to shut down the refrigeration to the freezes in the general store. I chose a day near the end of February and set my plan into action. After a long and boring day at school I went to the general store and saw the same girl who talked to me about Caddy. I sneaked by and into the employee’s only part of the store. I found the fuse box and shut down the needed power and then headed back out and unplugged the freezers. I chuckled lightly to myself as I grabbed a thing of ice cream and went to pay. The girl at the counter gave me a sincere look and said “Have a good day.”
I looked back confused and grabbed my stuff and left. As I was leaving I ran right into Alice who looked hungry and in a rush. I held the door open for her and then headed to the diner to start the plans for my next act of rebellion. I decided that the diner was not a good place to be because of (1) my mom’s never ending glare of disapproval, (2) the looks of confusion from everyone. I left as quickly as I came and went home to eat my ice cream. When I showed up at the house, Dad was already in his drinking act and Caddy was in her play pen. I asked “Dad, why do you have to drink? You know that isn’t good.”
“I don’t care, son. Why do you ask?” he asks me.
“No real reason I guess,” I reply and head to the stairs.
As the days have gone by I try my best to keep the insanity to a normal level but I am now not attending any of my classes really but for on test days. I keep to myself and learn things from all the gossip that must enter my ears. As early March comes, I decide that my diner prank should happen now. I plan everything out when I am in the library during my 4th block instead of history with Mr. Nile.
Saturday night, I got everything ready. My black clothes, head lamp and bike are all in their places and I go down stairs for dinner.
“Dinner has already been severed and you weren’t here so you don’t get any,” my mom says calmly as Timothy gives me a rewarding smile from the other side of the table.
“I don’t care what you say any more ‘Mom’. I am going to eat any way and you can’t stop me,” I say as I grab a plate and put food on it.
“Don’t you dare talk to me that way!”
“That is violating my right to freedom of speech. I will talk to you how ever I want to,” I said as I finished piling my plate with food and went to walk out. I heard a clang next to my head and I looked over. A steak knife was lodged in the wall and I looked back at my caring mom and said “I love you too,” through my gritted teeth.
I ran out at about midnight and went to the diner. I picked the lock on the door and went to the back room and grabbed the letters for the sign. I went back out front and put this up on the sign “perfection isn’t always what we are seeing” and I closed the lid on the sign and walked back into the building. I placed the letters on the shelf and I walked around in a circle and looked at what else was there. I grabbed the screw driver and then headed to the church. “Church is tomorrow and no one will expect this,” I think.
I use my church key to get in and I go straight to the sanctuary and start my long task. Pew after pew, every screw was loosened enough to drop when enough weight was placed on it. Every person in town, even me, came here for service. Being the pastor’s kid wasn’t always a fun thing but I never did dress for the occasion. I finished my dulling task at about 3 am and I rode my bike back home after I locked back up.
I got home and rolled into my bed around 4 am and I had to get up at 7 so I kind of just dozed in and out of sleep. In the morning I woke up and realized that I was running late. I grabbed the nearest clothes off the floor, clean or not, and ran down stairs. I grabbed a banana and ate it as I got on my board and rode to the church. I arrive just in time for the people to come in and sit down. My dad is looking at me with slight anger in his eyes but for the most part his golden brown eyes look spaced out. I watch as the pews start to bend in the middle and the screws loosen even more. I was just waiting for the big push on some of them and then it started. The first few pews broke as the last people sat down and then it was like a domino effect and the rest fell just after. I started to stifle my laughter as much as I could and I ran outside. “I can’t believe it worked,” I said aloud as I heard the sirens heading towards the diner. I stood there in shock that they found it so quick. I was hoping it would take a bit longer to notice but that is what I get from hope.
The after my punishment and being “grounded” from almost everything the end of March approached. The basketball team had advanced to the finals and I was planning to go and see the game because that one girl, Brynne, was going to be in it. I finally discovered that her dad is the father of Caddy and I was going to tell her after the game but things didn’t go as I hoped they would.
I arrived at the game and I sat in the top corner of the bleachers and I waited for the game to be over. As I headed down at the end, Timothy noticed me and all his friends and him ganged up on me.
“Hey creeper! What are you doing here?” Timothy asked me.
“I wanted to come to the game. Do you have a problem with that Timmy?” I asked him back. All his friends started laughing.
“Shut Up Creep!” he yells as he pushes me to the ground.
