Efflorescence

Chapter 3: New Friends

Chapter 3

New Friends

Haven

I haven’t seen my friends in three days. I think I’m going insane now. You may be thinking, “Oh, it’s only three days. It’s not a big deal.” Well, to you people, I say, “Fuck you.” You’ve obviously never been stuck at home with a psycho mother, a snotty little brother, or an all-about-me older sister. I was going to murder somebody if I didn’t get out soon.

Which is why I did my super happy dance when my cellphone started buzzing. Selena is calling!

“Hey, babe,” she said when I answered. “I’m bored. Why don’t we go to the library or something?”

“Yes! I want to leave my house so bad! Meet me out front in 15?”

“Done. See ya, Chicky.” Selena hung up first.

I did another super happy dance then got ready. Once I had my shorts and t-shirt on, make-up done, and sunglasses on my head, I was ready to go.

Selena was just walking up the front porch when I opened the front door. “Bye mom!” I yelled and quickly walked away.

“Why are you in such a rush to leave?” Selena asked, doing a little skip/gallop/walk thing to catch up to me.

“Harmony won’t stop talking about her new boyfriend. I swear, I’m going to duckt tape her mouth shut.”

“Well, that’s Harmony for you. What’s Mikey been up to?”

“Minecraft.” I looked Selena dead in the eye. “Nothing but Minecraft. I’m not even joking! I haven’t even seen the kid eat in three days- or go to the bathroom! He has a serious issue.”

“Alright, well, how ‘bout your mom?”

“I haven’t even talked to her. She just sits there, in her room, on her laptop. She won’t even tell me what she’s looking at anymore.”

“Ah, oh well. It’s her loss. She’s missing out on spending time with such a beautiful, gifted daughter.”

We were just about to round a corner when Selena yanked me back.

“Ouch!” I yelled and rubbed my arm. “What was that for?”

“That boy over there!” Selena whisper-yelled and gestured toward the corner. “He- he had the eyes.”

I was probably the only one who believed Selena’s story. How she had seen the pair of hazel eyes looking at her from behind the brush. She seemed way too shook up about it to be lying.

I looked her dead in the eye. “Are you sure? Absolutely positive?”

Selena nodded vigorously, as if she had never been so sure about something in her life.

“Alright, then.” I started dragging her forward. “Let’s go.”

“No! Haven! No, no, no! I don’t wanna!” She let out a long list of complaints and curse words as I pulled her by her wrists.

“Haven?”

I heard someone say it from across the street. His voice was smoother than honey. It almost put me in a trance instantly. I want him to say my name again.

I turned to look at the boy who had called my name. I saw the most heavenly angel- there was no way someone that perfect was human. He seemed to be made just for me.

I almost died of happiness when he smiled and waved me over. Without thinking, I walked over to him.

“Haven!” Selena yelled at me and pulled me aside just as a car about knocked me on my ass.

She got quieter, and whispered in my ear. “I don’t want to go over there! That’s where he is!”

I looked back at her. “No, that boy has blueish grey eyes. Nowhere near hazel.”

She looked knowingly at me. “The other boy.”

I was so confused. “There’s another guy over there?” I looked back and found that there was in fact another one over there.

“Yes, that’s him, I’m sure of it. But I’ll go over there anyways, just ‘cause I know your already smitten.”

I loved that about Selena. Most of her family is from Alabama, not Florida, so she talked with a southern twang at random moments.

We crossed the street and stood in front of a diner (one of many uptown). There were tons of people passing us up on the sidewalk, and we were standing in the middle of everything, but I didn’t notice. He was smiling at me!

“Ehem,” Selena cleared her throat and bumped me.

“Oh! Right! I’m Haven.” I held out my hand for him to shake, but he took it and held it.

“I know,” he said with a dopey smile on his face.

“How do you know that?” Selena asked and stared at him accusingly, and slyly glanced at the other boy.

“Oh, you must be Selena.” He turned away from Haven. “We meet Reese and Rhylee at the pool the other day. They told us all about you.”

The second boy seemed to notice all of the people trying to side step us on the sidewalk. “Why don’t you come in and have lunch with us? We can get to know each other a little better.” He looked directly at Selena when he talked. She tried to look anywhere but at him.

“I don’t th-”

“That sounds like fun!” I cut Selena off.

“Great!” The guys said in unison.

Walking into the diner, Selena shot an I’m so getting you back for this later look. I shot her an I’m sorry, but he’s just so hot!

They led us to a booth all the way in the back. I wasn’t that horrible of a friend, so I let Selena scoot in next to me, and the two of them sat across from us.

It was then that I realized- we knew nothing about these people. Besides that one of them likes to hide in bushes and creep on teenage girls. This is going to be an interesting story to tell the R’s.