Carnival

“Hey baby, want to go on a date tomorrow?” I grimaced in disgust at the fifth boy who asked me out during my lunch period. My friends had thought it would be funny to give me a makeover over the weekend after I lost a bet. I had to wear the clothes they picked out for me, and I had to be manhandled in the bathroom everyday before first bell to get my hair and makeup done. The fact that I was well liked throughout the school (especially compared to my friends since I actually had a filter) made boys come up to me a lot. It was getting ridiculous. You put on a little makeup and a skirt and suddenly everyone wants you.

Mariah, my right hand woman (also my ‘makeup artist’) shooed the boy away and he sulked off. Mariah had short blond hair and cloudy blue-grey eyes. She was short and skinny, freckles dotted across her face. She had been my best friend for as long as I could remember.

“Look at what you guys did to me!” I moaned loudly, slamming my head on the cafeteria table. My red hair created a curtain around my head as I groaned. Shelby and Courtney (Shelby was hair and Courtney was clothes) just laughed at me and Mariah patted my back, trying to not laugh. Shelby had bleach blonde hair. We had done it late one night when she slept over my house. She had crystal blue eyes, fair skin and her lip pierced. She was taller than Mariah (which wasn't saying much) but shorter than me. Courtney had brown hair with blonde highlights. She had hazel eyes and wore glasses, though she swears she'll switch to contacts one day.

“Now, why is my girl face down on the table?” The new voice made my head shoot up. I grinned wildly at my boyfriend, David. “Hey baby girl, you look lovely today, whether you were manhandled or not.” David had been my boyfriend for ten months. He was tall with short, brown hair. He also wore glasses and had 'poop brown eyes', as he would always say.

“Babe! What took you so long to get here?” David kissed my pouting lips quickly, causing the other three to groan, before he responded.

“Had to get makeup work from McCarthy. I’m going to fucking fail her stupid-ass class.” I sighed and rubbed his arm.

“I’ll help you babe, you know I will. I’m just going to need a nap after school” As if to accent my point, A yawn quickly tore from my lips. Everyone chuckled at me, like they never yawn! “Shuddup, alla you.” I mumbled my disgust and placed my head back on the table.

David and Shelby started their own conversation about McCarthy’s ‘difficult’ history class while Mariah and Courtney gossiped about boys. I sighed, thinking how lucky I was to have my friends when I was tapped on the back.

“Uh, erm, Sam? Wanna hang out tomorrow night?” Shea, a quiet boy in my AP Calculus class nervously pushed up his glasses as I glanced at him. “Th-there’s a carnival in town and everything and uh-”

“Shea, I appreciate you asking, but I have a boyfriend I plan on being with. I’ll see you in class though.” Shea squeaked when David glared at him. David wrapped his arm around my waist and pulled me close, as if to stake claim on me. I tried to smile reassuringly at Shea, but he scurried off before I could. “That was mean babe. Five other guys already asked me out this lunch period.” David gawked at me. “Blame them!” I waved wildly at the masterminds of my makeover. David quickly turned his glare on them before laughing.

“I kind of like you getting this attention. I makes me feel special that you're mine.” He kissed me quickly once more as the bell rang. “Come on baby girl, I’ll walk you to Calculus.” David stood with me and gripped my hand, lacing our fingers together. He walked with me across the school. Finally we stopped outside my class. “You know, that Shea kid gave me an idea. Want to go to the carnival tonight? I’ll drive.” David had just gotten his license and he liked to wave it in my face.

“Sure babe, pick me up at 5, so I have enough time to nap.” Again, I yawned just as I mentioned nap time.

“Why are you always so tired baby girl?” I shrugged, not wanting to mention my overwhelming obsession with writing. My mind is simply more active at midnight than it is at noon.

“Who knows. Now get to class, you can’t be late for art.” I kissed his quick, just a peck, but he pulled me back for one more. He whispered ‘bye’ into my hair as he hugged me and I walked into class practically floating.

After school, David drove me, Mariah, Shelby, and Courtney home. We all talked, until good songs came on the radio. Then, I would crank it up and we would sing loudly, and badly. Courtney and Mariah lived next door, so they got out together.

“Bye guys, Sam, we’ll pick out your outfit and makeup tonight on Skype, okay?” Groaning I nodded. I lost a bet so I was their barbie doll for a month. If you ask me though, I was glad I lost the bet.

