Not Perfect


"Phil! Get up. C'mon we're gonna be late." A young man, two colours of hair on his head said, repeatedly hitting a pillow off of his tattoo'd friends head. He regretted the minute he decided to share an apartment with him. He'd just become a human alarm for his friend.

"I'll just… I'll just skip class today." He said.

"You've skipped two already this week. And it's Wednesday." His friend, Seth replied, opening up the curtains as Punk, a nickname he'd been given since a small kid, groaned, "And hey, tell your little friend to go home. Hurry up." He said, walking away out of the room as Punk turned around noticing a naked girl fast asleep in his bed.

He groaned and pressed his face into his pillow. It always seemed like such a good idea the night before. Well of course it did. But now lying here knowing he had to tell this girl to leave was torturing him. Maybe he'd just leave and write a note for her…

Phillip Jack Brooks was in the midst of college life in the city of Chicago. He lived with his friend Seth in their basic, small but necessary apartment. He had all the qualities of a real jerk. Arrogant, sarcastic, bad mouthed, sometimes on the occasion, violent. Truth was, he didn't even want to be at college. He wasn't sure what he wanted to do actually.

He got out of bed and took a shower, getting dressed and writing a scribbled note for his friend still asleep, who he actually couldn't remember what her name was. He sat it on his pillow for her to see and headed out of the room to get Seth.

"Let's go." Punk said.

"What about-"

"She'll get my note." Punk shook his head.

"Do you have to be so insensitive all of the time?" Seth questioned as Punk just pushed him out of the door, heading down the stairs and out of their apartment block.

"You got your books?" Seth asked, already knowing the answers to that. As much as Seth enjoyed a good time too, and being that boisterous way with his friends, and enjoying his college days, he actually did want to graduate with some sort of degree.

"I lost them." Punk said, "I can get new ones, right?" He said.

"Sure." Seth nodded, "As long as you got fifty bucks in your wallet." He said as they walked along the path.

"Fifty bucks for books I'm gonna lost again?" Punk groaned.

"How did you lose them anyway? They're big ass books." Seth said.

"I don't know. I just can't find them anywhere."

"Have you even looked?" Seth asked.

"Yes, I've looked." Punk spat. For a man at 22 years of age, he actually didn't drink or smoke. He'd never touched a cigarette or drink in his life. He just didn't feel the need to do it, and it proved you didn't have to be wasted to pick up chicks at bars.

He grew up not far away from his college that he gone to, with his mom, dad and little sister. But that perfect family he remembered was no more and he spent his time doing everything he could to avoid them. He hadn't seen them now in almost a year at this point.

He was studying Interior Design at college. He was very good with graphics and things along those lines, well… he was good at it if he showed up to class. His friends were all doing the same also which made it hard to take the class seriously.

"By God..." Seth gasped whilst walking into the college, "Both of you actually made it this morning." He looked from Punk to their other friend Dean who was a lot like Punk, just with a lot more alcohol and cigarettes. They'd all known each other from high school and luckily got into the same college courses.

"Dude, shut up." Dean said, "I have a banging sore head." He said as they walked to the lounge, taking a seat before they had to go to class.

"Why on earth do you go out on a Tuesday night and get out of your face?" Seth asked.

"Because I want to." Dean said, "Got a problem?" He asked as Seth sat down beside him whilst Punk sat across.

"I do when you reek of beer and smoke… and perfume. Did you even change?" Seth asked.

"Maybe… I don't know… I'm still drunk I think." He said, pulling his hood up over him and slouching back on the chair as Punk chuckled.


"Just drop me here." A young girl of eighteen said as her aunt pulled up outside the very same college.

"You can make your own way home, can't you?" Her aunt asked lazily as the girl just nodded, grabbing her bag and leave the car, placing the bag over her shoulder, watching her aunt drive away quickly. Talk about not being interested.

