Because of Haven Beach

6 | capricious

capricious (adj.)

having sudden and unaccountable changes of mood or behavior

* * *

MY next few days at school passed quickly. I started to settle into my new life in Haven Beach without any major bumps in the road. Not to mention, I was finally on the cusp of having a real friend group. Already feeling a million times happier than I was in Chicago, I hoped it would stay this way forever.

After school on the next Thursday, Ella and I made plans to go to the town's main beach. Apparently, Old Haven Beach was one of the best spots around to see the sunset. I needed to take the portraits for photography too, so everything worked out nicely. Ella was going to wear a flowy dress, and we could get photos of her swimming in it for the assignment and Instagram.

When we arrived, I looked around the pristine beach, scoping out the location. The area of the honey-colored sand was extensive; judging by the ripples in it and the substantial distance from the dunes to the water, it must have been low tide. The sun was just starting to set, casting a shiny glow on the waves and making the clouds appear a light golden color. It was like someone applied a pastel orange filter to everything in sight.

"This is perfect," I breathed. Slipping my camera out of my bag, I snapped a few pictures of the empty beach.

"Where do you want me?" Ella asked.

I bit my lip in thought. "Are you afraid of getting the dress wet?"

"Nah. It's my dress from homecoming last year. It could get ruined for all I care."

"Great," I grinned. "How 'bout we go right by the edge of the water first, then can we get a few shots with you at knee-depth?"

"Sounds good to me." She bunched the skirt of her dress in her hands and raised it slightly before running to the water like a gleeful child. I took a few quick photos before following closely behind.

"So how should I pose?" She made a typical model pose, pouting her bottom lip and running her fingers through her blonde hair.

I thought about it for a moment. "Just do whatever feels natural. I'd suggest walking around a bit and letting your hair blow in the wind." I fiddled with the settings on my camera as she got comfortable.

After adjusting the exposure and aperture, I walked in circles around her, getting shots from each angle. Once I figured out her left side was her most photogenic side, I stayed put.

"How are you liking Haven Beach so far?" she asked after a few minutes of silence.

"It's nice," I said, not looking away from the viewfinder. I examined the picture before elaborating, "I mean, I've only been here a few days, but it's already starting to feel like home. The potential for happiness is definitely there."

"Well, I'm glad about that."

"Me too." I snapped a few more pictures of her looking westward to the horizon. Her face was illuminated by the sun and had gorgeous shadows from her stray hairs. "The people are great too," I continued, "A lot nicer than the girls from the country club. Well, to be honest, everyone with a soul was a hundred times nicer than those girls."

We shared a brief laugh.

"If Ethan and his friends aren't being nice, just let me know. I'm always down to beat him up," she offered, grinning mischievously. I zoomed in on her face and snapped a burst of photos. They perfectly captured the essence of her emotions.