Haner to Save the Day

Veronica never knew how much she could miss a city until she was forced to travel across the country to live in California. In the beginning, the idea was intriguing. Hollywood always made California such an exquisite place to live; but like everything in Veronica’s current situation, she didn’t like the Golden State. The atmosphere was different, she could tell by the feel of the dry air and the way people dressed. Something was off about everyone. She didn’t discover what felt so wrong until her third day in California with her family. For some reason, she assumed that everyone her age wore nothing but Hollister and American Eagle. Of course, they didn’t. Instead it was more of Abercrombie and Fitch and the other expensive brands for the win.

Cali people’s physical appearance was a very clear mirror of who they were inside: rude. It was a further disappointment that the movies lied. Veronica thought Californians were kinder and more relaxed, but they turned out, in her opinion, to be ignorant assholes. There was no way she would survive.

“I fucking hate her,” Veronica said to herself as she helped shift boxes to different rooms in her family’s new house. She wouldn’t have had to move if her older sister had not fallen in love with some loser in San Diego. Her sister, Alana, often talked about her boyfriend, Marco. It was more of nonstop complaining. Veronica had never met the guy, and she didn’t want to anyway. He was a straight up dick to her sister. She vowed to punch him in the throat whenever she got to meet him. The kid needed to grow up and stop treating others like shit.

As she was contemplating all the different way she could hurt Marco a knock against her bedroom door interrupted her thoughts. She never got the chance to scream, “Get out!” before Alana peeped into the room. Her body language exuded precaution as though she was attempting to scale across a rickety bridge.

Alana knew with certainty that it was her fault her family made the drastic transfer to California when they were all so happy on the East Coast. When she announced she would be moving so she could see her boyfriend more, she didn’t know that her parents would decide to move with her. It was somewhat comforting to know that her parents weren’t too angry about having to relocate. Her biggest concern was her little sister who was absolutely against having to leave what she was used to behind all because her older sister loved some guy. Alana would probably never realize how ridiculous a decision she made, even after she and Marco would break up a few months later.

“Hey dude, need help?” Alana asked. That was her attempt at a peace treaty.

Throwing a book back into the box, Veronica raised her eyebrow and pursed her lips. “Don’t even talk to me right now.”

“Ronnie come-”

“I don’t wanna hear it. I need to put everything away before school starts.”

Disheartened and hurt, Alana frowned and walked out of her sister’s room. She knew it would be a mission and a half to calm Veronica down. Veronica was only 16 and no teenager liked change. The prospect of being the new kid would be scary and throw Ronnie off. Alana had to make it up to her sister somehow, but what could she do? Confused and with nothing to do for the house, Alana wrote a note for her parents that she left in the kitchen and hopped on a bus to Marco’s house.

Marco embraced his girlfriend with love and kissed her forehead, taking her out to the backyard where he was watering the small vegetable garden for his mom. He offered her limeade that she graciously took and asked her if the move was okay.

“Babe, I don’t know what to do. Ronnie is mad at me. She didn’t want to move, but she had no choice. I thought if I left her alone for a while she wouldn’t be that mad. But she won’t talk to me. What do I do?” Alana asked with tears welling up in her eyes.

“Why is she mad at you?” he questioned back.

“My family moved over here because of me. She’s completely against it cause she doesn’t think it’s fair she had to come too when I was supposed to be the only one coming here.”

Marco rolled his eyes. “She needs to get over it. Shit happens. She’s being an idiot for being so butt hurt.”

“Don’t call my sister an idiot,” Alana practically growled. The first flare of a fire was igniting. This probably would not end well.

“Well she is. I’m pretty sure California is better than that shithole in New Jersey.”

“I cannot deal with you right now. You’re not fucking helping me.”

“You asked for an opinion alright? Don’t get all bitchy on me for telling you the truth.”

“Shut the fuck up. At least I can get a job instead of mooching off my mom.”

“‘Kay.”

“I’m going home.”

“You know where the door is.”

Fuming to the fullest, Alana kicked down a nearby trashcan as she walked to the bus terminal. What kind of boyfriend was Marco? He was supposed to be there for her and try and help her win Veronica’s forgiveness. She didn’t need for him to give her an unnecessary attitude. Maybe Veronica was right, and Marco was a dick that needed a good no-hesitation punch to the throat...Maybe not. It didn’t matter, Alana loved him too much. She wouldn’t discover until much later that love was the cause of all problems.