I Am Wrecking This Evening Already and Loving Every Minute of It

The moon was shining above, the stars barely seen over the carnival’s lights. The moon though, was never as bright as it was tonight.

The moon’s light reflected against the little girl’s light brown hair. Her hand slipped into her father’s. As she turned to face her father the moon’s light reflected against her light brown eyes causing them to sparkle. Her other hand was not being held by a mother, no she did not have one, instead there was a giant teddy bear. Her father had won it for her, no one else but her.

Two years after her father had remarried. He had married an awful woman with two just as equally mean sons. The little girl didn’t like them, they didn’t like her either but her father was oblivious to this, oblivious to the pain his little girl felt. He thought she finally had a mother but she still didn’t.

Three awful years after her father, her daddy,was dead. Not breathing, not living, not moving, not her daddy anymore just a body of some man she used to know. The little girl ended up with the woman her father had married, her "aunt", never her mother.

Another two years of abuse, the recently turned thirteen year old girl was being kicked out of the house, not her house, not her home, not anymore.

After three years of being on the street the sixteen year old was finally found by her uncle, her father’s brother. The sixteen year old now had a roof over her head, but she still did not have a home, she hasn’t had a home in ten years.

One difficult year of struggling, struggling to be accepted, struggling to be loved, the seventeen year old girl was back in the carnival, under the moonlight once more. Her fingers wrapped tightly around a ball. In one swift move the girl threw the ball causing all the bottles to fall, earning her the prize she has longed for.

Not too far from the girl there was a boy. He was quite skinny and tall, his brown hair on his head covering part of his forehead. His long, skinny fingers were too wrapped around a ball and just like the girl he quickly threw it causing the bottles to fall. Unlike the girl he had three friends with him, celebrating the new things whereas the girl was alone, reminiscing, wishing she was still with her father, that she was still six, still loved.

“What prize do you want?” they were asked by different men.

“That” they responded, unknowingly pointing at the same thing, the same giant teddy bear.

As the two men reached for the teddy bear they bumped into each other both falling. They had a quiet argument about the bear neither having a solution. The man who had talked to the girl reached for the bear and held it in his arms. He beckoned the girl over who obeyed with an angry expression clearly seen on her face. The other man who had talked to the boy had called him over too, the boy followed with a confused expression etched on his face.

“What’s the problem?” The girl asked getting impatient.

All she planned to do tonight was to go to the carnival, win the bear, and then go back to the hotel where she and her uncle were staying for the night. This was not part of her plan.

“You both knocked over all the bottles and both of you deserve a prize.” The man who had talked to the boy said.

“but?” The girl questioned, getting seriously annoyed.

“You both want the same thing.” The man who held the bear informed them.

The girl glared at the boy. He didn’t want the bear as much as she did, he didn’t need the bear as much as she did.

The boy stared at the girl who was currently glaring at him.

“So you two need to decide.” One of the men told them but neither the girl nor the boy were paying attention.

They were having a staring contest. Although they did not say it verbally, they both knew it and they both held their ground.

“Ooo…Ryan is having a staring contest with a girl, exciting.” One of the boy’s friends said sarcastically.

He didn’t back down though, he wanted that bear. He was there to celebrate, his night and he wanted that bear. He needed something to get him through, past his drunken father’s antics and the trouble that was to come.

He could tell the girl but she wouldn’t care, she wouldn’t even listen. That was her teddy bear.

“Look Ryan just let her have the bear.” Another one of his friends said.

Ryan ignored him still focused on beating the girl whose name he still did not know.

The girl was paying attention though, she had found out his name, Ryan.

“Ryan, let’s go, I want to go on the Ferris wheel!” the last of his friend whined.

“No” Ryan finally responded.

The girl smiled, showing off her natural pearly whites. The sudden smile shocked Ryan causing him to blink, causing him to lose.

The girl’s smile grew as she realized that she won. She got the bear from the man and held it in her arms.

“Nice try. Goodbye Ryan.” The girl’s musical voice stunned Ryan again and he just watched as she walked away.

The girl walked away, fully aware that she was being watched she didn’t care though. She had her bear; she was contented, she was happy, holding on to something that was between her and her father.

Her daddy

The girl entered her hotel room being greeted by the older man on the couch.

“Where were you Maria Laura Teresa Gold?” he asked sounding mad but not even looking her way.

“I was at the carnival Peter” the girl responded, deciding that since he used her whole name she would use his first name.

“Why didn’t you tell me?” he asked pouting.

“Because you would have made me stayed long.” The girl said laughing.

“No fair Mara!” the older man whined, crossing his arms.

Sometimes Mara felt like the older one between the two. She was unsure if she was loved by him, loved in anyway. She never bothered to ask. They had a fun relationship, she didn’t mind the way it was.

“Too bad Wentz.” She said drinking the hot chocolate she just made.

“Technically you are a Wentz too Mara, your father, my half-brother, just decided to keep his mother’s name rather than our father’s.” Pete said facing the television again.

Pete was eight years older than Mara, but he was her legal guardian. As Pete said, her father was his half-brother making Pete her half-uncle, if there is such a thing. He found her on the street after years of looking for her, Mara was thankful. Pete was really kind to her and was more of brotherly than fatherly. Pete was kinder to Mara when it was just the two of them, or just his band, he hoped she didn’t notice but she did and she didn’t really care. It took her a year to be comfortable; she was contented with what she had.

“Whatever. How was the band you checked out?” She asked him sitting down on the opposite end of the couch.

“Really good, signed them too. They were really excited. They are coming to Chicago next week so be prepared.” Pete said, his eyes still glued on the TV.

“Prepared for what? Anyway, I am going to bed. Night Peter” she stood up and discarded her glass by the sink.

She changed into a big Fall Out Boy shirt and black and white checkered girl boxers. She brushed her teeth and slipped into her bed.

The boy, Ryan, never entering her mind.

Ryan on the other hand had fun in the carnival despite losing the bear to the girl.

“Night Ryan” His friend said exiting the car.

“Night Brendon” Ryan said giving him a wave before driving away.

Ryan stripped down to his boxers and lay on his bed, thinking, the girl bothering him every now and then.