Chapter 28
Tyler
I tug at the collar of my shirt, suddenly feeling self-conscious despite having picked out what I thought was the perfect outfit. Doubt creeps in, now I wonder if I have time to run home and change clothes. I should’ve listened to Harper when she said to wear the gray shirt because it makes my eyes look “pwetty.” My palms clam up, and I can’t seem to stop fidgeting. Taking a deep breath, I remind myself to play it cool, to act like I’ve been on dates before, even though this is a first for me in every sense of the word.
There’s this spark about her, something that just draws you in and makes you want to stick around. She’s a rare find, one that you stumble upon unexpectedly and realize you can’t let go of.
Jared, my dearest friend, answers the door with a curious expression. I really hope our friendship stands true and that he doesn’t murder me on his doorstep. We casually exchange hands, and I flash him a nervous grin, trying to hide the fact that I’m about to melt .
“Hey, Jared.”
“Hey?”
“Is Serena here?” I ask in the most serious tone I can muster.
“Yeah?” his brows furrow, then his eyes widen in realization. “Yeah, come in.” He says as he steps aside.
I follow from behind as we step over the threshold. “I thought you were going to take me out for a second.” He spins around with a pouty look. “Kind of sad now.”
I can’t help but let out a nervous chuckle as I scratch the back of my head. I’m saved by the bell from giving him a response as Serena emerges from the hallway, looking nervous. “Tyler, hey.”
I hold up the fair tickets, a mix of excitement and nerves fueling my enthusiasm. It’s like I’m a boy barely hitting puberty who can’t keep it in his pants. “I thought we could go to the Fall Fest tonight. What do you say?”
Jared feigns disappointment dramatically. “I see how it is, always the sister over the best friend.” He throws an arm around Serena, pulling her into a smothering hug. “Your first date, I’m so happy for you.”
Serena shrugs Jared’s arm off. “You’re embarrassing me.”
“Have fun, you two.” Jared holds two fingers and waves them from his eyes to mine. “I’m watching your ass. I have eyes everywhere . ”
We’re cruising through the streets after getting off the highway. The sunset’s painted in soft pastels, and Serena’s tapping her fingers along to the current song, 8TEEN by Khalid, from one of her curated playlists. “You know,” she says, glancing out the window, “I was expecting a dinner date. Not a fair date.”
“Ah, but you’re underestimating me. We’re going to have pasta later, and we’ll be like the Lady and the Tramp.”
“Alfredo or red sauce?”
“Red, hands down.”
“Good, we’re just alike.” Serena chuckles to herself, turning her attention back to the window.
With a quiet chuckle, I say, “Okay, sunshine.”
Serena catches me staring, which forces me to cough to offer a brief distraction. “What?”
“Why do you keep calling me sunshine?” Serena asks, pulling out her phone and snapping a quick picture of the sunset. Her smile beams as she examines the photo.
Serena observes the picture on her phone, and there goes that infectious smile. It dawns on her like a light bulb flickering on at the realization of my nickname for her. “Oh, am I that obvious?”
“Not at all, you’re just my ray of sunshine. ”
She smiles to herself, and I see blush start to appear on her face. She tries to hide it, as usual, but I can tell a part of her still wants me to see it.
“Too corny? Too cheesy?” I ask, raising a brow.
“Maybe. But I liked it,” she admits, her smile widening even more.
Minutes later, we’re at the Fall Fest. The annual community event is held in the fairgrounds area, right outside downtown Charlotte. The area is buzzing with colorful lights and laughter from nearby families and couples on their night out. Stepping out of the car, we’re immediately enveloped in the atmosphere of excitement and joy that surrounds us.
“Ready?” I ask with a grin, the thrill of the fair sparking in her eyes.
“Oh, hell yes.”
As we approach the entrance, I intertwine our hands together and lead the way through. I mentally thank myself for thinking ahead and buying our tickets and game credits online when I notice how long the lines are. Security is a breeze, and as we step inside, Serena’s eyes widen like a kid in a candy store. Neon lights from distant rides paint the night, food stands tempt with corndogs and funnel cakes, and nearby fair games clamor for attention with their barkers egging on passersby to join in the fun .
