Just One of the Boys

Covering my mouth, I stumbled backwards while Alex nearly peed himself from laughing. Stifling his laughter, he raised a finger to his lips, motioning for me to hush, before opening the window.

“I forgot to tell you they open from the outside,” he whispered, sticking his head in. “C’mon!”

I held up my finger, one hand still covering my mouth. Closing my eyes, I struggled to control my breathing before opening my eyes to glare at Alex. Walking over to the window, I stepped up on one of the old desks resting against the wall. Great, with my luck, Alex chose the highest one.

“You’re a douche,” I growled, stretching onto my tiptoes so he could grab my hand. “Help me out here!”

Chuckling still, Alex bent down and grasped my hand in his noticeably bigger one. He tugged, trying to help me, but all it succeeded in was nearly pulling my arm from the socket.

“Ow!” I whimpered, letting go. “Okay, Give me a sec…” Taking a deep breath, I propelled my body upwards, against the wall, aiming for the windowsill and his hand. His hand I managed to grab with no problem. However, I nearly ripped out all five nails aiming for the windowsill.

The desk, already rickety, tumbled to the floor with a crash, bringing me down with it. I let out a shriek of horror as my feet met the air, just in time for Alex to lean down and grasp me by my other arm. I dangled about two feet from the ground, a nearly broken desk under me and my arms being ripped from their sockets.

“Hold on,” he panted, leaning down further and sliding his hands as far down my arms as it would go. “I promise I got you, Hols.”

“Like I’m going to let go?” I groaned, kicking my feet in a pathetic attempt to find something I can stand on. Behind me, on the stairs, I could hear someone clomping down, their footsteps like angry elephants that would most likely pummel me if they had the chance. “Alex, someone’s coming!”

Furrowing his brows, Alex leaned back, pulling me upwards while I tried to get some traction on the smooth concrete wall. I was slowly moving up, but not fast enough.

“Alex, hurry!” I begged, twisting my head slightly. Alex let go of one of my hands, causing me to drop slightly, a muffled cry falling from my lips. His hand moved down to the back of my shorts, helping to tug me through the window.

Just as the lights switch on in the basement, my foot slipped through the window. I was finally outside, shoved against the side of the building with Alex’s hand covering my mouth.

“Hello? Anyone down here?” a gruff voice called. After about two minutes, the footsteps retreated back upstairs, Alex and I moving quickly away from each other.

“You okay, Holly?” Alex worried, running his hands over my arms. I nodded, still panting.

“A little sore, but they’ll be fine. C’mon, let’s go to the car.” We stood up, brushing dirt from our butts, headed for the parking lot.

“Where’s the car?” I asked, shielding my eyes from the setting sun.

“Uh…Zack said he’d be waiting by the driveway, so somewhere over there.” Alex pointed in the right direction, searching for the car. “But…it’s not there…”

“Maybe they drove around, or they parked in a different section,” I suggested, twirling around in search of Zack’s beat up car. There was every other type of car in the parking lot, but no whale grey suburban could be found. “I’ll call Claudia, just to see where they are.”

After five rings, Claudia picked up, breathless. “Hello?” she laughed, barely audible over the plethora of noisy background.

“Claudia,” I drawled, looking down at my nails. “Where are you? Alex and I are waiting by the drive way.”

“Holly, we’re already at the faire!” she informed me, before shouting to someone else about getting cotton candy.

“Do you mean to tell me that you ditched me with Alex to go to the faire?” I whispered, glaring at Alex’s back. “Are you on CRACK?”

“Hey, Holly, I gotta go, we’re about to go on the spinny ride,” Claudia said distractedly.

“Wait! How are we supposed to get there? Hitchhike?” I cried, running a hand through my hair.

“Sure, you can do that! Bye!” My jaw dropped as the dial tone met my ear, forcing me to hang up.

“This is just perfect!” I snapped, glaring at my phone. “They ditched us! They’ve already left and are at the faire right now!”

“What? How the hell are supposed to get there now?” Alex exclaimed, eyes wide. “The carnival’s about a fifteen minute drive away! We’re not going to walk!”

“Well…” I took a deep breath, scuffing my shoe against the concrete. “We can always take my bike.”

“Holly, you’re a genius!” Alex shouted, pressing his lips to my cheek before dragging me to the other side of the building.

[&cut]

“This was not what I meant,” I muttered, perched on the handle bars of a hot pink beach cruiser. “And whose bike is this?”

“Nolan’s,” he panted, peddling as fast as his feet could take him. I turned my head, blocking his vision of the road and nearly throwing myself off the metal bar.

