Ms. Anderson

Chapter 8

I didn't think it was that scary, but Lily is clearly scared to death. She looks from me to Alex and sighs.

"I need a drink," she declares, making her way to the nearest stall. Glancing in her direction, I spot a familiar figure a short distance away. It's Ms. Anderson.

"So, that's the reason you're all smiley," Alex remarks, following my gaze. As she does, Ms. Anderson looks in our direction, meeting my gaze. I smile at her, unsure of what else to do, and she checks me out before smirking and returning to her own conversation.

"Wow, girl. She's straight up flirting with you in public," Alex observes, and I can't help but suppress a grin. Alex is about to say something else, but Lily interrupts her.

"So, are we doing something fun now? I'm done with all the scary shit," she says, casting a glance between us. "Did I interrupt something?" she adds.

"No, not at all. Let's go find something fun to do," I suggest, guiding her along with us.

Bumper cars are one of my favorite things to do at the fair, besides shooting games. As we step out of the cars, we run into Jennifer and some of her friends.

"Hi, Jennifer! How are you feeling?" I ask her as she greets us.

"A bit down still, but I couldn't miss the fair," she explains. She's accompanied by three friends.

"This is Lou, Rose and Diane," Jennifer introduces them.

"I'm Emily. It's nice to meet you all," I say, while Alex and Lily introduce themselves

"Maybe we could all hang out together?" Jennifer suggests, scanning our faces for approval, and we all nod in agreement.

"I've heard there's going to be a live band at nine. How about we go dance?" Lou proposes, and everyone agrees.

As we stroll toward the back of the fair, I can't help but notice Rose glancing at me from time to time. I wonder if it's because she dislikes me or if she's interested in starting a conversation. Just as I'm pondering, she sidles up next to me.

"Hi, I'm Rose. I know Jen already introduced us, but I wanted to do it properly myself," she says with a smile, her cheeks tinged pink. She's got shoulder-length brown hair and dark brown eyes. She's got a nose piercing and the longer I look, the more I realise she's definitely not straight. Rings on all her fingers, converse, ripped jeans and a tight fitting black top and all kinds of necklaces and bracelets. She's absolutely beautiful. I won't lie about that.

"Hi, Rose. I love your outfit," I compliment her, admiring her style.

"Thanks. I love yours too," she responds, glancing down shyly. She's trying to flirt and she's terrified. It's kind of cute.

"Thanks," I reply as we approach the dance floor. I'm dressed casually in jeans, a white top, and a leather jacket, paired with my converse. Minimal jewelry, just my small golden heart-shaped necklace, watch and a few rings. Simple, but I like it.

As the band starts playing and the dance floor fills up, Jennifer, Lou, and Diane head to the center while Rose remains with us.

"Well, I'm going to dance too," Alex announces, and Lily follows her, leaving me alone with Rose, her cheeks flushing once more.

"Don't you want to dance?" I ask, noticing her gaze drifting toward the dance floor.

"Not yet. Need to warm up a bit," she chuckles, turning to me. "Can I ask you something?" she adds, her tone slightly hesitant.