starts to slow down and we stop moving yet again. I risk another glance down and guess there’s about a hundred feet between us and the ground. Carter’s hand tightens over mine and I remind myself to breathe slowly.
“What are you doing after graduation?” She asks me out of nowhere.
The response is almost automatic. “Taking a year to live off art commissions, then Sofia and I are opening up Cruz’s , a tattoo parlor. I’m going to do the designs, she’s doing the actual tattooing.”
This peaks her interest. “You don’t want to tattoo? Fear of needles?”
I shake my head. “I just want to stick to my pens and paintbrushes,” I explain. “Plus permanently putting something on someone’s body seems like a big responsibility.”
Carter’s mouth lifts in a smile. “Oh, right. I totally get that.”
I think this is the perfect chance for me to ask more about her , about her future plans, what she’s studying, about her family, but she speaks before I can say a word.
“Sofia Cruz is your best friend?” She asks.
“Yeah,” I say, “you know her?”
“I’ve seen her around,” she tells me. “She seems like a nice girl. And she’s very… attractive.”
Is this her way of asking if there’s anything going on with Sofia and me?
“Sof’s great and all,” I assure her, “but she’s like the younger sister I never had.”
“Oh,” she says. We start moving again.
“If you could go anywhere in the world, where would you go?” I ask.
She laughs louder than I’ve ever heard. “Am I doing another Blinder interview?”
My face starts turning red because I hadn’t realized how much of a questionnaire I sounded until she pointed it out.
“New Zealand,” she says whimsically. “I want to go to New Zealand.”
“It’s a pretty country,” I agree. “Plus I’m secretly a huge Lord of the Rings nerd.”
“Really?” She asks me.
“No,” I confess. “Those movies put me to sleep.”
“Wow, Ashton,” she teases, “I don’t think we can be friends anymore.”
“What? Don’t tell me you’re a Lord of the Rings fan. You’re much too type A for that.”
She brushes her hair out of her face and starts blushing. “It’s a big secret of mine. Jackson is the one who got me into the movies and I never looked back.”
I’m about to answer her when I realize where we are. The top of the ferris wheel. She’d kept me distracted as we climbed and now, I can see the entire carnival, plus half the surrounding town lit up before me. The buildings and people look like ants, sprawled out in every direction. I see the lantern paths going all around the field.
“This is…” I trail off. I don’t think words can describe how perfect it looks. This is an image I’ll remember for years, the type that I itch get down on some type of paper as soon as I see it.
“It’s not so scary now, is it?” Carter asks me.
I glance at her. “No, it’s not,” I answer softly. Our eyes meet and neither of us speaks for a few moments.
“I don’t think we can really see beauty if we run from our fears,” she says.
“That’s a nice quote. Who said it?” I ask.
“I did,” she answers.
“It’s… nice,” I finish lamely. I’m only half aware of what’s going on. My mind is focused on how close our lips are, and how they keep getting closer. Her mouth is pink, covered in a soft lipstick and is just inches from my own. A breeze hits us and brings the scent of her perfume to me. I can feel my heart thudding in my chest, my left hand
“What are you doing after graduation?” She asks me out of nowhere.
The response is almost automatic. “Taking a year to live off art commissions, then Sofia and I are opening up Cruz’s , a tattoo parlor. I’m going to do the designs, she’s doing the actual tattooing.”
This peaks her interest. “You don’t want to tattoo? Fear of needles?”
I shake my head. “I just want to stick to my pens and paintbrushes,” I explain. “Plus permanently putting something on someone’s body seems like a big responsibility.”
Carter’s mouth lifts in a smile. “Oh, right. I totally get that.”
I think this is the perfect chance for me to ask more about her , about her future plans, what she’s studying, about her family, but she speaks before I can say a word.
“Sofia Cruz is your best friend?” She asks.
“Yeah,” I say, “you know her?”
“I’ve seen her around,” she tells me. “She seems like a nice girl. And she’s very… attractive.”
Is this her way of asking if there’s anything going on with Sofia and me?
“Sof’s great and all,” I assure her, “but she’s like the younger sister I never had.”
“Oh,” she says. We start moving again.
“If you could go anywhere in the world, where would you go?” I ask.
She laughs louder than I’ve ever heard. “Am I doing another Blinder interview?”
My face starts turning red because I hadn’t realized how much of a questionnaire I sounded until she pointed it out.
“New Zealand,” she says whimsically. “I want to go to New Zealand.”
“It’s a pretty country,” I agree. “Plus I’m secretly a huge Lord of the Rings nerd.”
“Really?” She asks me.
“No,” I confess. “Those movies put me to sleep.”
“Wow, Ashton,” she teases, “I don’t think we can be friends anymore.”
“What? Don’t tell me you’re a Lord of the Rings fan. You’re much too type A for that.”
She brushes her hair out of her face and starts blushing. “It’s a big secret of mine. Jackson is the one who got me into the movies and I never looked back.”
I’m about to answer her when I realize where we are. The top of the ferris wheel. She’d kept me distracted as we climbed and now, I can see the entire carnival, plus half the surrounding town lit up before me. The buildings and people look like ants, sprawled out in every direction. I see the lantern paths going all around the field.
“This is…” I trail off. I don’t think words can describe how perfect it looks. This is an image I’ll remember for years, the type that I itch get down on some type of paper as soon as I see it.
“It’s not so scary now, is it?” Carter asks me.
I glance at her. “No, it’s not,” I answer softly. Our eyes meet and neither of us speaks for a few moments.
“I don’t think we can really see beauty if we run from our fears,” she says.
“That’s a nice quote. Who said it?” I ask.
“I did,” she answers.
“It’s… nice,” I finish lamely. I’m only half aware of what’s going on. My mind is focused on how close our lips are, and how they keep getting closer. Her mouth is pink, covered in a soft lipstick and is just inches from my own. A breeze hits us and brings the scent of her perfume to me. I can feel my heart thudding in my chest, my left hand
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