The 20 Dates Challenge

Thirty-Two - Date Number Eleven

Date Number Eleven

‘Winter holidays,’ Alex laughs.

He dumps his school bag by the door and jumps over the back of the couch. I walk over to him and he pulls me down on top of him.

‘Three glorious weeks without school,’ he kisses me.

‘I wish it snowed here,’ I say, curling into his side.

‘Then you’d be even colder than you are now.’

He’s not kidding. I’m wearing a jumper and jacket over my school shirt with a long sleeved shirt underneath, plus two pairs of tights, gloves and a scarf, and I’m frozen. He wraps his arms around me, giving me his body heat.

‘Yeah, but at least it would be all pretty outside. Think about it, the sky all full of fluffy white clouds and water crystals hanging from the gutters.’

‘And the ice puddles that you slip on walking to school.’

‘And one morning I fall and break my arm.’

Alex holds up his hand in the cast. It was originally white, but is now covered in lots of signatures and cheesy get-well sayings. I reach up and trace the purple and blue love hearts I’d scribbled all over it. He smiles, then wraps his arms around my waist and pulls me on top of him again.

‘Can I stay the night?’ he asks.

‘You’ve stayed over every weekend. Shouldn’t you spend some time with Connie and your mum?’ I say carefully.

‘Mum doesn’t want us around,’ he says stiffly.

He plays with my hair, avoiding looking at my eyes.

‘I’m sure she does.’

‘No, she doesn’t. She’d rather be on her own. Connie’s been staying with friends whenever she can and I come here or I hang out with Taylor or Jackson. It’s easier.’

I don’t know what to say.

‘So, can I stay the night?’ he asks again.

‘Sure, won’t be a problem,’ I reply.

He smiles and kisses me.

‘So, what’s this date?’ I ask.

We are at Southbank, standing under the Brisbane eye. The Ferris wheel, in other words. I stare up at the big, rotating wheel. Alex pulls the ragged paper form his pocket.

‘Eleven,’ he reads, ‘do the lamest tourist thing in your area that you have both secretly wanted to do forever. Have an unabashed good time.’

‘We’re going to ride the Ferris wheel?’ I ask.

‘We’re going to ride the Ferris wheel,’ he laughs in reply.

‘I’ve always wanted to,’ I say.

I run towards the ticket booth.

‘On me,’ he says, pushing me away from the window, ‘two adults please.’

‘That’ll be thirty dollars.’

Alex hands over the cash and we run up the ramp to the loading dock. There is no one else in line or on the wheel. It slows and stops and we get on. The little carriage is nice and warm because of the heater. We go slowly up and up. Alex takes photos of everything. I notice his big, new camera.

‘Where on earth did you get that?’ I laugh.

‘A present from my uncle,’ he shrugs.

Then he takes more photos. After three rotations, we stop at the top. I gasp at the view.

‘This is the cheesiest thing we have ever done,’ he laughs.

I lean over and kiss him.

‘Thank you,’ I whisper.

‘For what?’ he asks.

‘For not losing yourself,’ I say simply.

He smiles.

‘I’ve got too much to stick around for.’

I take his hand in mine and he smiles again. The wheel begins its slow decent to the bottom. We get off and he leads me to the entrance of the science museum.

‘Really?’ I laugh, ‘I haven’t been here since grade eight.’

‘It’s touristy,’ he laughs back, ‘and I’ve never been.’

‘But that was a compulsory excursion.’

‘I was sick,’ he shrugs.

I shake my head and we go inside. He pays, again, and we go to the first room. He takes pictures of me sitting at the giant table and walking through the revolving tunnel. I stand at the end of the diminishing room and pose and ride the skeleton’s bicycle. I lift a fridge and take a photo of my shadow that’s stuck to the wall. We get so caught up in the fun that we forget the time.

We catch the train back and don’t get home until nine-thirty.

‘I’m glad the museum stays open this late on holidays,’ he laughs.