Rivals

Hello, my name is Haven Rose. Something you should know about me is that, I am 18 years old and my parents recently died in a plane crash. Instead of money I got their most prized possession. The bakery. The Bakery is located in a small town. BakersVille. The town is secret like, and not like a huge city. There are shops and grocery shops and cute homes. But the thing that changed recently, 2 bakeries. You see, our Bakery, has been in Business for 40 years. The one across the street has been here for a year. I don’t know the owner, just that he is young and my parents said, “Don’t bother with them! Tryin’ to take our place!” So, we became, enemies.

Liam. Liam Flynn, is my name. The name came from my parents. Which I don’t know. They died when I was one. Which was 18 years ago. I am 19 now, and I am from the U.K. But I decided to get out of there, away from my abusive uncle. Now, you see, I couldn’t be homeless. I had a plan. Come to America and start a Bakery. As a child, I loved cooking. That’s all I ever did. So I opened a bakery called, Snow’s Bakery. Where did snow come from? It was my mother’s name. I opened Snow’s last year. In BakersVille. Honestly, I had no choice. As I had just moved to America, with barely any money. BakersVille was all I could afford. I was glad with it. But the other Bakers were not. Quietly childish about it. They thought I would steal there spot. I didn’t. But recently, they passed. Now their daughter owns it. I tried to speak with her, but she kicked me out. But, if she wants to compete, then let’s compete. As I mean, there is a cookie contest. I’m entering. Let’s see if she does.

“Cookie contest.” Haven repeats over and over. “I’ve got to enter, to make my parents proud.” I walk to my room, which yes, it’s in the bakery. I lay down on my bed and think. Oh all the cookies I can make. My parents will be so proud if I win. The cookie contest is at this years festival. So, when I am not doing cookie contests, I can be having fun. Haven chuckles and falls asleep after making a reservation to a booth at the contest.

“Thank you” Liam says to the man on the other line. “Don’t worry, my cookies will be the best.” Liam chuckles and ends the call after making a reservation. He lays down on his bed and messes with his soft brown hair. Perfect hair. After a while of thinking of his past, he gets up and walks to the mirror. He lifts his shirt to look at the scars and bruises from his Uncle. He whispers “But look at the wonderful life I have now.” He walks to the front of the bakery and looks out the door, across the street, at the other bakery. “I am not your enemy.” He whispers. “I can tell she is upset.” Liam tells himself. “She is broken because her parents, the ones she loved the most are gone.” Liam tears up. “She needs someone. I need to be there for her.” Liam thinks. “I got it. If she is at the festival I will make her fall in love with me. I will make her happy.” Liam smiles and falls asleep.

Haven yawns and gets up to bake her cookies for the contest. The Bakery is closed today, as it is Saturday. She gets to work and in the middle of decorating her cookie she notices paper flying in the air, outside. She goes outsides and grabs it. She looks at the paper that reads, “You look beautiful today :)” She smiles. It is the first real smile in a while. She looks outside to see Liam in his Bakery doorway. He smiles and waves at her. She realizes it was him and smiles back. But remembers how her parents said he was an enemy. She got back to her cookies.

I woke up extra early. I’m going to have a plan, I think to myself. I get dressed and fix my hair. I notice that, Haven is cooking cookies. Yes, I know her name, and I am plenty sure she knows mine. As we used to go, to school together, in the same cooking class. I could see why her parents never liked me. But I don’t want to steal her Bakery. I would actually like to help make her bakery better, not be her rival. I look around and I see a piece of paper. I grab a pen and write a message. I send it out the door and watch her get it. She reads it and smiles. But she sees it was from me, but still smiles. But then she thinks and gets back to work. I smile and start on my cookies.

The clock reaches, 4:20. “Okay, so I have all my cookies. I just have to get going in 10 minutes to be on time.” Haven talks to herself. As she has no one else. Haven gets ready and has about 5 minutes. She goes to the front counter and sees the paper again. She picks it up and reads it to herself again. She smiles. She knows she is smiling. She thinks it’s wrong, but also thinks, “Is it?”. The thought, what if he isn’t bad, or isn’t an enemy goes through her head. She looks over at his store to see him walking out of the door, holding boxes of cookies. “Maybe we will find out” She says aloud and smirks. She gets her things and walks out the door.

You see, Haven is a very organized girl. I know this because I observe her. No, I am not a stalker. She is easy to observe. She wakes up around 6 everyday and cleans. Then she starts working on Baking. At 12:30 she goes to shower. She gets back and haves lunch at 1. So on. I know she is organized. Which is why I know when I need to leave. The booths for the contest open at 5. She will want to get there 20 minutes early. Which knowing her, she will leave at 4:30. So I leave now. I shall wait for her on the corner, as it will be a “Coincidence.” And during this time, I will talk to her.