“Nolan’s?”

“It was originally black, but Jack and I decided it could use a spot of color,” he grinned, before lifting one hand off the handle and twisting my head forward again. “Keep it there, else we’ll go flying.”

“How long do you think this’ll take?” I whined about ten minutes later, shifting slightly. My butt and legs had gone numb ages ago, and now they were beginning to tingle with pins and needles.

“Quit complaining,” he growled through deep breaths. “No offence, but you’re not exactly the lightest creature out there.”

“Are you calling me fat?” I teased, letting my feet dangle close to the wheels before I pulled them back, wary of loosing of my toes.

“Yes, Holly,” he gasped, whipping sweat from his brow. “I am calling you fat.”

“Well, you’re weak,” I taunted right back, swatting aimlessly at his hand. “You can’t even ride a bike with me on it. Pathetic.”

With a screech, Alex braked, forcing me off the handles and stumbling in front of the wheels. “Take it back,” he demanded, crossing his arms over his chest. “Take it back!”

“In your dreams,” I scoffed, rolling my eyes. I moved to get back on, but he blocked the bar with his arms.

“I won’t let you back on until you apologize,” he smirked. “So you better just say it. Otherwise, you’re going to have to walk.”

“I’m sorry,” I sighed, crossing my fingers behind my back. Yeah, I’m sorry you’re so pathetically weak, I thought triumphantly.

“Thank you,” Alex grinned, letting me back on.

“Men and their pride,” I muttered, shuffling back to the bike. “Can’t stand to be insulted.” Clambering on the bar, I lent back against Alex’s chest, as the wind forced tears into my eyes and goose bumps to coat my skin. This was going to be a long ride.

By the time we got to carnival, the sun had set and we were both exhausted and sweaty. “You know, when I said take my bike, I meant my motorcycle,” I informed him as we staggered to the entrance.

“Why didn’t you say anything?” Alex groaned, resting heavily against the chain fence. “We could have been here an hour ago!”

“You wouldn’t listen!” I protested, bending over and sticking my hands on my knees. “Let’s just find the others, okay?”

Children ran past us, faces sticky with sweets and hands full of tickets and prizes won. Boys and girls with their fingers twisted together, puffs of color on their cheeks, and smiles that stretched for miles across their moon stained faces. Parents, with their tired eyes and worn faces stood next to the game booths, gossiping with the other parents while they kept one eye focused on their children. Barkers where shouting for the people to play their games or to take a journey on their multitude of rides that graced the once empty field.

Fairy lights were strung up over our heads, casting a gentle light across the crowds and creating a fairytale like glamour. The lights from the rides blended in perfectly, casting a hazy feel while our skin was painted with the multitude of lights. The scents of cotton candy and funnel cake were strong and tempting, a mixture of home and childhood. I mentally made myself promise that I’d buy both later on.

“There!” Alex pointed towards the couple. Standing in line for cotton candy was the unmistakable red head of Claudia and Zack’s messy dark blonde hair. He grabbed my hand as we waded through the people, apologizing when we bumped into them.

“Claudia!” I shouted, waving my free hand. She turned from her conversation with Zack and instantly smiled. Zack’s face lit up when he saw us, and he waved like a five year old. Leaving behind her spot in line, Claudia rushed towards us.

“Hey, you finally made it! It took you long enough,” she teased, yanking me into a hug. “Oh, and we bought you guys tickets.” Absent mindedly, she shoved a thick stack of tickets into my pocket.

“Thanks! So, what rides have you guys been on?” I grinned, fixing the tickets in my pocket.

“Pretty much everything,” Zack laughed, slinging an arm around Claudia. “We were waiting for you guys to show up, but we decided to go on the rides instead.”

“Gee, thanks,” Alex muttered, scuffing his shoes. “Nice to know you guys cared enough to wait for us.” I elbowed him subtly, shaking my head softly.

“Holly, I’m really sorry,” Claudia mused, looking down. “We didn’t think, and now I feel awful.”

“Don’t worry, it’s nothing,” I laughed, shaking my head. “It’s cool, don’t worry. Seriously, it was nice, getting to see all the scenery.”

“Wait, you guys walked?” Zack asked, incredulous.

“Hell no, brah!” Alex scoffed, imitating Zack from before by resting his arm around my shoulder. “Holly and I rode Nolan’s bike.”

“Ooh, exciting,” Zack laughed, “C’mon, Holly, you choose the ride.”

“Holly! They have the Zipper!” Claudia grinned, pointing towards one of my favorite rides.

