This was a very bad idea.
Actually, for all my stupidest decisions, this actually takes the cake.
"Come on, Rosalie," Luke rolls his eyes at me, tapping his foot in impatience. "It'll be fun."
I give him a blank look. "Look, this must come as a surprise to you, but I hate—I repeat, I fucking hate fairs or anything that involves being around a lot of people."
Yup, here we are standing in front of the entrance, where just a few distance away from us, people were getting hyped in the game stands all over, and there was a long line to the Ferris wheel. Some people were screaming out of happiness and some out of frustration.
"You go to high-school," he passes me a blank look, showing me the 'duh' look on his face. "Pretty sure there's a lot of people there."
Cocking my brow at him, I cross my arms. "And why do you think that I didn't bother to learn any names except for my brother, Kelly, Caroline, Alison, Kevin, and Zach?"
He shrugs. "You know me."
"You think I wanted to know your name?"
The challenging stare between the two of us didn't break. Not one person has ever handled my temper except for Nathan and I don't show it much because I was on the way to learning on controlling it but when it came to Luke, it just came out—almost like a reflex, an impulse I have to act on.
Normally, he would punch back harder like he always does with me. But then, he shakes his head and heads back towards the parking lot, going towards his red Chevrolet. "You know what? It was wrong for me to force you into this date. Come on, I'll drive you to your place, end this date and I'll keep my word on not starting a fight with Kelly and Chris. I'll leave you alone too."
That was it? No fighting with me in letting me go on a date with him? He was just going to give up like that?
It was so unlike him. From the first day up to before this date, we've either ignored, insulted, or challenged one another. Something about Luke was always different. I've known that from the start (and it's not just because he's a member of a gang that we absolutely loathe) but ignored it, knowing completely that if I try and look deep enough to this enemy of mine—
I might find something that I wish I didn't.
Which I why I'm going to hell for doing this.
"Okay," I hear him pause where he stands, the opened car door was just left there and I knew that he wanted more than okay from me. "This day up until I get back to my place, I will be cool with anything. I'll try to not be a bitch in this date."
He stands still, clearly thinking it over. For what seemed like an hour, he finally shuts his car door, stalks in front of me. "I don't want to force you to—"
Shaking my head, I cut him off before he can even finish his sentence. "You're not. I'm not doing this for them or for you to leave me alone. I'm just doing this because I want to. Now, we better get inside before I actually change my mind and steal your car keys."
There it is. That unbelievably contagious smile of his, one that I haven't seen until that car ride, until now. It's normal for people to smile at you, some it's a greeting or a natural thing for them, but when it came to Luke Thomas himself, I didn't know why it felt weird for me. This feeling of having to want to see him smile again and stay like that.
He, not only smiled, but also chuckled and I don't know why but I found myself joining him.
"Come on, I promise we'll have a good time."
Even though when people say those words, I never believed them, somehow, I did when it came to him.
One thing just stuck with me before going in that fair: Nathan is absolutely going to lose his shit.
We started to reach the first booth which was darts and balloons, all the stuffed toys displayed on the shelf, ranging from a small sized teddy bear to a huge one that was almost half of my height, actually maybe a little taller than that.
"Want to try and win somethin' for ya gal there?" The man in his mid-forties, black hair, wrinkles on his forehead, standing behind balloons that were stuck and scattered on the board, asks Luke. "There's ten darts and if ya hit at least four red balloons, ya get the small bea' but if ya get the ten red balloons, ya get the big prize."
Luke and I glance at one another, humor in our eyes. He moves towards the edge of the table, his hand reaching for one of the darts. Before he could, I bump him aside with my waist, he stumbles but manages to regain his balance.
I wink at him, ignoring the surprise in his eyes, take the first dart and raise my hand, shooting it at the red balloon at the center and it's like a someone has flipped the switch inside of me. My hands were fast, going for the bullseye each time I raised my hand. Then, as I was about to throw the last dart, someone behind us that were watching said something that made me pause.
