Haven

"Whatever. Let prissy Prissy have him," Ari scoffed while reaching for a bright red Fuji apple. "You don't need that kind of negative energy in your life. Seriously, don't even stress about it. The dude is perfect for PP."

Stunned, I stopped walking and stared at her blankly. "What did you just call her?"

"Prissy Prissy, like -"

"Shut up and stop holding up the line," a guy with green spiky hair and snakebite piercings said, grunting and shoving my tray forward with his own.

"Whoa. Sorry, I didn't mean to -"

"Whoa. Sorry, I didn't mean to -" he mimicked, cutting me off and feigning innocence.

Ari narrowed her emerald green eyes at him and countered, "Grow up, you monkey butt."

Snakebites rolled his eyes and stuck his pierced tongue out before glaring back at her.

"Guys. Guys!" I cried out, sticking my arm out before the two of them could attack each other. When I was satisfied that Ari wouldn't slice his ear off with a plastic knife, I turned to face Snakebites again. "I said I was sorry. Can we move on?"

He huffed and mumbled, "Whatever."

Ari held his gaze for a few more seconds, and then turned back to me with a flip of her perfect curls before continuing. "Anyways, as I was saying - you know, prissy as in 'excessively stuck-up and self-centered', courtesy of our beloved Urban Dictionary. And Prissy as in Priscilla. PP."

Maybe it was due to the lack of sleep, or maybe I was just in a giddy mood. Either way, I burst into a fit of giggles. "I can't pay attention to a word you're saying because you keep repeating pee-pee."

"How old are you?" Snakebites spat before pushing us aside and cutting ahead.

"Sheesh. Someone has a stick up their butt," Ari whispered loudly. She nudged my arm and raised her eyebrows.

"You know I have ears, right?" the guy asked as he gave us both a death glare.

"That's why I said it loud enough for you to hear," she shot back, sticking her tongue out at him.

"Way to be mature, Tuna. Come on, let's get our food. I'm starving," I blurted in an attempt to change the subject. My stomach growled in agreement, and I reached for a pepperoni pizza slice and soft taco without hesitating. My body didn't need to remind me twice.

"Anyways, as I was saying before Mr. Grumpy Pants rudely interrupted us, I was originally going to call her P-squared," Ari said a few minutes later, after we snagged a lunch table. She paused to blow on her steaming cup of ramen noodles and looked at me expectantly, as if she expected me to understand what she meant.

"Huh?"

"You know, like the lesson we learned in class this morning. 'P' to the power of two. P-squared."

"Since when do you pay attention in math?"

"Since Mr. Ryden and his sexy booty started teaching it," Ari said with a wink.

My shoulders shook as I laughed in disbelief. "You told me it 'wasn't that great,'" I said, using air quotes to recite her exact words.

"I've changed my mind. It's pretty sweet."

"Well, Mr. Ryden would've been proud of you for making use of that calculus term."

"Yeah, but I figured PP was more fitting because she's a pee-pee head."

I bent over and held my stomach, unable to control my strange, sudden laughter. "Stop it! You're killing me with that name!"

Ari tilted her head and stared at me through narrowed eyes. "Chica, what is with you? I mean, I know I'm hilarious, but the nickname isn't that funny. Are you feeling okay?"

I sobered up quickly and straightened up. My lips turned down at the corners and wiped away any evidence of laughter, and I sighed. "No. I'm so tired."

"Couldn't sleep?"

"Yeah. I was dreading coming to school today."

"Why?"

"Him."

"Aw, sweetie."

"Ugh. I'm pretty sure I only slept for thirty minutes last night." I glanced back to Reeve, who was currently chatting with some guy, Priscilla, and her crew a few tables over.

As usual, Priscilla whipped her hair from side to side like Willow Smith did in her music videos. Satisfied with her I-want-to-look-like-I-just-did-the-nasty hairstyle, she batted her faux mink eyelashes and widened her eyes to look innocent. Today, she was sporting a strapless red jumpsuit with fiery pumps, while her minions were wearing red and white checkered blouses, white belts, and red slacks to match.

Ari followed my gaze, and then chuckled. "Yuck. Their fashion styles get weirder by the second."