Yes. I know he is waiting for me. I’m not stupid. I can tell he watches me and knows how and when I do things. I don’t find it weird though, but if anyone else did it, that would be odd. But I find it kind of, cute when he does it. It’s just a feeling, a safe feeling. I walk out and around the corner, and guess who it is. “Hello, Liam.” I say as I look at his green eyes. He smirks, “So you do know my name?” I ignore that question and start walking. He follows. “Why were you waiting for me?” Haven asks, not curious just wanting a response. He thinks. “I wasn’t.” She laughs and turns around holding her cookies. “That is so a lie. I watched you leave 5 minutes before I did. Anyways. I don’t care that you did. The company is nice.” She turns around leaving him speechless.

She knew the plan. Not only is she organized, but clever. Well not really a surprise. I look at her walking in front of me. She is easy o describe. She has short, brown hair. She isn’t exactly skinny, but not overweight. Her body is perfect in my opinion. Her style. She wears ripped jeans, and a oversized shirt. The one thing I notice is she doesn’t have a jacket. It’s winter. And it is always cold at the festival. I don’t say anything because when she is cold, I can give her mine. I smile as I think of the plan. But a question comes to my mind. “Why do you hate me?” She stops and thinks. “Well, I honestly, don’t. My parents did, because you want to steal our bakery.” I look at her and say, “I don’t want to steal it. I moved her because I loved baking, and…. Well, I lived in a abusive home, with my aunt and uncle, because my parents died when I was a child. So I got this bakery because it was the only one I could afford.” She stares at me wide eyes. “I-I never knew that. I am sorry.” I smile and look at her. “It’s not your fault, I see your worries on the bakery.”

My biggest rival, just became not? I think for a minute. That makes since. I’ve seen him accidentally lift his shirt.The scars. I thought they were from cooking. Not people. And it makes sense the only bakery affordable was here, in the small town. I feel terrible and the situation is now awkward. Then I realize. We are walking up to the festival. I forgot my box of sugar cookies. Which is needed. “Oh my god.” I say out loud. “Are you okay?” Liam tells something is wrong, so I can’t lie. “I forgot my sugar cookies” I tear up. He looks at me and smiles. He hands his box to me. “We can share a booth. We combine our cookies. You get 75% profit.” He smiles. I feel butterflies. “Are you sure?” I smile. He nods and we get a booth.

I couldn’t let her not enter. And this is a better chance for me. I help her setup. It is so organized. “It looks good.” I tell her and she smiles. I go and get her a push out chair, and she sits and watches everyone. She observes. Like I do her. “Here come the people.” She says and laughs. I chuckle as people, lines of people walk up. We sell so much. We sell everything before 3 hours. I look around at the rides and tell Haven, “Let’s go have fun.” She smiles. I stand and reach my hand out to hers. She grabs it and we walk to rides.

He isn’t like my parents said. He’s kind. Not a rival, or enemy. I shiver and he notices. “Are you cold?” I nod. There isn’t anything he can d-, he hands me his hoodie. I smile and put it on. I feel little humans dancing inside of me. I feel my face glowing up like a volcano erupting. Happy. I am happy. For once, in a long time. We go on every ride, some more than once. We were having a good time. The sun was about to set. We were at the last ride. The ferris wheel. We stand in line for 5 minutes and we get on. The wheel goes around about 3 times and it breaks down. But guess what.We were on top. You can see the big cities from here. But the best thing about it. The sunset. The beautiful glowing sunset. Glowing down on us as we watch. I have this feeling, like me and him are the only people here. Alive. He holds my hand as the sun sets. We make eye contact, and he says, “Haven, over the time, from when we went to school together, from the bakery, to this moment, I have watched you, I have got your routine, I have gotten your style, your favorite foods to make. Haven, over all of the time, from the moment I seen you when I first moved here, I have liked you. Even though we never talked, because you seen me as your enemy. But Haven, I’m not your enemy, I-.. He pauses. I love you Haven.” He smiles and I see the tears in his eyes. He might have been my enemy, but i’ve always has this warm and calm feeling about him. “I love you too.” I say it, and I mean it. He knows I do. Because he kisses me. After about 10 minutes of us hugging on top of the ferris wheel, it starts going again.

Wow. I did it. I confessed my love for her, and she loved me back. I smile inside. As the night goes on, we have fun going around the different games, and rides. It’s like we are children. The night goes on, but it eventually ends. The festival closes, so we walk home. I wave bye to her and we both walk in our bakeries. It was the best night.

It is now 8 months later. Life has changed. Me and Liam now live in one bakery, which was his, and we opened a big bakery in mine. Now we have a home together and we plan on building a family, and raising them up in the town. Our bakery, together, has out did everyone in the state. Life has been great. Mom and dad would have been proud. I wish they were here. They gave me an enemy, and I made that my friend. Used to be my rival, now my everything. Haven closes the diary and puts it in a box. She walks into the living room, where she sees Liam at the door, looking at the bakery, she walks to him and he says calmly, “We used to be distant and enemies. Now look at us.” They both smile and together, look at the bakery, which is, forever theirs.