"Damn, that girl is killing that game."
And there shouldn't be any problem with it. I should've been proud about it but I knew that this was dangerous. I was beginning to show everyone that I'm more than meets the eye.
So, I went for the yellow beside the red one. Hit.
"Aw!" The man claps. "Sorry darlin', no big bear for ya. But congratulations, ya won the penguin."
He reaches for it beside the large teddy bear, and hands it off to me.
Turning to Luke who was still in amazement of my actions, I push the penguin to him, mocking the man who handled the game "Here ya go, darlin'. I won something for my girl."
The amazement washes off, replaced with hilarity in those topaz orbs of his. He takes it with delight, hugging it around his arms. "Aw, thank you baby!" With his other hand wrapped around the penguin, he encircles the other one around my shoulder, staring at the man. "Yes, she wears the pants between us."
I bite the inside of my cheeks, stopping myself from laughing as we walk away from the booth. Gazing towards the man who was still staring at the penguin, I smile. "Okay, I have to admit. It was kind of fun."
He grins—like full blown grin, showing off those perfect pearly whites of his. If I didn't know any better, I would say he was doing that to get me to melt under the warmth of his arm. "See? Told you."
Rolling my eyes, I grab his wrist and peel his arm away from me. "We still have about tons of booths to go to. Don't assume that I'll have fun in all of them."
He mimics me, rolling his eyes too. "Let me show you that it will be, then."
I was drenched. No, it wasn't sweat from all the people from each booth, getting mushed together with them, or from the rain.
It made me laugh, having to my shirt so wet from the water gun that Luke was holding. He thought it'd be a fun idea for us to try the water guns and shoot some targets. It was a competition on who would get the most hits, and I was actually winning (no surprise there) but then he had to turn the gun around and squirt the water all over my shirt.
My mouth opens, gasping from the cold hit. There was a huge circle shaped wetness on the side of my shirt as I look down. "Oh, no, you did not."
He ignores me, cocking a brow. "Sorry, did I do something? Did you say something?"
So, I do the same but hit his face and jacket. He lets go of the small gun, hands all over the place to block the water but I hit him everywhere I could until I was satisfied.
Here he stands in front of me, spitting the water that went up his mouth, and wiping the water that's sliding down his jacket. "That's going to ruin the leather!"
I cup my hand around my ear. "Sorry, did I do something? Did you say something?"
That's when I saw it. The mischief in his eyes. Not the ones that I've seen whenever he wants to screw around with me—no, it's different. It's like he's got something planned and I knew exactly what it was.
So, I grab the small replica penguin that he won for me at a claw machine we saw and bolt away or at least try to. It took Luke exactly fifteen seconds to catch up with me, his hand darting towards my arm, spinning me around to face him.
"Now, you've done it," and he shakes his head aggressively, the water scatter all over my face.
I try to cover myself with the penguin but it's too late, it's gotten all over my face. "Okay, okay! I give up!"
He stops, his hands around my arms still, and we just smile and laugh.
Then, his eyes snap towards something behind me and his smile goes wide. It's the Ferris Wheel I saw right before entering with him. He nods towards it. "Come on. Our second to the last stop before leaving."
Second to the last? What's last?
I don't bother to ask, knowing that he won't give me a straight answer anyways. But before we moved forwards, he lets me go and stalks back, taking the safe and dry penguin I won for him, and takes my hand with his, pulling me to it.
There wasn't much line and we didn't have to wait long. Next thing I knew, we were sitting down, the safety metal pushed to our stomachs, applying gentle pressure for safety.
And it starts to go, my heart was beating too much, my eyes trained on the ground as we rose and rose.
"Huh."
My eyes close, hands gripping the small and huge penguin, and the bile in my stomach was rising. "Do not even mock me."
I hear him laugh silently but only for a few seconds before he placed his hand on top of mine. "Just don't look at the ground. Look up. It's night."