"They look like a garden of walking tomatoes." I nodded in agreement.

"Oh my baby Jesus," she blurted suddenly, grabbing onto my arm for support. "Check out that hottie. Damn." She nodded to the guy standing next to Reeve and let out a low whistle.

"Who's that?"

"I don't know, but he's yummy. Look at that - Wait." She did a double take. "Isn't that Brody?"

I squinted my eyes and looked closer. "No way... It is! No wonder he looked sort of familiar."

"He's changed a lot since last year, though. Homeboy got some new friends - muscle A and muscle B," she said, wiggling her eyebrows suggestively at Brody's biceps.

"Yeah, I didn't recognize him at first. He lost so much of his baby fat."

"He looks mighty fine now." Ari stared at him without blinking, probably giving him a once-over and checking off the things he had on her 'What I Need in a Guy' list.

"Okay, well, stop drooling, Tuna. He's cute, but you're just being plain creepy now."

"You think he's cute?" Ari asked, winking at me.

"I guess? He's not really my type."

"Well, then he's mine. I call dibs."

"He's not a toy you can just claim," I said with a laugh. "But go for it. He's all yours."

"Not yet, he's not. But he'll be mine by the end of the month. I guarantee it." She gazed at him in admiration, and then said, "Holy mother of Edward Cullen. Look at his genes."

I shook my head at her ridiculous comment, and then looked over to Brody, making sure to pay close attention to the black jeans that perfectly outlined his thighs and calves. "What about his jeans?" I asked, not understanding what was so special about them, other than the fact they looked great on him.

"No. His genes," she said again, emphasizing the word slowly. "His chromosomes did an outstanding job to create that sexy phenotype. I mean, look at him - hot damn!"

I rolled my eyes. "You're such a freak."

"I wouldn't mind if his zygote split into two embryos. Then we'd have two of him, and you could have the other one."

"Okay, stop. Who are you and what have you done to my best friend?"

Ari threw her head back and laughed in her dainty, proper way by covering her mouth with her hand. She looked to me, her eyes twinkling in mischief, and said, "Honey, I always pay attention in class when there's a cute teacher."

"Alien," I accused, unable to keep the smile from creeping on my face.

She began to list all of the reasons why she and Brody would look good together, and I tuned her out. Once in a while, I would nod my head or laugh appropriately so she didn't kill me for spacing out, but I couldn't concentrate on her words.

I looked down and pushed the remaining food around in my tray, giving my hands something to do while my mind wandered. Suddenly, I was overcome with the urge to look back up.

I needed to see him.

Reeve.

Unable to fight it any longer, I found my gaze gravitating towards his direction. Almost as if he had read my mind, he looked up at the exact same moment and captured me in his deep blue oceans.

His eyes bored holes into mine, silently pleading. He gave me a sad smile, but it didn't reach his eyes like it normally did. Even from afar, I could see the dark bags on his face, and I wondered if he tossed and turned all night as I had.

He gave me a small wave, and I felt my hand automatically rising to do the same. But then I remembered how worthless I felt after he kissed me yesterday, and I broke eye contact and looked down, pushing my tray aside instead.

I had just lost my appetite.

I didn't want to be a part of his game, and I wouldn't let him use me. No matter how much I wanted to talk to him, I wouldn't.

I couldn't.

I sighed and slumped forward on the table, burying my face into my crossed arms.

Please? Just one more look, my heart pleaded as I stared directly into the table top.

No. Remember? We went through this. You're not going to be a part of his game, my head countered.

Please?

No.

Pretty please?

No! You know he's bad for you.

Is he?

Yes!

But being with him yesterday made me feel whole again... and that's something I haven't felt in a long time.

He's a bad guy.

When I looked into his eyes, I felt like I knew him, and that he knew me. I don't know why. I can't explain it.

He's not good for you. Stop obsessing over it. Stop thinking about him. Move on, Haven. It's better this way.

I know you think that, head. But I don't.

"Now is not the time to be playing hide and seek, girl!" Ari exclaimed, repeatedly tapping my shoulder and jarring me out of my internal debate.