“Whatever, you and all you stupid friends here can’t just leave me alone because pushing me around makes you cool. Go for it. I dare you,” I say back with a smile on my face.
Timothy and all his friends attack at once. I punch a few in the face and I hurt a few of the others before Timothy said “Hold on. We are playing his game. Leave him alone.”
I knew they would leave me alone. When we play my game it is up to me and not them. As they walked away I noticed a couple people looking at me with worry. I ignored them and continued on my way home.
I planned to torch the school soon just too really show everyone who is boss. I pushed my plans ahead and did it about a week earlier than I originally planned. Everything has been changing, Alice has gotten a baby bump and Timothy keeps bragging something. I believe that Timothy is the father but he won’t admit it to any one. My sister’s father has come clean to my family and Brynne still doesn’t know. All my brother’s friends are ready to kill me on a whim and I am well prepared.
I did as planned, I asked Ms. Nighy if I could go to the bathroom and I left and as they left for the library for a project.
I went to the chemistry lab instead and found some of the most combustible things in there and I pulled out the match and I slipped it into my pocket. I made a trail of chemicals to the door and light the match. I drop it perfectly on the trail and I booked it out of the school. My things were waiting on the bleachers for me and I grabbed them and left. I hear the windows shake and feel the heat against my back. I continue to run until there is no where to go. I sit and wonder what had happened back there. Why did I do it? I really don’t know.
I went home to an angry family and my brother’s friends. I avoided them and went straight to my room and didn’t come out till the next morning.
When I got to school, everyone was waiting outside and I went up to the building and went inside. No one stopped me but I ran into Timothy and his football friends. They grabbed me by the collar and dragged me to the gym. They made a circle around me and started to yell at me.
“You are good for nothing piece of crap!”
“You are just a freaking creeper!”
“Loser, just stay down!”
I tried to stand up but every time I was introduced to some one’s hand as they pushed me back down. Everyone loomed over me, anger in their eyes, fist clenched. I felt some one kick me in the ribs and that is where it all began. I know they are going to teach me a lesson. A lesson in perfection.
I tried to crawl to the closest wall and they kept coming closer. Michael, Matthew, Jason, and my own brother, Timothy, were leading this whole thing. I wonder if they knew if this isn’t how you solve a problem. My mind raced as I went into a survival mode and tried to defend myself from the ground the best I could. The desire to just fight over came me and I started to fight back. I heard laughter in the crowd and other guys started to join in. the circle got smaller and smaller and they pushed me back into the middle. Finally I was back on the ground and I just let them start to beat me and break me. I couldn’t fight any more. Michael sent the last punch that I remember. His fist flew into my temple and I started to fade out.
They kicked me, punched me, and body slammed me until I was black and blue. There was a puddle of blood forming around me and I couldn’t feel my fingers and toes any more. I could tell my nose was broken and my jaw probably too. The world was fading in and out and I wasn’t sure what was going on. I felt something around my neck and I felt someone pick me up. I was floating after that. Floating in a state of pain and oblivion. I heard someone below me say “I am going to help you.”
I heard them trying and I felt a couple swipes at my feet but then all started to go black and the air was getting harder to breathe in. I head sobs from below and I was pretty sure my life was all over. After that everything went black and I started to die slowly.
“Where is everyone? Why am I all alone? Hello? Can someone help me? What is going on? Who is there, I hear you crying? Whoever you are can you help me? Please stop crying, there is no need to. Tell me where we are? Why is it all black? Wait…where are you? Help me, please? I am begging you,” I assume I say aloud.
I then felt the lift of some one picking me up by my feet. That is all I remember besides waking up in an empty hospital room. There was a letter in my hand,

“Sorry I couldn’t stay to make sure you woke up but I had to go back to school for the day. I tried to save you but Jonathan, along with Brynne, really did all of it. Please don’t thank me but I thank you for showing me everything that is wrong in this town. We all thank you.
-Alice”

I read through it a couple times and rested my head on the pillow. I almost died but I can’t thank them. I owe them my life and everything important to me. My rebellious acts are not going to be forgotten. I finally did something to help out my town.




This story was written along with 3 of my other friends but how we did it was that each person wrote from another person's eyes.  The plot in all of them were about the same and the same incidents happened. The other character written from were Alice, Brynne, and Jonathan.