I oblige, my eyes opening as I raise my head. There they were—some were bright, some were twinkling lightly. Nevertheless, the stars were still beautiful and peaceful. The bile that was rising at the back of my throat was finally going down, and slowly, my heart wasn't beating as fast anymore.
"This is actually my favorite place," he says.
My brows furrow, peering at him. "What do you mean?"
"When I was a kid, my father's sister, Aunt Susie," the pain that flashes in his eyes, I knew that something bad had happened to the aunt he's talking about. "She would take Caroline and I here whenever she was left babysitting which is a lot because my parents always worked. It was my very own paradise, one that I could escape people's judgements and just be myself for a while. I stopped going when Aunt Susie died of cardiac arrest, it didn't feel right to be here without her but I don't know, when you came, it actually feels right for you to be here with me."
I didn't know what I was supposed to say. There were too many thoughts racing in my head. For starters, why me? And why was he telling me this? Was I supposed to hug him? Touch him? Was I supposed to feel closer towards him?
Because I definitely was. There was no absolute denying of that.
I'm not the type to share who I am, hell, that's what I've been trying to avoid throughout this whole time I've been here but there's no denying that I'm not going to be able to keep this charade longer. I know sooner or later; something will happen that will expose everything—from the things I've done to the people I'm connected with.
But, tonight, he made me feel like the two of us weren't affiliated with any gang or connected, he made me feel like that we were only teenagers, on a simple date. It made me feel... happy. For the first time I've felt in a long time.
"Tell me more," I can't help but scoot myself over to him, closer, more connected. "What happens in this fair, stays in this fair."
He chuckles, that sad smile playing on his lips became a little bit wider. "Uhm, how about this, since I shared something, can you talk about what's going on with you and Christian? Was he the one you called brother?"
"Did I say something about a brother?"
Nodding, he takes the big penguin I death-gripped since the start of this ride and sits it in his lap, his arms around it like a five-year-old. "Yeah, you did. I think you slipped but didn't realize it. Plus, I don't really see you and Chris being boyfriend and girlfriend."
My nose crinkles. "Ew, no mentioning of me actually dating my biological brother."
"Oh, so he is your brother," he isn't asking. It was a statement as if he was trying to confirm it to himself. "Are you, um, what's the name? Emma?"
"Emily," I correct, nodding. "I found them about a week before first day of school. They didn't believe me at first. I mean, have you seen me? I don't exactly look, much less, act like them so I'm pretty sure they had their doubts. They tested my DNA and found myself to be their daughter and Chris's sister. You wouldn't believe the faces they had when they knocked on my door."
"Gave them hell, huh?"
I bite my lower lip, stopping myself from fully smiling. "Yup. Anyway, they wanted me to stay with them and I did but then, the whole thing with the party happened and I moved out again. Chris was supposed to actually help me get my bags back into the house since I forgave him and his best friend."
"Right," he cocks, rolling his eyes. "Best friend."
"Okay, so tell me why you hate the two of them and vice versa?" He tried to give me that whole innocent look, as if he didn't know I was talking about. "Come on. I'm not stupid. They're not only mad at you for punching Kelly. It's something else. You're supposed to be the one sharing now."
He sticks out his bottom lip, giving that pouty look, and then blinking his eyes rapidly. "Do I have to?"
Why. Does. That. Puppy dog eyes. Looks. Too good. On him?
I jab at his chest, hearing his leather jacket create a squeak from the wetness and the friction. "Y-E-S."
"I'm pretty sure when Cassie confronted you at the first day, Caroline let something slip? You know, the whole 'she cheated on me' bit?" I nod in response. "Did she also mention to you that I'm in a gang?" Nod again. "Okay, well, your brother and Kelly used to be in that gang and well, when I started dedicating more time in the gang, the friendship fell out including my relationship with Cassie too. Cassie cheated one me with Kelly and your brother defended him like he always had."
I don't know what's the surprising part—the one where my brother and his best friend are ex-Shadows or the fact that my brother defended Kelly for being with Cassie when they know it's wrong?
Unquestionably, without a doubt, both of them.