She couldn't believe she was actually at college now. She couldn't believe she even got in. April Jeanette Mendez was an eighteen year old girl, originally from New Jersey but having had to move here to live with her aunt after her parents died. Her aunt had never been very hands on with her. She moved here when she was ten to live with her and practically raised herself. She was taking a media arts and animation course here. She had a passion for any kind of art but this seemed like the course more suited for her. She dreamed of designing her own book covers one day or designing webpages, 3D everything, she had many goals in life, but her number one was to move away from her aunts and get her own place. She'd recently just got a job at a diner so she was hoping if she saved a lot it could be possible.

She knew she was a little late for class so hurried herself up as she walked through the lounge on the bottom floor, not really paying attention to where she was going as she stumbled into a hard frame, dropping her books and quickly scurrying to get them.

She didn't say anything. To avoid any awkwardness she just picked her things up and walked straight by the guy who she'd bumped into, heading straight to her class.

"Why are people so weird here?" Punk turned to his friends. He was about to help the girl and ask if she was ok but she was gone before he even got to blink, "I thought college girls were meant to be fun."

"They are. They also want a degree." Seth said as they walked slowly to class.

"The only good thing that was supposed to come out of college was the chicks. They're all either weird, unattractive, stuck up or just in their own little world." Dean said as Punk nodded in agreement.

"What would your dad think if he heard you say that?" Seth chuckled.

"I don't give a fuck what my dad thinks." Dean grumbled.

"Well you should, considering he owns this damn place." Seth shook his head.

"Well you know I don't talk to him." Dean shrugged.

"What good are dads anyway? At least we can all agree on that." He said as Seth and Dean nodded, "I can't be bothered going in here and listening." Punk said tiredly.

"Well tough, get in." Seth said, pushing them into the class as they walked for their seats.


After their class which Dean had actually fell asleep during and Punk had just doodled all over his new purchased books, they headed for something to eat at a diner across the road. They were very close friends. Sometimes too close.

"What do you say we go out tonight?" Dean asked.

"I'm up for it." Punk nodded.

"I don't know… I might pass." Seth said as Punk and Dean just rolled their eyes.

"You make us go to class, we make you come out to clubs, that's the deal." Dean said as Seth laughed.

"Since when was that the deal?"

"Since just now." Punk added as a girl came over to take their order. Punk recognised her from earlier today when she bumped into him.

"What can I get you?" AJ asked the three of them as Dean smirked to her.

"What do you recommend?" Dean smiled as Seth and Punk just shook their heads.

"I don't know, this is my first day working here." She said.

"First day?" Dean smirked, "And does-"

"Three pancakes." Punk butted in, gathering their menus. They ordered the same thing every time. Normally the waitress that served them didn't even have to ask, but clearly she'd been replaced, and he refused to sit listening to Dean flirting with this clearly uninterested girl.

"Ok. Thanks." AJ nodded, taking the menus from them and walking away to put their order in.

"Why did you do that?" Dean turned to Punk.

"It was torture for everyone involved." Punk said.

"She's hot. I could have asked her out with us tonight."

"No thank you." Seth shook his head, "She looks young."

"Yeah? Well I like em young." Dean said, "Next time I see you two talking to a girl, I'll just jump right on in and ruin everything. Ok?" He said as Punk and Seth just laughed.


All three of them went out like planned later that night and whilst Dean headed home with some girl, Punk and Seth called it an early night and began to head home. Just their luck, they stumbled into a spilled brawl down the alley the club was on.

"Just leave it." Seth shook his head, but he knew that wasn't going to happen.

"No… those two guys weren't doing anything." Punk approached the fight. He didn't like to see people picked on, especially when the numbers weren't equal.

"Punk." Seth tried to call his friend back but he'd already got involved and was throwing his punches.

Seth seen as people spilled out of the club, a girl calling the cops as Seth shook his head. He wished his friends could just chill out for one second. He hated being the calm and together one.

"C'mon Punk. Let's just get out of here." Seth said, making his way over to the brawl and trying to pull his friend back when he felt one of the other guys pull around and sock him one on the face. He might have been peace maker and the most responsible, but he was still a tough of son of a bitch.

