𝚌𝚑𝚊𝚗𝚐𝚎 - 𝚖𝚊𝚝𝚝 𝚜𝚝𝚞𝚛𝚗𝚒𝚘𝚕𝚘

͟͟͞͞➳❥ Funnel Cake ͟͟͞͞➳❥

"For funnel cakes and ditching responsibility?" I smirk. "Absolutely."

The fair smells like cotton candy, popcorn, and tractor fuel, which weirdly works. The sun's high but not brutal, and there's a soft breeze carrying the sound of distant screaming from a rollercoaster. It's loud, colorful, chaotic, and exactly what we needed.

Nick's already dragging Chris toward the corndog stand like his life depends on it. Madi slips her arm through mine. "We're getting fried Oreos. I don't care if I pass out mid-ride, it's worth it."

Matt's walking on my other side, sipping his coffee, watching the chaos like he wouldn't rather be anywhere else. "You've come to be a staple at our house, you know," he says.

I raise an eyebrow. "What's that mean?"

"You're just..." he shrugs. "You fit in at our house, it feels like normal for you and Madi to be there." I laugh and lightly elbow him. "Well we have been basically living there, but I do have to go home today. My dad said I have too." I say knowing I have to follow my dad's rules and do need to go to my own home, after either being at Madi's or Matt's lately.

He hums in acknowledgement but I can tell he's a little upset, and I am too. Spending the past few days at their house made a part of me start to feel like it's my own home.

We spent the next hour running around like kids. Chris somehow wins a giant white teddy bear in a ring toss game, which he gives to Madi. Chris nearly throws up after spinning too many times on the Tilt-a-Whirl. I try (and fail) to score nick a date with the guy running the lemonade stand. I go on so many rides with Madi, and I call my dad every hour like I promised.

And then there's Matt.

Matt walks close. Not too close, but just enough that our hands keep bumping and I don't pull away. Every time I look at him, he's already watching me like I'm more interesting than any of the neon lights or fried food surrounding us.

Eventually, he nods toward the Ferris wheel. "Come on."

I blink. "Just us?"

"Unless you want to sit between Nick and a funnel cake."

I laugh. "Nope. Let's go."

We climb into the creaky metal seat and it lurches upward. As we rise over the fairgrounds, the noise quiets just a little. I look down and spot the others: Madi twirling her flamingo like it's a dance partner, Nick deep in a churro, Chris trying to win a bucket hat at a dart booth.

Matt's watching me again.

"What?" I ask, smiling.

He shrugs. "You look happy. I like it."

My heart does a little flip. I turn to face forward, feeling my cheeks warm. "I am happy," I say. "Today's been so much fun."

"Yeah," he says softly. "It has."

The Ferris wheel pauses at the top. The view is everything, golden sunlight, hills in the distance, the whole fair below us buzzing like a little toy town. And we're up here, still and quiet, like a secret.

"I'm really glad you came today," he says.

I glance at him. "What can I say, I cant get enough of you."

There's this beat where it feels like he might lean in, but then the wheel jolts and we both jump and start laughing.

When we get off, Madi's already yelling at us to hurry over for deep-fried cookie dough. Matt grabs my hand without thinking, like it's the most natural thing in the world.

And I don't let go.

By the time we pile into the car, everyone smells like sugar and sun, and we're all half-asleep from too many rides and way too many snacks. Chris keeps complaining that his legs feel like spaghetti, and Nick won't shut up about how he almost won the stuffed Pikachu. Almost.