There, standing about thirty feet high, was the most thrilling and amazing ride in the history of carnival rides. When you first got on the Zipper, you were lead into a cage-like seat with a door that opened from the outside with cushioned bars for you to hold onto. It started off slow, before speeding up in an upwards position. The brace of the ride would twist, so you were moving horizontally, as well as flipping head over heels. Sure, you got beat up from smashing into the metal sides or the bars in front of you face, and it was slightly scary, watching the ground rushing up to meet you before being jerked backwards, but damn was that ride fun!

“Let’s go!” I squealed like a child, grabbing Alex’s and Claudia’s hands, dragging them towards the line, while Zack followed us, the cotton candy in his hands.

“This ride?” Alex looked positively horrified, his eyes wide.

“Um, yeah, any other ride but this,” Zack agreed, staring at the Zipper like it was going to swoop down and eat him. “Let’s go on the Ferris wheel!”

“No, we have to go on this,” Claudia insisted, handing the tickets to the barker. “Trust me, it’s beyond amazing.”

“I think we’re going to sit this one out,” Zack swallowed, inching away from the ride, Alex right behind him.

“Nuh-huh,” I laughed, grabbing Alex’s wrist and dragging him on the ride with me. “You promised me you’d be my ride buddy, and I’m going to hold you to it. Get in.”

“You heard the littl’ lady,” the barker grinned, pushing Alex’s back. “Get in the ride w’ her.” Gulping, Alex clambered into the cage with me, sweating profusely.

“Don’t worry,” I whispered, nudging him with my elbow. “I promise you can hold my hand it you get scared.”

Alex’s hand instantly latched onto mine as the ride started, bringing us up higher and higher before stopping as more people got on. He had his eyes closed shut, a fine shine of sweat glistening on his forehead.

“It only get’s better!” I shouted, just as the ride started up again, hurling us upside down. Alex’s mouth opened, a loud shriek echoing in the tiny space. It was high pitched, blood curdling, and so damn hilarious, I had tears of laughter rolling down my cheeks. We were spinning, loosing sight of which was the ground and which was the air, while Alex’s scream quieted down to a few whimpers now and then.

The ride slowed down, and Alex breathed a sigh of relief, opening his eyes. “Thank God, it’s over,” he grinned, whipping his forehead.

“Um, Alex,” I warned, biting back laughter. “Not even close.” The ride jerked us backwards, forcing the cage to turn backwards. Alex was screaming again, I was laughing, and we were spinning faster than before.

The ride finally ended, and we stumbled off of it, me giggling and Alex panting. We managed to wobble over to a bench where we collapsed, the world spinning around us. “You scream like a girl,” I chuckled, resting my head on his shoulder, and he rested his head on mine. “Did you like it? Even though you were screaming like someone stole your Barbie?”

“Trust me, if someone stole Barbie, there would be hell to pay,” Alex joked, his shoulders shaking from the laughter. “It actually was fun. Scary as fuck, but fun.”

“Hey, lame-asses, Let’s go!” Zack called, waving towards us. We both jumped up at the same time, following the other couple.

We were lead towards a more decorated part of the field, where the fairy lights were thicker over a fake hardwood floor. A band was perched on a small stage, playing covers and random songs, or letting the stereo play, while couples swayed to the beat. Jack and Krista were dancing together in the middle of the floor while Rian had his hands on the hips of a girl I had never seen before.

“We’ll see you guys later,” Claudia winked as Zack led her onto the dance floor, just as the music sped up.

A rather tall boy with tanned skin, light hair, and startling green eyes materialized before me, his hand held out to me. “Would you like to dance?”

Unsure, I turned towards Alex, only to find him grinding up against some random girl. A little put off that he had ditched me, I agreed to the boy and joined the others on the floor.

“I’m Charlie,” he grinned, taking my hand and leading me onto the floor.

“I’m Holly," I replied, grinding my hips up against his in time to the beat.

Charlie, it turns out, lived close by to EHH, and had lived in Hamilton his whole life. He was sweet, charming, a perfect dancer, and very funny. But he was just…dry. There was nothing deep about him, nor was there anything remotely romantic about him. I mean, sure, he was extremely good looking, but he was more of a friend romance. I didn’t feel sparks when our palms touched, nor did my heart beat race like every other girl clamed when they found their “one”. It just felt wrong to even think of dating him. I could picture us friends, but not kissing, holding hands, or going on dates with him.

As our third dance together came to and end, I stuttered out an excuse about being too tired and exchanged phone numbers before walking to the tables that lined the floor. With a sigh, I sat down at one particular table, slouching like a pro.

