Love Hate

11

The girl's camera bounced on her stomach as she walked beside the golden-haired boy back home from Murphy's. Tyler had to leave early and was able to drop off V since it was on his way. That left the other two ride-less. Throughout the walk, the two made plenty of jokes. There was never a dull moment. "We should hang out, like the two us," Austin smiled looking over to Haven. Austin was taller than the average male at 6', but he didn't have to look down at the girl due to her own height of 5'10". 

At first, Haven was taken back by the suggestion. Her coffee brown eyes lifted from the cement sidewalk to look at him. Feeling her stare, the boy stopped. She stopped next to him, their eyes looking into the others. "Like a date?" her throat felt dry as the question left her lips. She thought back to the booth in the malt shop when Zion entered. When Tyler brought up her crush. When Austin playfully nudged her as to tease her for her crush. 

"I mean, I guess. I know you like Zion, Haven. I would like for it to be a date, but for now, your heart belongs to him. We could just hang out," his finger lifted to point at the camera that rested against her stomach, "we could go take photos. I could even be a model." The boy then struck a pose causing Haven to burst into a fit of giggles. "So?" 

The girl nodded, "Sure Austin we could hang out." 

Once she was home, safe and sound, Haven ran up to her room. The conversation she had with Austin replayed in her head. He understood her feelings. He liked her and was okay with just being friends. At the thought of everything that happened, the girl's heart swelled. After deciding to hang out, the two planned to take pictures Saturday morning then get brunch at Murphy's. Although it wasn't an actual date, Haven couldn't wait for the day to come.

The next morning, while she was getting dressed for school, Haven decided to do something different. Instead of slipping on a baggy t-shirt and shorts that were able to reach her fingertips, she pulled out the only crop-top she owned, a white one with short sleeves, and a pair of black high-waisted shorts she would normally only wear on vacation. As she looked in the mirror on the back of her door, Haven felt like a different version of herself. She didn't hate it, but it was definitely not her normal attire. Not bothering to do much more, she decided to leave her glasses on her face and her hair in the messy bun she slept in. If she was actually going to put thought into her outfit, she was not going to put thought into the rest of her appearance. Slipping on her same old army jacket, the girl ran downstairs. 

"You look cute today butterfly," Naomi smiled at her daughter. 

"Thanks," Haven mumbled over to her mother with not as big of a grin. Soon after silence fell over the two until Jaxon came stumbling down the stairs. 

"Morning," he greeted briefly before heading into the kitchen to grab something to eat. The three continued in conversation. That was until there was a honk. Then Jax was gone with his friends.

"Guess that's my cue," Haven stood from her seat at the table and left for the porch. The morning so far felt like her usual routine. Get up, go eat breakfast with her mother and brother, then wait on the porch for her two best friends. However, when she walked out to her normal waiting spot, she noticed that another door slammed. Looking over at the Kuwonu household, she saw Zion leaving his house with another person.

Kékéli.

Haven had always seen Kékéli as an older sister she never had and when she went away for college, the girl missed her dearly. At the glimpse of her neighbor, Haven couldn't help but let out a squeal, "Kékéli!"

Zion's sister turned away from him to look at the porch next door. At the sight of her neighbor, she ran down her own porch to the fence between there houses. Meeting her there, Haven attacked the girl in a hug over the fence. Zion reluctantly followed his sister over to the weird girl. "Haven, I missed you!"

"I missed you too," Haven smiled over to Kékéli. Her coffee eyes looked over to Zion briefly. In that moment, Zion's eyes widened slightly. Today Haven looked different. In a way, a good different, but she was still the same. Her eyes still glistened of the same strangeness and her smile was still too big for her face. That odd six-year-old that was etched into Zion's memory was still there, just with a different outfit. 

While the two girls conversed, the boy started to zone out, but one statement drew him back in. "We could give you a ride to school. I was going to borrow Zion's car since mine is still on campus, so I was going to drop him off and pick him up from school," Kékéli offered the girl next door. If it was even possible, Zion's dark eyes widened even more. 

"We can't give her a ride," he interjected his sister. 

With a single raised brow, the college student turned back to him, "And why is that Caleb?" Her hands had fallen to her hips, slightly disgusted by her younger brother. Ever since they were kids, he was so rude to Haven. Her and Elom never could understand it due to the fact that the girl was a total sweetheart. Zion glanced between the weird girl and his sister, his hands becoming more clammier than they naturally were. 

"It's fine, Kékéli. My friend Tyler picks me up for schools," she smiles at both Zion and his sister. As if on cue, the car horn honks behind her. "That's them now actually. I'll see you guys later, yeah?"

"Yeah," Kékéli nods. As the two watch the curly haired girl walk to the car parked on the side of the street, the older sister wacks the younger brother upside the head, "You're an ass, you know that."