The Beautiful Ones

By Benny Jude Road

Baby, baby, baby, what’s it gonna be?

Baby, baby, baby, is it him or is it me?

Don’t make me waste my time

Don’t make me loss my mind, baby

Baby, baby, baby, can’t you stay with me tonight

Oh baby, baby, baby, don’t my kisses please you right

You were so hard to find

The beautiful ones, they hurt you every time

Paint a perfect picture bring to life a vision in one’s mind

The beautiful ones always smash the picture

Always every time

You make me so confused

The beautiful ones you always seem to lose

~ Prince

Beyond the Label

There is a hierarchy that structured the social scene at Cassidy High School. A certain order that each student knowingly or unknowingly followed all the way until graduation until they begin a brand-new cycle of hierarchy in the real world.

Everyone despite what they thought was label in this class order-labels that were in every words a stereotype and so obtuse, that it only fit right for high school.

These labels were your very own identification as to where you belong and they were Richie, New Weaver, and Geek. Obvious we knew which group ran the school and which group was at the bottom of the food chain.

There was never an in-between- as where you stood in these labels-you were either or. If you were a part of that label you stay within that said label...no one was allowed to cross into the other.

It was forbidden.

That didn’t mean nobody has ever try.

They did.

And failed the most horrible way.

Causing some of the most serious social suicide ever.

After all how could you mix with someone who couldn’t relate with you personally or background wise?

That was simply a recipe for disaster.

Like most of the label classed there was the unanimously appointed leader of the labels and for the Richie’s there leader was Steff Alexander McKee.

Steff was in everyway the embodiment of his label from the expensive Ralph Lauren lining suites and Gucci loafers to the Porsche 928 that had its very own designated parking place in front of the school.

Everyone knew he would become the leaders of the Richies since ninth grade…after all he was Sean McKee’s brother despite the major difference in appearance. And just like his brother before him, he took on the job with the reputation far more infamous then his brother could ever achieve.

A reputation that was scandalous and admire by his fellow class and looked upon disgustingly from the other label classed.

And if his reputation was looked upon with love and hate it could be easily said that of his attitude. The jerk faced that he rocked for four years was impartible giving off the air that he was better then everyone and everything.

He set his standers for himself and no one else to follow…in every way Steff really didn’t give a damn about class labels and peer pressure that his fellow classmates placed on themselves.

Personally he was beyond a label and no one really took the time to strive to create their own identity instead being identified.

And yet there were two girls that took the time to create their own identity that caught his attention over the past four years.

It was the statue, of the way they held theirselves; it was the way they walked, never caring the eyes judging with the stereotype of perfection. They walked with confidence never caring for the words that was whispered behind open hands. To Steff they were close to perfection as to the beautiful ones could ever accomplish.

They were above the label.

They suppressed the label.

They conquered the label.

They were beyond the label.

And yet Andie failed to pass one of many tests that he put her though after hooking up with Blaine to begin to fall in line with the label. Submerge within the mob of faceless faces of the expected.

Soon afterwards Steff lost his amazement and interest in Andie to soon turn on the girl who was always his first choice…Kaia Marie Davis.

Kaia was everything that he wanted in a girl-smart, beautiful, confident, and spunky. It was these appealing features that drawn him to her stirring his curiosity and want for her.

She was different from everyone that he had ever known. He had a few classes with her over the years and each class he had with her he made it his personal business to annoyed her.

All four years he made it his business to annoy her and every first day of school before second hour he’ll walked towards her at her locker and give the first of many insensitive insults of the year.

The first day of senior year, Steff stroll down the hallway with only one person in mind and that was how to annoy Kaia. With a lite cigarette placed between his lips he scanned the hall looking for his target.

He looked down at his Rolex as he saw the time he only had a few minutes to harass her before the bell ring and he couldn’t find her anywhere.

He turns the hall as he looked for her until…he heard a particular laugh that shut out the rambunctious noise in the hallway.

Following the sound, down the hallway on the right hand-side of the hall was the person he was looking for.

Taking in the sight of her, she wore tight Guess jeans with a crisp white button up shirt. He long ebony hair was down with a black Fedora. He took in the sight of her; her caramel complexion glow from the smile on her lips as she talked to her friend probably about her summer vacation.

Whatever she was talking about really didn’t matter to him as long as she held that smile and that laugh he was satisfy for the whole day…will until he raddle her nerves.

He stroll down the hall walking directly towards her; her back was turned so she didn’t see him yet her friend saw him and her expression gave him away.

She turned her head only to look in the eyes of Steff who was giving her one of his infamous condescending smirk.

“Steff…I was wondering where you were at? It’s not like you to disappear on the first day and not have you throw one of your many pretty insults at me.”

She looks up at him bravely daring him to say something a look that he knew all so well.

“Why Kaia do you always expect the worst of me?”

“Come on Steff you only have a few minutes before the bell ring and this might be the first day you didn’t insult me?” she smirked.

“The summer must been nice to you…you look better this year than last year,” he said.

The sound of laughter came from her friend who stood next to her Kaia was unphase by that as she stared up at Steff.

“Are you done?” her smirk was still there.

“For now,” he said walking away from her and heading to his class.

When he was further down the hall a smirk came to his lips as he thought about her.

She hadn’t disappointed him.

After all she was above and beyond the label…she could never disappoint him.