A Date with My Best Friend

I smiled the next day when I noticed the black eye on Ricky's left side, knowing it was the work of someone I knew.

That person sent me a message as if he knew I was watching Ricky from across the hall, asking if I liked his farewell gift. To be honest, I liked his gift a little too much.

Such a brute_ me

At least I know he won't disturb you when I'm gone_ Axel

Like I need a knight in a shining armor_ me

You know I am far from a knight_ Axel

More like Hades_ me

"Who are you chatting with?" she asked, stretching her head over my shoulder to see who I was texting. I turned my phone off and smiled at her.

"No one, Quit being nosy" I smiled again.

Cleo scrunched her face at my refusal, and when she noticed I won't budge, she crossed her arm and surveyed the hallway.

"I don't know who punched that boy's face, but boy, he is my favorite person right now," she said immediately after seeing Ricky's face.

I bit my lips to stop myself from smiling again.

"Come on, let go," I told her as I linked my arms with hers and dragged her away.

"Let go to the carnival" she stopped walking, which caused me to slack behind her.

"What happened to study for the chemistry test?"

"We are only spending 2 hours at the carnival," she squealed.

"No," I said, firmly optimistic that nothing would change my decision, or so I thought.

Here I am at the carnival.

Despite my futile attempt, Cleo had dragged me here. Her feet did a happy dance to the music coming from the speakers placed all around the carnival.

"Oh my Gosh, Avery, look." She said these words before dragging my arm behind her and not telling me where we were going.

Instead, I found myself in line with Cleo for the photo booth.

"Did you watch that movie where two people entered the booth and went back in time? What if that happened to us? Which would you prefer? Future or past?"

I stretch my neck to see how long the line Is before answering her question.

"No, I don't think I saw that movie, and if that happened to us."

I paused to think of my answer.

"I pick none of the above. I like the miseries of life."

She sighed deeply.

"For me, it will be the past. Regrets that never go away would be washed like the sea washes away the sea shell from the sand."

In her eyes, I saw deep sadness. I didn't ask what regrets she had, but I knew that her family would be fine.

"Maybe I haven't done anything that makes me want to change my past."

"Whatever, it was a stupid movie anyway" she was back to her bubbly self. We had different silly faces in our pictures but no perfect one where we stayed still and smiled, so we entered the line again to take another one.

We tried the cotton candy stand and the hot dog stand; my best was the Whac-A-Mole machine. It was very therapeutic.

I was exhausted, and two hours had gone so fast. I strutted around the carnival with Cleo slightly ahead of me. I took out my favorite picture from the photo booth to insert in my purse when someone bumped into me hard, causing all my things to fall down.

"I am so sorry," the person said as they assisted me in picking my things up, I perceived that it was a boy from how his hands were shaped.

"It's ok," I said, gathering everything from the floor and raising myself up.

"Hi," he said, I looked up to see a familiar face, but I could not remember where I had seen that face before. Cleo stopped walking when she noticed I was not behind her.

"Hello," I replied to him as I watched Cleo dash back to me. She waited as I spoke with the stranger.

He rubbed the back of his hair and continuously looked down at his feet. My friend could not stop and grinned while the young man had not yet said a word.

"I'm Sam," finally, he said.

"Nice meeting you, Sam, but my friend is waiting." I pointed at Cleo, who was shaking her head but stopped when he turned. I took her hand, waving the young man goodbye before leaving him.

"Why didn't you tell him your name?" She asked, sounding pissed at me.

"Because I don't know him."

"Yes, you do."

"No, I don't'"

We argued on our way out of the carnival.

"He is the cute guy from the pizza place." I stopped

"Oh," looking back, even if I knew he won't be standing there again.

"Well, we were late, it's more than two hours, and we need to study for our Chem test," I said, pulling her away before she saw another side attraction and begged us to check it out. This is the reason we don't let Cleo enter the carnival. She always makes us stay till they are closed; lucky we arrived home early today.

It was 1am; I removed my reading glasses and placed them on the table. My eyes still hurt from straining them too much, but I was glad I had covered up most of my scheme for the test as I rested my head on the table for a nap.

Knock.

Knock.

Knock.

Knock.

I woke up to the sound of someone continuously tapping my window. Scrunching my eyes before putting on my glasses, I held my pen like a weapon. And walked closer to the window where the tap was coming from.

I jerked my hand open to hit the assailant in the face, but he grabbed my hand faster.

"Woah! Cookie," my grip on the pen loosens, and the pen falls on the flower bed downstairs.

"What are you doing here" I whispered, his hand still on my wrist, but I tore away from his grip.

He sat down on the balcony window, rubbing his nose as I asked the question again.

"I just wanted to see you before I go tomorrow," he said. Suddenly I felt conscious of wearing only a baggy T-shirt with nothing underneath it. I played with my fingers while our eyes were glued to the ground.

"Well, I am here."

"I know, Cookie," he said. I could feel his eyes roam around my body. He turned away when I caught him.

"You need to wear something decent," he stutters. I giggled a little as I wore a jogger underneath the shirt.

"You can look now" he twisted to look at me.

"You are a perv," I chuckled while saying that.

"You won't be my undoing, Cookie" I sat beside him, and that night, we talked about many things. It was an endless discussion that I didn't know when I was tucked into my bed or when I had fallen asleep.