"Hell no." Seth spat, tackling the other guy to the ground just as the police came.

"You see where trying to help gets you." Seth hissed, standing looking at Punk as they waited in a cell at the station.

"Don't act like you haven't been here before." Punk shook his head. He had some cuts and bruises on his face that were stinging, but he could never just walk away from an unjust fight.

"Brooks… Rollins, you get your call now." An officer opened the door.

"Nah, I don't want mine." Punk shook his head. He had no one to call, so Seth just headed off to use his phone call, coming back a few minutes later.

"Did you call Dean?" Punk assumed as Seth sat down beside him.

"No. I called your dad." Seth spat.


Meanwhile, AJ was sat in the living room of her aunts house watching TV. She'd had a long day with college and then working, it was nice to just lie down on the couch and listen to her own thoughts, but unfortunately, her uncle had to come home from work ruining it all. He was actually later than usual.

"You alright?" Her uncle Terry asked her as she just nodded.

"You're home late." She said.

"There was a fight I had to go sort." He shook his head, sitting his badge and gun down on the table, "Your aunt in bed?"

"Yeah." AJ nodded.

"How was work?" He asked her.

"It was ok. Constantly on my feet though." She groaned as he just smiled.

"Sucks, doesn't it?" He said as she nodded. Don't get her wrong, her aunt and uncle did look after her very well, but sometimes they just treated her like a burden on their life.

"Yeah, it sucks." AJ nodded.

"Just stick in." Her uncle smiled, "It'll get easier." He smiled, "I'm going to bed, don't be up too late." He said as she just smiled, resting her head back against the couch and looking back to the TV. She wondered if it would get easier.


Back at the station, Punk and Seth had just been let out on bail, all down to Punk's father who Seth had called, which Punk was completely pissed off.

"You couldn't have called someone else?" Punk hissed as they walked out of the station.

"He's the only guy I know that has money he doesn't need." Seth said, "I'm sorry, but it was you who got us in this mess in the first place." Seth replied as they walked out of the station, "Let's just go home." He shook his head as they headed down the road when Punk heard his dad call on him.

"Phillip."

"You see what you've done?" Punk spat to Seth who stood feebly. He really didn't have much option. They didn't know many people with a lot of money besides Punk's father.

"What?" Punk turned around, watching his father step out of his car, in a suit of course, approaching him.

"I get your ass out of jail and you say what?" His father, Jack said.

"I didn't ask for you to come." Punk said, "I didn't want your help."

"Oh, so I'll just go ask for my money back then? Because it really doesn't matter to me where you sleep the night, in a cell, out here-"

"Of course it doesn't." Punk nodded, "What do you want?" Punk shook his head, "I'll pay you back. Don't worry. I don't want to owe you anything." He said.

"And where are you gonna find 450 dollars?" Jack laughed.

"Four hundred and-" Punk bit his tongue, "I'll get it. Somehow." He shook his head.

"You didn't come to your mom's dinner anniversary." Jack folded his arms.

"I'm sorry if I don't wanna spend the day that my mom died eating dinner with you, dad." He spat.

"Clara was there." Jack said, referring to Punk's twenty year old little sister.

"Clara is doing fine on her own." Punk shook his head.

"Your mother would be disappointed in you." Jack shook his head, "Extremely disappointed." He walked away, shaking his head and getting into his car and driving away as Punk just ran his hands through his hair, turning around to Seth who was of course feeling terribly guilty for causing that interaction between Punk and his father.

"I need to find 450 dollars." Punk sighed, walking away as Seth frowned. They might have been college kids enjoying the parties and the girls and the carefree life they lived, but things weren't perfect.


A/N: So I had a lot of requests to do a college story, so I hope you guys will enjoy this. Obviously I don't live in the USA so I'm not sure how different colleges are from the ones here so if things don't sound right just keep that in mind. REVIEW! Let me know what you think.