"What? Why not?" I asked, still enveloped in the comfort of my own arms.

"He's coming."

"Who?"

"Your first-kiss stealer. Get up!"

"Shoot. Where am I supposed to go? I'm literally sitting -"

There was the sound of someone clearing his throat, and then a faint, "Hey."

I looked up slowly, making sure I didn't make direct eye contact with him. I knew if I did, I would lose my resolve and be trapped in his electric stare forever, unwilling to leave. "Hi," I said, focusing on his left cheek.

"Can I talk to you?" He asked, rocking back and forth on his heels. He rubbed the back of his neck and bit his lip.

My gut wrenched at his worried tone and expression, and I hoped my face didn't reflect the pain I felt in my heart.

"What do you need?" Ari cut in before I could answer.

"I just... I just want to talk to Haven. Alone, please."

"Anything you have to say to her, you can say to me," Ari replied, putting her arm around my shoulder.

I started to feel my bold front waver as I listened to his pleas. I wanted to tell him that I wasn't upset - that I could never be mad at him. I wanted his lips back on mine. I wanted his eyes to focus on me and only me...

I wanted him.

I knew I would do whatever he wanted, over and over again.

But instead, I sat there and clamped my mouth shut.

I won't be a part of his game, I repeated to myself.

Reeve lowered his gaze from Ari to me, and I caved. I looked into his eyes, which were bluer than the bluest of blues, and was immediately sucked into their fierce whirlpool of emotions. His cocoa-colored hair rested casually above them, like a blanket that tucked its owners tightly beneath it.

I felt his sadness, fear, and pain. I felt it all.

But still, I said nothing.

I wouldn't give in. I couldn't give in.

For years, no one had been able to scale my carefully constructed walls. I was able to block out every person who ever tried to come close to me. My head and heart were in agreement most of the time, and I never had to worry about things like this.

But then I met him.

And he changed everything.

For the first time in a long time, I found myself starting to trust another person. My head and heart were starting to argue all the time, and I couldn't even trust myself anymore.

But I had never liked change. It was unexpected, and I didn't like the new surprises that came with it.

Change scared me.

So I willed my internal walls to stay strong and looked to Reeve with my infamous poker face, waiting for him to speak instead.

"I'm sorry, Haven. I shouldn't have done what I did. I shouldn't have kissed you."

"And?" Ari asked with a bored expression, tapping her foot impatiently against the floor.

"And I'm such an idiot. I don't know what came over me, and I'm sorry, Haven. I'm so sorry."

I shrugged, wanting so badly to accept his apology and to believe that he was a good guy.

But he wasn't.

When I didn't respond, he continued, "If I could take it all back, I would. If we could just start over -"

"We can't," I blurted, cutting him off. His eyes reflected the surprise I felt at my sudden outburst, but the words continued to spill out. "We can't take it back, and we can't start over. It doesn't work like that."

"Haven, please..."

"Don't. Just leave me alone," I deadpanned.

"Haven -"

"No."

"Give me a chance to -"

"No."

"You heard her, boy. Step back," Ari cut in, motioning for him to leave. "You are excused."

"Please, just let me explain."

"Save it, Reeve." I got up from the table and grabbed my tray, finally deciding to listen to my head instead of my heart.

After walking over to the trashcan, I threw away my leftovers and garbage... along with the rest of my thoughts of him.

A/N: What do you guys think of Haven's reactions to Reeve? It's so frustrating to write because I just want Raven to be together and have babies... and I just want to scream in Haven's ear to tell her that Reeve isn't a bad guy :( but I can't! I think it's necessary for it to happen this way first... *sigh*

On the plus side, my best friend thiseffervescentlife and I launched a monthly contest! We've been thinking about it for a while now, and we thought now was the perfect time to do it :) We've met so many awesome writers and friends through Wattpad, and we wanted to do something to help y'all out and to give back to the amazing community we've been lucky enough to be a part of! So go on over to @yourLOVEawards and check it out... Hope to see you there! :)

*Entries are actually closed now, but don't worry! We'll be constantly updating you guys on when new contests and prompts will open up, so make sure you store the book in your libraries to be notified of any and all updates :)*