Chapter 2: That may be the problem

Saturday

The café near Westbridge High was unusually quiet for a Saturday afternoon.

 A few students sat scattered around the room:

Someone near the window was studying, two girls at the counter were arguing over milkshake flavours.

 

And at a table near the back—

 

Kevin and Luna sat across from each other.

 

Between them were notebooks and pens.

 

But absolutely no progress.

 

Luna tapped the pen against the table.

 

“We should make the poster exciting.”

 

Kevin looked up from the notebook.

 

“…It’s a sports day poster, so the information should be clear.”

 

“That sounds boring.”

 

“It’s calling being efficient.”

 

“Same thing.”

 

Kevin wrote something down.

 

“Look… we can have the title at the top, with the date underneath and the event schedule below.”

 

Luna leaned forward and stared at the page.

 

“That looks like a government notice.”

 

“It communicates the necessary information.”

 

“It’s still boring.”

 

Kevin pushed the notebook toward her.

 

“Then what do you suggest?”

 

Luna grabbed the pen and started sketching something.

 

“We make the title big,” she said. “Like really big.”

 

Kevin watched her draw random shapes around the words.

 

“And we add energy.”

 

“…Energy?”

 

“Yes.”

 

“And what does this so-called energy look like?”

 

“Like this.”

 

She drew several explosive-looking lines around the page.

 

Kevin stared at it.

 

“…They’re lightning bolts.”

 

“They represent excitement.”

 

“More like electrical hazards.”

 

Luna glared at him.

 

“You’re impossible.”

 

“So are you.”

 

“Creativity is about feeling.” Said Luna.

 

“It’s about clarity.”

 

“It’s about emotion.”

 

Kevin pointed at the notebook.

 

“Emotion doesn’t help people find the sports field.”

 

Luna threw the pen onto the table.

 

“You’re no fun!”

 

“Whatever.” Kevin said.

 

Luna leaned back in her chair and crossed her arms.

 

Kevin took a sip of his coffee.

 

The notebooks sat between them like a battlefield.

 

Finally Luna sighed.

 

“We’ve been here for an hour, and we still have nothing.”

 

Luna rubbed her forehead.

 

“This is hopeless.”

 

Kevin studied her for a moment.

 

“Your approach is too emotional.”

 

“So?”

 

“Mine is logical.”

 

“So?”

 

Kevin shrugged slightly.

 

“That may be the problem.”

 

Luna stared at him.

 

“…What’s that supposed to mean?”

 

Kevin leaned back in his chair.

 

“You decide things based on what feels right, and I decide things based on what makes sense.”

 

Kevin looked at her.

 

Then he asked her something.

 

“Also, what’s your problem with me?”

 

The question landed hard between them.

 

Luna froze— because he asked it so calmly.

 

“…What?”

 

“You clearly have one.”

 

“I don’t—”

 

“You’re always accusing me of doing bad things to you .”

 

“That’s because you do!”

 

Kevin tilted his head slightly.

 

“Is this related to the juice incident?”

 

“Yes!”

 

Kevin waited.

 

Luna opened her mouth.

 

Then stopped.

 

For the first time since they met—

 

She hesitated.

 

“See,” he said quietly.

 

“You can’t actually explain it.”

 

Luna looked at the table.

 

Then back at him.

 

Her mind searched for an answer.

 

But nothing came.

 

Kevin leaned back in his chair again.

 

“…Interesting.”

 

Luna frowned.

 

“Don’t say it like that.”

 

“Like what?”

 

“Like you just discovered something.”

 

Kevin picked up the notebook again.

 

“Maybe I did.”

 

Luna crossed her arms.

 

“…You’re annoying.”

 

Kevin nodded.

 

“That seems to be a popular opinion nowadays.”

 

Luna looked out the café window.

 

But something about the conversation bothered her.

 

Because for the first time—

 

She realized something strange.

 

She didn’t actually know why she disliked him so much.

 

And that bothered her.

 

Because Luna Rossouw always had a reason for everything.

 

That thought was far more annoying than Kevin himself.

 

 

 

One Year Ago

 

One year earlier.

 

The Grade 10 biology class stood near the entrance of Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens, surrounded by mountains and rows of plants that looked far more interesting than most school assignments.

 

Their teacher clapped her hands once.

 

“Alright everyone, listen up.”

 

Groans immediately followed.

 

“You’ll be working on a short report about one of South Africa’s indigenous plants.”

 

Several students scattered across the garden paths.

 

Some took photos.

 

Some immediately started googling things on their phones.

 

Luna walked down one of the stone paths with her notebook in hand.

 

Her eyes scanned the nearby plants until she found the one she had already decided on.

 

The Protea.

 

The large pink flower stood proudly among the greenery.

 

South Africa’s national flower.

 

Perfect. She thought.

 

She stepped closer to the plant and began writing a few notes.