With her by my side, we casually make our way to the game booths at the Fall Fest. As we scope out the stalls, it’s a feast for the eyes: prizes suspended on walls, looking for new homes. Her laughter is infectious, and the challenge of winning her a stuffed plushie becomes my mission.
“Hey, wanna give these games a shot?”
“Sure, why not?” Serena responds with a grin, and I catch the sparkle in her brown eyes. “But just a heads-up, I’m not exactly a pro at this.”
“I got this, babe.” I tease, guiding her towards a ball-tossing game.
After paying the attendant with our game credits, I grab a ball, attempting a wild throw that goes completely off course, leading us both into a fit of laughter.
“You said you played baseball, right?”
“Yeah,” I admit.
“Good thing you quit,” Serena teases between giggles.
I go again, and with a bit more aim, the bottles tumble with a satisfying crash.
“And that’s why I was the pitcher, babe.”
“Then you quit.” She huffs out .
The attendant hands us a lopsided stuffed dog, and Serena’s eyes light up as I hand it to her. “For me?”
I can’t help but grin. “Of course.”
“Thanks, Ty.”
“What should we name it?” I ask as we walk away, connecting our hands.
“Potato?” Serena suggests with a playful smile.
I chuckle, nodding in agreement. “Potato?”
“Because I like french fries.”
With Serena’s laughter still ringing in my ears, she tucks Potato under my arm. I squeeze her hand as we navigate the game booth area, and we find ourselves closer to the food trucks. “I was thinking we could grab some food. Get you a turkey leg or corn dog, whatever you want, on me.”
“You don’t have to pay for everything, you know? I have money too.” Serena starts scrounging through her tote bag until I place my free hand over hers. “Pretty sure I have more money than you since you visited the boba shop every day for a week.”
“You know?”
“Jared told me one of his friends kept coming in everyday for Thai green tea.”
“I really like the drink!” I explain, trying to stifle my laughter .
“Uh-huh, sure.”
We make way through the vibrant chaos, occasionally dodging a kid or two running with cotton candy in hand. The bustling chatter keeps us from talking, but I don’t think we need it, as I take advantage of the time to look at her and how the young girl inside her leads the way. She turns around for a second and widens her eyes.
“The smell!” Serena yells as she points towards the food trucks that exude sizzling aromas. “Look at all these choices!”
“Deep fried shit,” I say, leading us toward the tantalizing scents that fill the air.
“Deep fried shit,” she repeats, instantly tugging me over to a booth to our right. “I want this.”
I study the menu on the booth further, then I bend over, laughter taking over my body. “You seriously want this?”
Serena nods happily.
And that’s how we end up with deep fried lasagna, deep fried sushi bombs, fried banana pudding, two big slices of loaded pizza fries and cotton candy lemonade in a plastic mason jar.
“I can’t believe I’ve never been to the Fall Fest until today,” Serena says in between chewing. “God, I can’t get enough of pizza, then this booth,” she waves a hand towards the booth, “has pizza with fries on it. If this isn’t heaven and a recipe for a heart attack, I don’t know what is. Don’t get me started on this lasagna.”
Seeing Serena’s face light up with every bite, her laughter echoing through the crowd… it’s like finding a hidden treasure. She takes a bite of her pizza with fries, but a large chunk of fries fall off her plate, landing on the table.
“Fuck,” Serena mutters, hastily cleaning up the mess.
“Already did.”
Serena shoots me a glare, to which I respond with a snort.
“I was going to ask if you were enjoying this, but I think you just answered it.”
Serena flashes a soft smile. “Oh my god, I’m already in food heaven. Of course, I’m having fun.” She wipes her hands with a clean napkin and takes a sip of her blue cotton candy lemonade. “Want a sip?”
“Nah, I’m good.” I chuckle. She’s like a kid in a candy store, except it’s more like a deep-fried lover’s paradise in the middle of Charlotte, North Carolina.
“How come you’ve never been here before?” I ask.
Serena sets the lemonade down and starts picking the fries on her slice. “I never had friends to go with.”
“Bullshit,” I say, “you’ve known Alli for a long time. ”
“It’s complicated.” She turns her body fully towards me. “Remember when I told you about my dad?”