Last was Shelby, she lived across town, but the three of us were close. She and David were like siblings, so we all got along well without jealousy or awkwardness. “I heard you guys were going to that carnival tonight. Have fun. David, don’t get her pregnant!” With that, Shelby slammed the back door and left me blushing in the passenger seat.

“So, babe, you should just come to mine and nap. My mom misses you.” I nodded to him and pulled out my phone. I called my house and left a message, just so that my mom would know where I was when she got home. David reached over and gripped my hand. “I love you Sam.”

“I love you too babe. More than anything.” I squeezed his hand and he shot me a smile. We rode in silence for the rest of the ride, occasionally singing to the radio but no actual conversation. Finally we pulled into David’s house. A smile erupted on my face as I saw Jeannette fire red hair through her large kitchen window. Jeannette was David's mom and was a short stout woman who loved to laugh and had a lovely smile (and son).

I bolted from the car before David had even stopped completely. I hadn’t seen Jeannette in at least three weeks, and I seriously missed her. I burst through the front door and shouted, “Mommy, I’m home!”

“Hey baby, I’m in the kitchen.” I kicked off my shoes (finally!) and walked through the living room. I stood in the doorway until she noticed it was me. “Sammy! Hey sweetie, I thought you were David, he always yells that. Its so nice to see you!” I chuckled and she pulled me into her special hug. The front door closed again and David called out ’Mommy! I’m home!’ like I had done moments before.

Jeannette pulled away from me and walked to see her son taking off his black headphones, dropping off his messenger bag and kicking off his huge sneakers. She shook her head at him, but pulled him in for a hug anyways, “Now go put all your crap in your room!” They both chuckled and David did as told. I followed after him and pounced on his bed.

“Night babe, wake me up at... well its 3:30 now, wake me up in an hour please.” David kissed me quickly and nodded, setting both mine and his phones to 4:30 alarms. I watched him take his laptop and History binder to the kitchen before I drifted off to sleep.

Two different, blaring songs and a body jumping on me woke me out of my refreshing slumber. “Babe! Get up the carnival is waiting!” David yelled right in my ear. I groaned and rolled over so that I was looking up at him. He was grinning happily. He leaned down and kissed me before climbing off me. I quickly climbed out as well and stretched, exposing my stomach a bit. “So I love your new look and all, but it isn’t fitting to go to the carnival looking like that. Wear this instead.” He tossed me a small grey wife beater. It smelled like him and I rushed to the bathroom to change into it. After I switched my shirt, I noticed my bed head. Too lazy to brush it out, I pulled it into a messy bun on my head. I walked out from the bathroom and Jeannette wolf whistled at me making me blush.

David emerged from his room after hearing his mom and, after seeing me, copied her.
I love your hair like that babe.” I smiled at them both. “Okay mom, we’re heading out. See you later tonight.” With that, I slipped on my shoes and we left his house.

David drove to the fairgrounds that the carnival was being held at. It was about fifteen minutes away. During the drive I told him all the rides we had to go on. “No. No no no. I will not go on the Ferris wheel babe.”

“Please David?” I pouted up at him, but he wouldn’t budge. Sighed, I pointed to a ride I could see from the entrance gates. It had cars attached to arms that was connected to the motor. It spun in a circle and the cars moved up and down. “Then we’ll go on that ride. A lot.” He sighed but nodded, thankful to not have to go on the Ferris wheel.

David paid the girl at the window and we got our wristbands. I pulled him to the ride I saw from the gate and we stood in line for a short time before we got to climb on. The cars fit two people, one in the front, the other in the back. I climbed into the front, David slapped my ass, and then he climbed in behind me. “Ready babe? Don’t get too scared now.” I laughed as he stuck his tongue out at me. Picking on him was fun. As the attendant made her way around, he placed his hands on my shoulders and pulled me back so he could kiss me on the neck. She finally arrived at our car and chuckled.

“Sam? Is that you?” I opened my eyes and saw my friend Kristina. “Damn, you’re cute. We need to hang out more.” She checked our door and left after I nodded in agreement. The ride started up not long after that and I spread my arms. I felt like I was flying. I heard a camera shutter and looked back to see David with his phone out. He snapped two or three more of me laughing and reaching for it before he slid it into his pocket.

“You’re a jerk, I look like poop.” He shook his head.

“You like you’re having fun. You look like you’re in love. You look, in a word, beautiful.”