 

Then she noticed someone standing nearby.

 

Kevin.

 

He was looking at the plant quietly while sipping orange juice through a straw.

 

Luna frowned slightly but ignored him.

 

Kevin started walking away, clearly lost in his own thoughts.

 

Luna stepped closer to the protea.

 

Then…

 

Kevin’s foot hit one of the uneven cracks in the paving.

 

He slipped.

 

The bottle flew out of his hand.

 

And the next second—

 

Splash.

 

Cold liquid soaked Luna’s shirt.

 

And some of it splattered into her hair.

 

Everything went silent.

 

Kevin froze.

 

Luna slowly looked down at her now bright-orange shirt.

 

Then at her hair.

 

Kevin panicked.

 

“I’m so sorry!”

 

He quickly pulled a few tissues from his pocket and held them out to her.

 

But Luna didn’t take them.

 

Her eyes were wide.

 

Then suddenly—

 

She slapped the tissues out of his hand.

 

“You asshole!”

 

Kevin blinked in shock.

 

“…What?”

 

“I saw you walk onto the paving the same time as me,” Luna said angrily. “You planned this, didn’t you?”

 

Kevin stared at her, completely confused.

 

“No I didn’t.”

 

“Yes you did!”

 

“I slipped!”

 

“You’re lying!”

 

“I’m not!”

 

Kevin pointed at the crack in the pavement.

 

“My foot caught on that!”

 

“Apologize,” Luna demanded.

 

Kevin blinked again.

 

“I already did.”

 

“Say it properly!”

 

Kevin stared at her for a moment.

 

Then he sighed.

 

And turned around.

 

He started walking away.

 

Luna’s eyes widened.

 

“Don’t walk away!”

 

She grabbed his wrist.

 

Kevin immediately tried to pull his arm free.

 

“Let go of me!”

 

“No!”

 

“I said let go!”

 

They struggled for a second.

 

Then their balance shifted.

 

And suddenly—

 

Both of them lost their footing.

 

THUD.

 

They crashed onto the stone paving.

 

“OW!” Luna shouted, grabbing her back.

 

“It’s your fault!”

 

Kevin sat up, rubbing his elbow.

 

He stared at her.

 

Then looked down at his scraped arm.

 

Then back at her again.

 

This girl is a problem!

 

And that problem just became his.

 

 

 

 

The café was quieter than either of them expected.

 

Soft music played in the background while the smell of coffee drifted through the room.

 

Outside, cars passed slowly along the street.

 

Kevin and Luna sat across from each other.

 

Both were working in silence.

 

Kevin tapped on his phone, adjusting text boxes and layouts on Canva.

 

Luna scribbled ideas in her notebook while occasionally sketching symbols.

 

But Luna wasn’t really thinking about the poster.

 

She was thinking about what Kevin said earlier.

 

You actually can’t explain it, can you?

 

Her jaw tightened.

 

Click.

 

The sound of her tongue against her teeth echoed louder than she expected.

 

Kevin looked up.

 

Luna was staring down at her notebook like it had personally offended her.

 

He studied her expression for a moment.

 

Is she frustrated with the poster…

 

Then another thought crossed his mind.

 

…or with me?

 

He wasn’t sure which answer he preferred.

 

Luna suddenly looked up.

 

“Let’s see what you’ve got.”

 

Kevin shrugged and slid his phone across the table.

 

She leaned over to look at the design.

 

It was neat and informative:

 

Title at the top, date and time clearly displayed.

 

Everything easy to read.

 

Luna stared at it for a moment.

 

Then frowned.

 

“It’s boring.”

 

Kevin blinked.

 

“Kids our age need stimulation.” Luna added.

 

Kevin leaned back in his chair.

 

“Okay,” he said dryly. “Please enlighten us with your brilliant ideas.”

 

Luna shot him an annoyed look before sliding her notebook toward him.

 

Kevin looked down.

 

Her design was the exact opposite of his:

 

Bright colours everywhere.

 

Little drawings of footballs, relay batons, whistles, and running shoes.

 

Different fonts for different words.

 

Some letters were even slanted diagonally.

 

Kevin stared at it.

 

Then looked back at her.

 

“This looks like an advertisement for a children’s book.”

 

Luna slowly lifted her eyes.

 

The look she gave him was so sharp Kevin instinctively glanced away.

 

Silence filled the table again.

 

Finally Luna sighed.

 

“So what are we going to do?”

 

Kevin calmly picked up a fork and took a bite of the cake he had ordered earlier.

 

He chewed thoughtfully.

 

Then said,

 

“Let’s show both to Mrs. Daniels and see what she says.”

 

Luna’s eyes widened.

 

She stared at him for a moment.

 

“…That might actually be the best idea you’ve had all day.”

 

Kevin looked at her.

 

“Wow.”

 

He took another bite of cake.

 

“Gee. Thanks.”