I nod, letting her continue.
Serena rubs her arm. “I never told you about my mom, because… well, I don’t have a mom.”
My heart drops into my stomach. She lost her dad and her mom? Fuck, I’ve lost only my mom, and it took a toll on me. I can’t imagine losing both. I pull Serena into my arms in an overwhelming urge to hold her close to me.
“It’s not what you’re thinking,” she says when she pulls back from our connection. “She didn’t die. She walked out on me when I was like three or something, for reasons I’ll never know and quite frankly, don’t want to know.”
“Babe.”
She shakes her head. “I don’t want your pity. I figured it’s best to tell you now rather than finding out through the grapevine.”
Now I understand why. Why she said what she did last night. The reluctance to dive into relationships, her past lingers, a shadow on her future, hindering what could be so fucking real with us. But she doesn’t need pity, just someone to understand.
“She’s still around, she lives outside downtown.”
“That’s why you never come to the fair. ”
She nods to confirm my answer. “I’ve never seen her or tried to call her. Guess she never has either. I looked her up once behind my dad’s back. I don’t know why, I didn’t really… think. That’s how I found out where she lives.”
“You don’t want to run into her.”
“Precisely. Alli always tried to get me to come out when we were old enough, but I didn’t want to gamble on seeing her or running into her at the gas station or something.”
I tuck a strand of her hair. “You know I got you, right?”
“I know.” She looks away and I notice she’s playing with my leather bracelet that I don’t plan on asking for it back. Once she catches my gaze on her wrist, she starts taking the bracelet off. “I’ve been forgetting to give this back.”
I place a hand to stop her from removing the bracelet. “Keep it.”
“You let me borrow it that night. Borrow, so I’m returning it.”
“I want you to have it.”
“Why are you so insistent on things?”
“You still like me.” I wink at her.
Serena rises from her seat and collects the now-empty plates that held our food. Together, we dispose of the trash, leaving us contemplating our next move. With a glint in our eyes, we survey the options before us: games, shops, and more food stands in another area. Serena’s smile lights up her face as her coffee-brown eyes sparkle under the vibrant lights from the nearby ferris wheel that towers over us. Without hesitation, she grabs my hand and pulls me toward the rows of shops, excitement palpable in the air. We wander inside this huge warehouse where all the booths sit across from each other in an aisle like fashion.
I chuckle, taking in the assortment of trinkets, postcards, and the kind of t-shirts that make you laugh. “Who knew you could find a whole souvenir shop? It’s like I’m at the airport looking for a postcard.”
Serena grins, scanning the stalls. “It’s like a mini-market in here. I’m tempted to buy a postcard just to say I’ve been to this fair.”
I nod, pretending to inspect a novelty keychain. “You know, I could see you mailing a postcard to yourself just for the fun of it.”
Serena laughs, flipping through a rack of colorful shirts. “That’s not a bad idea, actually. Might be worth the stamp.”
“Did you know a whole roll of stamps costs like $20?”
“Shut the fuck up.”
I nod, affirming this. “I needed one stamp, and the guy at the pharmacy said they don’t sell it in singles. ”
“I think we should riot.”
“Riot about how insane it is that we can’t buy single stamps?”
Serena nods.
“I’m liking you more and more now.” I inch down and place a soft kiss on her lips without thinking.
A faint blush tints her cheeks, but she grins playfully. “Anyway, riot or not, we’re here to enjoy the fair, not start a postal revolution. Let’s go over here.” She grabs my hand, pulling me towards another booth.
Serena’s attention is on an assortment of leather bracelets, similar to the one I gave her. She walks over, browsing through the collection.
“This looks a lot like my bracelet,” I mention, holding it up for Serena to see.
She glances over, her eyes widening slightly. “Oh, it does.” She takes the bracelet from my grasp and quickly purchases it without hesitation.
As we exit the building, she playfully takes my hand and wraps the new bracelet around my wrist. “Hold onto this for me?”
I chuckle at her mocking and lick my lips, “Sure thing. I’ll keep it safe. ”
Serena grins mischievously. “Great. Now we’ll match. Twinsies.”
I glance down at our wrists. “Nah, meant to be.”