The fair

"Girl. He is more than an oh. He is worthy of several moans and back scratches.''

"Nessa.''

"What? I'm sure that you were thinking of that too. I saw you checking him out.''

The back scratches never came to mind, but me being under him and moaning did.

I bit my lip.

(Could I tell Nessa that I have seen him around before?)

(That I wanted to know him more?)

(And how fascinated I am about him?)

(No, that would only lead to Nessa doing or saying something weird and, in turn, embarrassing me.)

(Wait, but we were in the same cafe yesterday, so didn't they see each other?)

The ride hardly had time to stop before Nessa slipped off her horse, wasting no time to race over to him.

I followed behind meekly, watching as she pulled him into a hug.

His large arms engulfed her in a hug.

The hug looked so comforting and like what I needed right now.

I looked away, feeling slightly jealous, which made no sense.

It's not like I put myself out there, as Nessa did. She was fun and energetic. While, well, I was the opposite.

"Fancy seeing you here," Vanessa pulled away. She gave him a once over.

"It's the fair." He said.

"Looking hot as ever.'' She squeezed his biceps. Then turned towards me.

"Royal-Reign, come on over, don't be shy."

I groaned, ''just had to use the name, didn't you?'' I grumbled under my breath, thinking that only Nessa heard me, until Nicholas laughed.

"Hey," I greeted, playing with the straw in my drink, not looking at him and feeling a slight panic coming on.

He simply smiled at me, then looked down at Vanessa.

I hadn't realised how tall he was until now. He easily stood a foot and a couple of inches taller than me.

"Is it a coincidence that we are yet again in the same place? Mostly after I told you where I would be.'' He smiled.

'Yup, no chance there.'

I looked away, feeling as if I was intruding on something.

"So who are you are with?" Vanessa asked, ignoring his words as if he hadn't called her a stalker and pulling him away.

''My little cousin and her friends. I was the unlucky bastard who got the shortest straw and is now stuck with a bunch of teen girls who are obsessed with the tunnel of love.''

Nessa laughed loudly, bumping her shoulder into him.

I lingered back a bit, watching them and wondering if I should follow them, or go home until Vanessa stopped to glance back at me.

"Are you coming Royal-Reign?"

(Christ, there she goes with that damn name again.)

She knew I hated it and her constantly saying my name will only open up questions I was not willing to answer.

I was about to shake my head, but the look she gave said it all.

"Yes, let me just use the bathroom first.'' But really, I was planning to leave.

After splashing water on my face and heading back outside, it surprised me to see both of them still waiting for me.

Nicholas was texting away on his phone, while Nessa checked out a group of boys that were too young for her as they walked by.

"Ready,'' I announced.

Nicholas immediately put his phone away, while Nessa gave me a sly smile, then turned to Nicholas.

"Nick, remember my friend I was telling you about? You know, the single pretty one that has her shit together. This is her."

My eyes widen. 

(Had Vanessa been telling him about me?)

(Did he already know what I looked like?)

(Was that the reason for his staring?)

Nicholas gave a sexy lopsided smile, looking me up and down. "I see. Wonder why she's single?"

"Because she n-"

"Nessa, don't start." I cut her off, gaining an eye roll.

Nicholas gave me a look that I couldn't put my finger on, making me wish I could read minds to know what he was thinking.

"Anyway, let's go on the rollercoaster." Vanessa clapped.

I froze at that. Nessa knew damn well that I hated that ride most of all.

I tried to protest, but Vanessa left no room for that, so I followed behind her and Nicholas without a word.

(Once again, I allowed Nessa to dictate my life.)

Sadly, the line to the ride was short, and as we waited, I stared up at the imposing thing, listening to the screams, and the groaning and clinching of metal.

"Scared?" Nicholas asked.

I gave him a sideways glance but said nothing, afraid that my voice might fail me.

But honestly, what can I say?

(I am scared shitless.)

(Or that I am not a very social person and have only one friend because of this.)

(That I have anxiety so bad, I will pass out or that I have had crippling depression ever since my parents and brother died.)

My breathing got heavy just by thinking about all that. Thankfully, no one noticed.

"Come on, then." Vanessa pulled me along, while Nicholas followed closely behind.

Nessa forced me to sit in the middle, ignoring my panic, which was rising.

I gripped the bar of the car, trying to calm my breathing.

"Are yo- Is she ok?" I could hear Nicholas asking.

"She's fine." Vanessa waved him off.

"I'm not." 

Nicholas glanced at Nessa, then at me.

"I need off of this screaming metal death trap before I die. And I don't want to die."

"So what if you die?" A voice behind us said.

"Christ.'' I gasped out.

''Are you sure she is ok? She seems about to pass out.''

Again, I watched as Nessa waved him off, dismissing my dismay.

"I should get off," I said, but realised that they blocked me in.

Now knowing why Vanessa placed me in the middle.

"Just forget your fear of heights. Live a little." Vanessa smiled.

"You know, it's more than just a feat of heights. And wasn't that what the girl said in Final Destination?" I barely managed out.

"This is not the same," Nessa told me.

"You're right, we are going to die in real life."

Nicholas gave a small laugh from my right. "I can hold your hand if you want me to." He offered.

I shook my head, then gripped the handle tighter. "I might just be the unlucky wretch that falls out of this ride, and I wouldn't want to drag you with me."

"You have a lot to live for. I do too, but right now I don't want to be selfish and bring someone down with me," I told him.

The rollercoaster lurched forward, causing me to gulp audibly.

"And this is how it ends.'' I covered my face with my hands, feeling my stomach sinking as it got higher and higher.

"You won't die. Just enjoy the ride. If not this then, you will be an old lady living with not even a cat,'' Nessa shouted over the clinking noise.

"I think I'm seeing stars," I said.

"Yeah, it's night," Nessa said.

''Why did you force me to do this, Nessa? Why?''

"You need to live a little.''

"I don't want to. I would rather be at home reading my book!''

"That's not a life to live."

"Oh God, oh God, oh God.'' I panicked when the rollercoaster reached the top, then dropped.

The death trap sped down, looped, flew to the left, then right did another loop, and I was crying.

Nessa raised her hand in the air, screaming in excitement and having a blast.

I, on the other hand, passed out a few times.

Thankfully, somewhere along the ride, I placed my life and hand in Nicholas', while he had an arm around my shoulder.

I vaguely heard him say that my palm was sweaty and that I should calm down.

(But how can I? I hate things like this.)

''Nessa! Don't do that!''

I tried to reach for her when she playfully leant over the side of our cart.  

"Relax."

"I will relax when I get off this thing.''

''What do you like to do for fun?'' Nicholas asked, trying to make small talk and calm me down.

"Now isn't the time.'' I shook my head.

Then finally, the torture was over.

Everyone was excited from the rush, even talking about going again.

But not me.