“Hey.” Startled, I looked up to see Alex smirking above me. “You wanna dance?”

“Sure,” I grinned, standing back up. The music was an old song, something I couldn’t put my finger on, but I knew I had heard it before. It was familiar tune, fast paced and idealistic for dancing. Alex wrapped his arms around my hips, swaying with me to the beat while our foreheads touched together.

“So…you come here often?” Laughing at his joke, I shook my head. We continued dancing, hips moving together.

“You’re kinda a nerd, you know that?” The song ended, and a soft melody of violins started. We looked at each other, stopping our movement. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed Charlie headed towards me, while the blonde girl Alex was dancing with before inched closer and closer.

“You…uh….I mean…” Alex was stuttering like a pro, rubbing the back of his neck and staring at the ground. He noticed Charlie at least a foot away from us, and quickly took my right hand in his, wrapped his other arm around my waist, and pulled me in close, rocking us back and forth. “I’m not really one for asking.”

“Good thing I’d have said yes,” I laughed, placing my hand on his shoulder. He laughed in return, moving us in a circle as Steven Tyler’s voice echoed through the tiny dance hall. The band had given up and was letting the stereo control what was playing, luckily for us.

“Lying close to you, feeling your heart beating,” Alex sang softly as he pulled me closer towards him. “And I’m wondering what you’re dreaming, wondering if it’s me you’re seeing.” A blush formed on my cheeks as I rested my head on his shoulder, inhaling his scent and feeling his heart thud against my chest. I could feel his lips press once against my head before I lifted it, staring at Alex.

Our eyes connected, and I felt butterflies circle in my stomach while electricity ran through my veins. It was like crawling under a warm blanket during the cold of winter, jumping into a lake and feeling the water hydrate your skin, or on the Fourth of July when the fireworks go off over your head and you can feel the vibrations from the explosion in your chest. He was the glove I had been missing, the shoe that was once placed on the wrong foot but had been corrected, the perfect ending to your favorite book. I knew that I had made myself promise not to fall for him, but being this close to him, dancing with him, was like a dream. It just felt right.

Without warning, Alex spun us even faster around before dipping me backwards, holding me about a foot from the ground. Our faces moved closer, our lips about to kiss, when a couple knocked into Alex from behind. Stumbling, he toppled onto me, causing our limbs to tangle together and our foreheads smack together. Groaning, we lay on the ground while people flittered around above us, questioning if we were alright.

“I’m fine,” I waved, trying to sit up. Alex clambered off me, helping me to my feet, where we stood side y side awkwardly. Blushing and embarrassed beyond belief, we left the dance floor and headed through the nearly empty carnival grounds.

“I really am sorry,” Alex apologized, running a hand through his hair. “Seriously, Hols, are you okay?”

“I’m fine, really, don’t worry,” I laughed, blowing it off. “I should be asking you, are you okay?”

“Yeah, yeah, I’m great,” he nodded. “Hey, do you wanna go on the Ferris Wheel with me?” Alex pointed towards the tall circle, which was lit up and rotating slowly. It looked like a scene out of a movie, so temptingly perfect that I had no choice but to say yes. Lacing his fingers with me, Alex led me towards the ride, grinning like a fool.

“That’ll be four tickets,” the barker drawled, barely paying attention. Alex handed the man his tickets while I sat down on the seat, rubbing my hands up and down my arms in an attempt to warm myself. Alex exchanged a few words with the man before joining me, tugging the bar across our laps.

“You cold?” Alex asked, wrapping an arm around my shoulders and gently tugging me against his chest.

“A bit,” I sighed, watching our breath rise in clouds while we rose higher and higher in the air. The sky was dark, peppered with stars while the crescent moon shone brightly over us. Clouds littered the sky in different parts, grey strips that blocked the twinkle of stars.

Beneath us, I could see couples dancing on the dance floor while the faintest notes from the stereo echoed up towards us. “It’s gorgeous from up here,” I whispered, leaning my head against his chest. The ride slowly stopped at the top, giving us the perfect view of the world from our position among the stars.

“Like you,” Alex replied just as softly. He placed two fingers under my chin and lifted my face to his, the his breath blowing like a ghost over my lips. “What would you do if I kissed you right now? Would you shove me off the ride?”

“You’ll just have to wait and see,” I breathed, fluttering my eyes closed and leaning into his kiss. The moment our mouths touched, fireworks exploded behind closed lids, the butterflies took wind, and everything fell into place.