for him to get out of meetings, I’d play darts. So I have really good aim.” She shrugs nonchalantly and holds her hand out for another pin. Carter tosses this one and it, too, lands on a pin. She does this with the remaining four rings and I watch her in stunned silence.
“I believe that’s six prizes,” she says to the attendee, who is also looking at her in awe.
The attendee finally composes himself. “Right, um, over here, please.” He leads the two of us to a wall adjacent to the one that holds the pins, and gestures toward the many prizes displayed. “You can either get six from the lower row, or one from the higher row.”
Carter’s eyes scan over the prizes before her gaze finally settles on a big, brown teddy bear wearing a baseball cap. “That one,” she tells the attendee and he gets it down for her. He hands it to her and she thanks him.
“Well, that was fun,” she grins. “Sorry I didn’t really let you play. We could go back-”
“No, no that’s okay,” I cut her off. “I don’t need witnesses to my lack of hand eye coordination.”
“There’s a ferris wheel,” she says out of nowhere. “It’s so tall.” I look at what she’s staring at and sure enough I see an enormous ferris wheel on the other side of the field. I’ve never been a big fan of heights but I can see the excitement in Carter’s eyes when she looks back at me and I know there’s no way I’m not going to take her to the top of it.
“Come on,” I say, nodding my head toward the ferris wheel. She grins and takes my arm again, her teddy bear in her other hand. We make our way across the field, dodging the rowdy children and carnival-goers. It’s dark now, but there are paper lanterns lighting up pathways all across the park.
Finally we come to a relatively short line for the ferris wheel. I guess we’ll be a part of the next group to board.
“I’ve never been on one of these,” she tells me, “but it always looks fun in the movies.”
I chuckle nervously. “I’ve never been on one either,” I admit.
She raises her eyebrows at me. “Seriously?”
“Yeah, I don’t do too well with heights.”
Her eyebrows somehow go even higher and she stares at me. “I can’t believe you’re afraid of heights.”
I scoff. “I’m not afraid of them. I just freak out when my feet are too far away from the ground.”
“Wow,” she says. “You know, you don’t have to come on with me.” The current riders are getting off and we’re moving ahead in the line. “You can just wait here.”
I look up and take in the sheer size of the ferris wheel. It’s not too high, perhaps three hundred or four hundred tall. There’s a lump in my throat but I swallow it down. I can do this.“No, I’m going with you,” I tell her.
The attendee guides us into the seats and we settle in. There’s a loud noise signaling that we’re about to start moving and Carter sits her teddy bear beside her, then looks down at the ground disappearing beneath us. My hands are gripping the cool metal rail and I stare at the sky, refusing to look down. “Is it over yet?” I ask.
“We’ve only moved, like, fifty feet,” she informs me. Slowly, I glance down and see that the ground is only a small jump away. I mean, I’d probably die but at least I’d be off of this flying metal deathtrap. “We still have a few hundred before it’s our turn at the top,” she adds on.
We start moving again and I tense up. I feel something warm on my hand and look at it. Carter’s palm rests against it and I look over at her. She’s staring back at me, her large hazelnut eyes sincere. “It’s okay, Ashton,” she says quietly and I release a long breath. My heart rate
“I believe that’s six prizes,” she says to the attendee, who is also looking at her in awe.
The attendee finally composes himself. “Right, um, over here, please.” He leads the two of us to a wall adjacent to the one that holds the pins, and gestures toward the many prizes displayed. “You can either get six from the lower row, or one from the higher row.”
Carter’s eyes scan over the prizes before her gaze finally settles on a big, brown teddy bear wearing a baseball cap. “That one,” she tells the attendee and he gets it down for her. He hands it to her and she thanks him.
“Well, that was fun,” she grins. “Sorry I didn’t really let you play. We could go back-”
“No, no that’s okay,” I cut her off. “I don’t need witnesses to my lack of hand eye coordination.”
“There’s a ferris wheel,” she says out of nowhere. “It’s so tall.” I look at what she’s staring at and sure enough I see an enormous ferris wheel on the other side of the field. I’ve never been a big fan of heights but I can see the excitement in Carter’s eyes when she looks back at me and I know there’s no way I’m not going to take her to the top of it.
“Come on,” I say, nodding my head toward the ferris wheel. She grins and takes my arm again, her teddy bear in her other hand. We make our way across the field, dodging the rowdy children and carnival-goers. It’s dark now, but there are paper lanterns lighting up pathways all across the park.
Finally we come to a relatively short line for the ferris wheel. I guess we’ll be a part of the next group to board.
“I’ve never been on one of these,” she tells me, “but it always looks fun in the movies.”
I chuckle nervously. “I’ve never been on one either,” I admit.
She raises her eyebrows at me. “Seriously?”
“Yeah, I don’t do too well with heights.”
Her eyebrows somehow go even higher and she stares at me. “I can’t believe you’re afraid of heights.”
I scoff. “I’m not afraid of them. I just freak out when my feet are too far away from the ground.”
“Wow,” she says. “You know, you don’t have to come on with me.” The current riders are getting off and we’re moving ahead in the line. “You can just wait here.”
I look up and take in the sheer size of the ferris wheel. It’s not too high, perhaps three hundred or four hundred tall. There’s a lump in my throat but I swallow it down. I can do this.“No, I’m going with you,” I tell her.
The attendee guides us into the seats and we settle in. There’s a loud noise signaling that we’re about to start moving and Carter sits her teddy bear beside her, then looks down at the ground disappearing beneath us. My hands are gripping the cool metal rail and I stare at the sky, refusing to look down. “Is it over yet?” I ask.
“We’ve only moved, like, fifty feet,” she informs me. Slowly, I glance down and see that the ground is only a small jump away. I mean, I’d probably die but at least I’d be off of this flying metal deathtrap. “We still have a few hundred before it’s our turn at the top,” she adds on.
We start moving again and I tense up. I feel something warm on my hand and look at it. Carter’s palm rests against it and I look over at her. She’s staring back at me, her large hazelnut eyes sincere. “It’s okay, Ashton,” she says quietly and I release a long breath. My heart rate
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