Focus

Learning More And Knowing Less

I'm not really sure what I expected. As I reach the front steps to his white brick two-story I can tell almost immediately that he's not home, but I knock anyway. A few seconds pass, and I consider just leaving and forgetting about him altogether. I know that's impossible. He's like a drug. So I stand and wait for a door that will never open. I'm just about to turn around and drive back home when to my surprise, someone answers. A tall girl with radiant bronze skin closely resembling Calum's stands in the door frame, her left eyebrow raised slightly. His sister.

I hold in a gasp. Her ebony hair cascades in long waves down to her waist, and her eyebrows are perfectly shaped over her gold eyes. She stares at me. I'm taken aback - her gaze pierces my confidence, so I just stand on the door step, gawking. She's beautiful. So much so, in fact, that my self esteem plummets and I eventually tear my eyes away to look nervously down at my shoes. "What?" she demands. My eyes widen. "I, um, I think I'm just gonna, uh, Calum's not, you know, nevermind," I stammer, and I turn awkwardly to leave. She sighs and leans against the door.

I can tell she has no patience for people who can't speak up for themselves. "Calum isn't here," she closes her eyes and pinches the bridge of her nose. I pinch my palm sharply, then straighten my back, turn to face her again, and clear my throat. "I know." Then, I get an idea. My voice is surprisingly steady as I look her directly in the eye and say, "I came here to see you." It's partly true, since I knew Calum wouldn't be home anyway. He's almost purposely avoiding me, and it's incredibly aggravating. I might as well make the most of my time here; maybe she can tell me a little more about her brother. Her eyes shoot open and she stares at me for a second before scrutinizing my entire body. "Who are you?" She asks, finally.

As I open my mouth, I realize I have no idea what to say. Who am I to Calum? A girlfriend? A stranger? An enigma? I shake my head, and decide on, "I'm just a friend." She snorts. "Calum doesn't have friends." I shrug apologetically, and say, "Well, here I am." She considers me for a moment, and I decide it's smart not to say anything else that might jeopardize my reputation. After a minute or two, she takes a step back from the doorway. "Are you gonna come in, or...?" The cockiness has returned to her voice. I give her a sideways look, and take an uncertain step back. "We're not really on the best of terms right now," I begin. "Actually, I'm not even sure if he still wants to talk to me at all." She tilts her head to the side, just like he does. I have to bite the inside of my lip to regain focus, and then say, "I don't know if he would appreciate me talking to you, he might think -"

"It doesn't matter what he thinks," she dismisses me with a wave of her hand. "Besides, now I want to talk to you. I'm inviting you in because I want to. He can get over it." I smile at her admiringly. She has no problem standing up to him, but I can tell she loves him and they're probably very close. I shuffle slowly through the doorway, and she turns to lead me down the hall. Their house is well lit and neatly kept with few personal pictures hanging on the walls. It almost looks like it was taken directly from a home interior design magazine, and my footsteps echo on the marble floors. "So it's just you two here?" I ask, my eyes scanning the house. "Mhm," she says from the kitchen. "Parents were out of the picture long before we moved here. Calum...looks after me." She pauses at this, a sad look on her face. My mouth falls open slightly in surprise. "So you're younger, then?" "Yeah." I plop down on the white leather couch and she hands me a glass of water. Sunlight streams in through the ceiling-to-floor glass windows as the sun begins to set. "My name's Mali-Koa, by the way." I smile. "That's a beautiful name." She scoffs, and slumps down next to me. "I'm Hannah," I add. She picks up the remote and my eyes follow her hand as it points to their giant flat screen. It turns on and the light from the screen illuminates the entire space in front of us. My jaw drops entirely now. The tv covers almost the entire back wall, giving the living room the appearance of an executive building; its towering glass windows look out over the lake behind their house, a view that is simply stunning.