Freaks

2 • haven

❝We must respect the past, and mistrust the present,
if we wish to provide safety for the future❞
ｊｏｓｅｐｈ ｊｏｕｂｅｒｔ

___

   ＨＡＶＥＮ was a small town too insignificant to put on a map. It was off the coast of the fantastic location I like to call 'the middle of nowhere'.

Haven, as its name suggests, was quiet, peaceful and safe - on most days, anyway. It was one of those towns where everyone knew everything about everyone and couldn't resist spreading it to those who didn't. It was one of those towns where no one ever leaves and no one ever joins. It was one of those towns, where you could count the number of 'exciting' things that happened that year on one hand.

This year, the most exciting thing that has happened so far is graduation (we're still holding out for Christmas, truthfully speaking).

Andrew's father (aka Mr MayorDude), has organised a town-wide parade to commemorate the end of the academic year. The problem? Seventy percent of the population don't even go to school anymore. It was pointless. Irrelevant. But that's not what bothered me about it. My problem?

We weren't even graduating high school.

Andrew and I were still juniors. Next year, we'll be seniors and be told to repeat the same, exact process.

I had even said this to Andrew on more than the one occasion, which was always met with an eye roll. He had no choice but to be there. I didn't, yet somehow, somehow, he had managed to convince me to come along with him.

I'm not even sure how he was able to. I had tonnes of excuses I could've used. I had work to catch up from all the months I'd missed, I hated parades with a passion, Aunt Vic and Uncle Ted, the two most laid back people on planet Earth were against it (they still wanted to have that 'talk' Aunt V had mentioned). I could have said anything, however one glance at Andrew's disappointed face and my plans to stay at home (and fix that blasted drawing) were suddenly exchanged for ones discussing what time Andrew would be picking me up.

It was 5, by the way. In case you were wondering.

"Come on, Luce, it's isn't that bad." Andrew said, poking my side.

"Ads, you can try but I'm not ticklish." I explain with a disapproving sigh.

"I know, I know. I've kind of run out of ideas on how to make you smile." He admits. "So what is it this time that you hate?"

He gestures exaggeratedly to the scene around us. "The balloons and streamers falling from the sky? The loud band music? Bright costumes? Or, I know, it's the creepy 3-D models on wheels made by the kindergarteners, isn't it?

I roll my eyes, an amused grin forming on my face. "You make it sound like I hate everything."

"You don't?" Andrew feigns shock, adding an loud gasp at the end. I turn to glare at him.

"No. And no to everything you said too. Though, the floats are kinda creepy." I confess, facing forward again and going back to staring at the passing floats. "I'm just ...not a big fan of parades in general." I scrunch up my nose, "Brings back... Stuff. Memories, I guess."