I wrote this for an english class.

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Imperfect

By Alec Machet

She glanced over her shoulder to make sure no one was coming as she pulled the cigarette from it’s box. She raised it up to her mouth, covering it with her hands.
Click. Click.
The faint sound of her lighter.
“This is my last one,” she said through gritted teeth. “I promise.” Then she inhaled, and the glowing red tip intensified until it was a bright orange color. She lowered the cigarette to her side and shot another look over her shoulder before playfully blowing the smoke upward, moving forward, half dancing. When it had been used up, she flicked the butt into the brush near the single-wire fence and pulled a stick of gum from her pocket.
“So how are you?” she asked, leaning up against the car beside me.
“I’m okay, I guess.”
She looked at me. Her blue eyes still and piercing for a brief second, and then shimmering.
“Just okay?” She asked
“Yeah.”
“No.”
“No?”
“No. Be happy.”
“I’ll try.”
“No. Don’t try. Be happy.” she laughed.
I smiled.
“Okay.”
“Okay!” she wrapped her arms around me, and her long blond hair tickled my nose a little. Then she swung back to where she was leaning and held out her hand.
I took her hand, and she ran her red, sore fingers in between mine. Her scabbed fingernails caught my eye and I smiled more.”
“I love your hands.” I said.
“I hate them, they’re disgusting.”
“No they’re not. They’re yours.”
“Whatever,” she laughed quietly, and let out a small sigh, “it’s pretty out tonight.”
“Yeah,” I looked up at the sky. It was cloudy out, and there were only a few dimly visible stars out. A cold breeze picked up, and I shivered a little bit.
She moved closer to me.
Her fingers tapped on the back of my hand, and I squeezed hers, my fingernails digging into it. She gasped and looked up at me, her top teeth visible as she smiled wide, biting her bottom lip.
“Sir?”
I laughed, “Yeah?”
“Don’t do that.”
“Why not?”
“I don’t know,” she smiled bigger and I relaxed my grip on her hands. She let out her breath and looked down at her feet briefly. I moved in even closer until we were squished up against each other. I put my arm around her soft shoulders and took her other hand. She laid her head on my chest.
By then some of the clouds had shifted, and the stars were shining through brightly.
“I love stars,” I whispered.
“Me too.”
I blinked, slowly, closing my eyes for a few seconds. Her hand tightened around mine again, and she slowly lifted her head. She looked up at me and laughed.
“Why do you like me?” She said.
“Because you’re you.”
“Yeah, and I’m awful.”
“No you’re not.”
“I’m loud and annoying.”
“So? That’s one of the things I like about you.”
“Okay,” her voice trailed off, “what time is it?”
“Probably about time to go, I guess.”
“Yeah.”
We got in the car. I sat behind her, and the trees started moving above us; the ground started moving below. The stars faintly flickered through the treetops out the windows until we made it back to the main road.
I ran my fingers through her hair, slowly, and she leaned back in her seat to accommodate me. Then I wound up a portion, made a loose fist, and pulled gently. She took a deep breath, closed her eyes, and bit her bottom lip.
“Okay. That’s good,” she said.
“Okay.”
She turned around and looked at me, her top teeth showing, still biting her bottom lip and laughing, “how are you?”
“I’m better.”
“Good. Why were you not better earlier?”
“I don’t know.”
“Don’t lie.”
“If I figure it out I’ll tell you.”
“Whatever.”
We pulled into my driveway. I opened my door and she opened hers. She pulled me close to herself and wrapped her arms around me.
“Have a nice night,” she said.
“You too. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“Cool.”
She let go of me, and those beautiful blue eyes stared at me. Her mouth twitched slightly, and she took a step forward. Then she looked away. She took a step back, blinked, and started to get back into the car. She rested her hand on the inside handle.
“Goodnight.”
“Goodnight.”

She glanced over her shoulder to make sure no one was coming as she pulled the cigarette from it’s box. She raised it up to her mouth, covering it with her hands.Click. Click.The faint sound of her lighter.“This is my last one,” she said through gritted teeth. “I promise.” Then she inhaled, and the glowing red tip intensified until it was a bright orange color. She lowered the cigarette to her side and shot another look over her shoulder before playfully blowing the smoke upward, moving forward, half dancing. When it had been used up, she flicked the butt into the brush near the single-wire fence and pulled a stick of gum from her pocket.“So how are you?” she asked, leaning up against the car beside me.“I’m okay, I guess.”She looked at me. Her blue eyes still and piercing for a brief second, and then shimmering.“Just okay?” She asked“Yeah.”“No.”“No?”“No. Be happy.”“I’ll try.”“No. Don’t try. Be happy.” she laughed.I smiled.“Okay.”“Okay!” she wrapped her arms around me, and her long blond hair tickled my nose a little. Then she swung back to where she was leaning and held out her hand.I took her hand, and she ran her red, sore fingers in between mine. Her scabbed fingernails caught my eye and I smiled more.”“I love your hands.” I said.“I hate them, they’re disgusting.”“No they’re not. They’re yours.”“Whatever,” she laughed quietly, and let out a small sigh, “it’s pretty out tonight.”“Yeah,” I looked up at the sky. It was cloudy out, and there were only a few dimly visible stars out. A cold breeze picked up, and I shivered a little bit.She moved closer to me.Her fingers tapped on the back of my hand, and I squeezed hers, my fingernails digging into it. She gasped and looked up at me, her top teeth visible as she smiled wide, biting her bottom lip.“Sir?”I laughed, “Yeah?”“Don’t do that.”“Why not?”“I don’t know,” she smiled bigger and I relaxed my grip on her hands. She let out her breath and looked down at her feet briefly. I moved in even closer until we were squished up against each other. I put my arm around her soft shoulders and took her other hand. She laid her head on my chest.By then some of the clouds had shifted, and the stars were shining through brightly.“I love stars,” I whispered.“Me too.”I blinked, slowly, closing my eyes for a few seconds. Her hand tightened around mine again, and she slowly lifted her head. She looked up at me and laughed.“Why do you like me?” She said.“Because you’re you.”“Yeah, and I’m awful.”“No you’re not.”“I’m loud and annoying.”“So? That’s one of the things I like about you.”“Okay,” her voice trailed off, “what time is it?”“Probably about time to go, I guess.”“Yeah.”We got in the car. I sat behind her, and the trees started moving above us; the ground started moving below. The stars faintly flickered through the treetops out the windows until we made it back to the main road.I ran my fingers through her hair, slowly, and she leaned back in her seat to accommodate me. Then I wound up a portion, made a loose fist, and pulled gently. She took a deep breath, closed her eyes, and bit her bottom lip.“Okay. That’s good,” she said.“Okay.”She turned around and looked at me, her top teeth showing, still biting her bottom lip and laughing, “how are you?”“I’m better.”“Good. Why were you not better earlier?”“I don’t know.”“Don’t lie.”“If I figure it out I’ll tell you.”“Whatever.”We pulled into my driveway. I opened my door and she opened hers. She pulled me close to herself and wrapped her arms around me.“Have a nice night,” she said.“You too. I’ll see you tomorrow.”“Cool.”She let go of me, and those beautiful blue eyes stared at me. Her mouth twitched slightly, and she took a step forward. Then she looked away. She took a step back, blinked, and started to get back into the car. She rested her hand on the inside handle.“Goodnight.”“Goodnight.”