Resistance Is Useless

“Alex? Are you home?” I asked, bending down to pet Baz and Peyton. The door was unlocked and his car was there so I figured he was either inside or in the backyard.
“Uh, I’m coming!” I heard his voice from the dining room. I picked up Sebastian and walked through the kitchen, to the dining room.
“Hey,” I smiled when I saw him. I waved at Jack, Rian, and Zack. Unlike last time I saw them, they didn’t seem as hostile towards me. “Why’d you leave so early?”
“Um, I had some things to do. Did you see the note I left? I didn’t want to wake you up,” He explained.

“Oh, right. I read it. I just forgot,” I said, feeling dumb.
“Actually, we were talking about going to the fair tonight. I was going to call you and ask if you wanted to come,” He said.
“The fair,” Jack said.
“Yes, the fair, Jack,” Alex said to him. “You know, the one downtown…”
“Oh, yeah! We go there every year. You should come,” Jack said.
“Okay,” I said, petting Sebastian one last time and putting him back on the floor. “I’ve only been to the fair once or twice. I’ve never really had anyone to go with and it’s kinda lame going by myself.” I laughed.
“You’ll be with us. I promise it’ll be fun,” Alex said.
“If you say so,” I shrugged. “Is this okay to wear? I don’t want to be overdressed or anything.” I looked down self-consciously at my turquoise baby doll dress and woven wedges.
“You look perfect, Kari,” He assured me.
“Okay,” I nodded but still looked down at my outfit.
“We should get going now that way we have more time to spend there,” Jack said, walking out with Zack and Rian behind him.
“See, I told you they like you,” Alex whispered, reading my facial expression and pecking my lips.

--

Two hours later and we were all at the carnival having fun. Rian even brought his girlfriend Kara along. She was so nice and not to mention drop dead gorgeous. I almost felt bad just standing next to her. Meanwhile Jack was the most entertaining thing when he was drunk. We watched him look into trashcans for his “mom” and he repeatedly asked people if they saw his mother.

“We don’t know Jack, alright?” Alex asked, laughing as we walked in the opposite direction of Jack screaming in the crowd.
“Alright,” I laughed with him. “Your friend’s very entertaining when he’s tipsy.” I ripped off a piece of cotton candy and put it between my lips.
“He can get worse, trust me,” He bent down, ripping half of my cotton candy with his teeth. He used it as a way to slip his tongue in my mouth and tug on my bottom lip.
“Hey, you stole my cotton candy!” I pushed him playfully.
“You kissed back, didn’t you?” He smirked.
“Touché,” I said, lifting my neglected cigarette to my lips. “Alex, you fucker. It practically wasted away while we were kissing.” I showed him the length of my burning cigarette. It was pretty much done for and I only got two puffs out of it. I dropped it on the ground and stepped on it.
“Maybe you weren’t supposed to smoke it,” He said.
“That’s why I have more,” I said, flipping the top of my Marlboro box and taking one out. I cupped my hand over it and lit it.
“It’s not good for you, that’s all I’m saying,” He said.
“I’m sure there are people out there that do things ten times worse than me,” I said, inhaling my second cigarette and blowing the smoke into the wind.

“I’m sure there are,” He agreed. “But why? What’s the point of killing yourself slowly?”
I stopped walking and turned to face him. “Alex, I’m not going anywhere for a long time if that’s what you’re thinking. Long story short, I just… I had the wrong friends in high school; got involved in stupid things and hung out with the wrong people. I can’t just quit now.”
That wasn’t nearly half of the story but that was to tell him another time.
“Alright,” He sighed. We continued walking in silence.
“Are you hiding something from me?” I asked suddenly, finishing my cigarette. “You’ve been quiet.”
“What?” He asked. “I zone out sometimes. You should know by now that I would never keep anything from you.”
“I was just asking,” I said, dropping the subject.
“You have to stop being so worried over everything, Kari,” He said, moving my bangs from my eyes. He rested his forehead against mine and kissed me slowly.
“Come on,” I mumbled against his lips. I grabbed his hand and pulled him away from everyone else. I tossed our cotton candy into the trashcan. “It was too sugary anyway.”
I kissed him forcefully, backing him up against a wall. Our tongues fought for dominance and I let my fingers linger underneath his shirt right above the hem of his jeans.
“Don’t do that,” He forced his words out, grabbing my hips.
“What this?” I asked innocently, touching him again. “Don’t tell me you’re refusing, Alex.”
“I’m not refusing anything,” He said, connecting our lips again.
“Your place or mine?” I whispered in the heat of the moment.
“Mine.”