Flawless

A story by Jamie Magness

He had a perfectly shaped nose, beautiful Tahoe blue eyes, a pair of full and sensuous lips, and just the perfect stubble of a new beard. He was the consummate gentleman, considerate, compassionate, and loving. He was, in a word, Faultless. More divine than human. A perfect representation of the gods.

Why, I asked, was he dead? What forces of fate made his motorcycle miss the curve and plunge nearly a thousand feet into Eagle’s Point Gorge? Faultless beings do not die the way we mortals do.

~~~

I met Ari when I was in the second semester of my Sophomore year. He joined my Ceramics II class. He joined the class five weeks after it had begun, which was very unusual. I would not know why until weeks later, after we had become extremely intimate.

I did not know who he was, but my best friend Cassandra knew him instantly. At lunch, she teased me about the “cute, new guy” in our class. “Go home and look at your school yearbook. Tell me what you find.”

I could not wait to get home and to discover what Cassandra was talking about. I found it in a minute’s looking. The heading read: “School’s Most Intelligent Student.”

The text read: “Aristotle (“Ari”) Gnosis, Jr. was unanimously voted by the editors as the ‘School’s Most Intelligent Student.’ Ari has maintained a GPA of over 4.5, carrying a rigorous set of AP and Advanced Honor classes. He was awarded the prestigious national award in mathematics achievement. His science project was selected for the First Prize in the State’s Science Fair. His poetry has appeared in several national magazines. He has three varsity letters in three separate sports. He is the Captain of our school’s Debate Squad. Ari plans on studying Nuclear Medicine, using the power of the radioactive atom to bring healing.”

I was impressed. Quite a list of accomplishments. Still, I wondered how anyone could get higher than a 4.0 GPA. I thought that was the top. I did not know that for the school’s most rigorous courses, an “A” was awarded a bonus; five points instead of just four.

To his list of important accomplishments, I found that I could add another. Even though he joined the Ceramics class late in the semester, he soon became the most skilled potter in the class. His jars and bowls were perfect. He worked extremely fast, never making mistakes, and never having to do a re-work. His decorative skills were uniquely beautiful; mystical and wonderful; works of genuine art. Our instructor submitted two of his works to the State Fair exhibits, and both were awarded Best in Class. One was sold at the Fair’s Art Auction for over $500.

~~~

I dated Ari for six and a half glorious weeks. On our first date, he drove me to lake and showed me a meadow of wildflowers. Then, he told me to close my eyes, no peeking. I was not sure what he was doing, but when I opened my eyes, I could not have been happier. He had woven me a garland of wildflowers! I still have a Golden Poppy (now dried and pressed) from the beautiful flower garland.

When he put in on my neck, he said, “Nature makes beauty. We just have to find it.” Then, he kissed me. It was a gentle, sweet kiss, thrilling none the less. “Life gives us people of beauty. We just have to look for them.” Then, he kissed me again. I have never felt more complete or more alive.