The Fairground
[RIDE THE SWINGSET CAROUSEL]
I wiped a little wet patch of Slurpee drizzle that spilled on my shirt. I looked up at the swing set rotating in the sky. There were 12 multiple colored seats, two per set. I walked over to the waiting line. There were about 28 people waiting ahead of me. I stood behind a girl with long, black hair while the ride was still engaged. She was wearing a black hoodie sweater, and blue low-top converse shoes. She smelled really nice, a smell that i couldn't quite put my finger on, but was sweet. I felt a brief moment of feeling inadequate standing next to her. I thought about my chances of striking a conversation with her, or let alone ask her out on a date.
But as I was immersed in my daydream, completely spaced out, she turned around, looked at me, and said, "Long waiting line, huh." almost as a statement rather than a question.
"Yeah, like really." I said, awkwardly, smiling, shifting my eyes to the left in a shy manner, and scratched the corner of my head.
I sharply exhaled, and asked her, "So, uh, what's your name?" still smiling, feeling like my heart was about to explode from nervousness.
"My name is Natalie. What's your name?" she asked, looking directly into my eyes, into my soul.
After telling her my name, it felt like i could feel the Slurpee coming back up in my throat, but it was probably only because i was feeling nervous, now beginning to sweat. It literally felt like there was a frog in my throat.
She noticed my behavior, and said, "Hey, don't feel nervous." and she grabbed my hand.
"Sit next to me on the swings." she said sweetly, although she never gave me the choice to refuse I knew I wanted to sit with her.
We were next in line for the ride, and the swing set lowered to the ground, and the riders unbuckled their chains, some smiling, some looking in the directions of the rides they wanted to go on next, and some who looked like they were ready to leave. Random chatters of conversations flourished while the riders walked through the exit within the barricades.
"We're next!" she exclaimed, pulling me closer, and the butterflies wildly fluttered in my stomach as we handed the carnival ride operator our tickets.
He had a tired, frowning expression on his face and enthusiastically said, "Step onto the ride, buckle up, and enjoy". We ran onto the platform to find good seats. We chose the purple colored swings. She sat down on the right side, and i sat next to her.
I closed my eyes and practiced mouthing the words, "Natalie, I think you are beautiful. Do you want to be my girlfriend?" I had my head faced to the left, so she couldn't see me mouthing the words in silence.
"So, is this your first time at the John F. Kennedy Commons Fair?" she asked.
"Actually, I've been here once last year. How about you?" I asked, as the operator pulled the lever, and elevated the carousel.
"Nah, I've been coming here since I was a little girl." she said, kicking her feet back and forth as the swing set lifted up in the air.
The sky was beautiful, and the sun was about to set. It was a very bright orange color blended with a purplish tint. Sounds of rattling chains cluttered in the air as the riders began to fill the seats.
“Natalie,” I said, hesitating.
“Yeah?” she said, smiling, looking into my eyes again.
“I think you are beautiful. Do you want to be my--” and then suddenly I accidentally burped loudly. My ears turned red, and I was so embarrassed. I fixated my eyes down at the crowds of people walking around at the fair. They looked like little ants. For a moment, I thought I saw Eric standing next to the barricade of the roller coaster ride called, “The Ring of DEATH”, with his arms folded, waiting in line. Natalie giggled at me, and grabbed me by the scruff of my collar shirt and gave me a kiss on the lips, for what seemed like the longest fifteen seconds of my life.
She couldn’t stop laughing at me, and said, “You’re so cute…”, and placed her hand onto mine, gripping her fingers into the open crevices of my hand.
My smile grew enormously, and I felt dumb, but in love. My heart was beating a mile a minute and I couldn’t find the words to say. The swings seemed to rotate into endless laps. I gazed down and I saw a couple holding hands, pushing a stroller, with a small child hopping around, and pointing at everything he looked, while tugging at his father’s shirt urging him to see. My attention switched to the carnival ride operator who was reading a book, with his feet resting on the control panel, eating a bag of chips. My cheeks felt warm, and my chest felt weightless, and I had no care left in the world.
“...you’re the prettiest girl I’ve ever seen.” I whispered in her ear, and she blushed.
“Look at the sky” she said, looking upwards with a crooked smile. The sky was now a pinkish color with the purplish spots that spread out that engulfed the night. Everything looked beautiful and still. The ride began to slow down, and I watched my feet return back to the ground. We unchained the seat belt lock, and I jumped out. I reached my hands out to her, with my palms open for her to grab, and pulled her out of the seat. She was standing in front of me, looking down and up at me. I stared deeply into her eyes, and she stared back into mine. I leaned forward, and softly kissed her, and wrapped my arms around her waist, nuzzling my nose against the tip of hers.
She closed her eyes while she kissed back, and slowly opened them and said,
“Do you want to go on another ride with me?”
I squeezed her waist gently, and replied, “I’m actually here with my friend Eric. He likes to wander off a lot. I should probably find him, but i’m sure he’ll be fine, and he won’t mind if i hung out with you right now.”
“Are you sure?” she asked, looking a little concerned.
And I thought to myself; should I try to find my clueless friend Eric who might be standing in line at the roller coaster? Or, should I just stay with Natalie, and maybe win her a teddy bear at one of the carnival games at the fair?
It didn’t take me very long to decide what i really wanted to do.
I wiped a little wet patch of Slurpee drizzle that spilled on my shirt. I looked up at the swing set rotating in the sky. There were 12 multiple colored seats, two per set. I walked over to the waiting line. There were about 28 people waiting ahead of me. I stood behind a girl with long, black hair while the ride was still engaged. She was wearing a black hoodie sweater, and blue low-top converse shoes. She smelled really nice, a smell that i couldn't quite put my finger on, but was sweet. I felt a brief moment of feeling inadequate standing next to her. I thought about my chances of striking a conversation with her, or let alone ask her out on a date.
But as I was immersed in my daydream, completely spaced out, she turned around, looked at me, and said, "Long waiting line, huh." almost as a statement rather than a question.
"Yeah, like really." I said, awkwardly, smiling, shifting my eyes to the left in a shy manner, and scratched the corner of my head.
I sharply exhaled, and asked her, "So, uh, what's your name?" still smiling, feeling like my heart was about to explode from nervousness.
"My name is Natalie. What's your name?" she asked, looking directly into my eyes, into my soul.
After telling her my name, it felt like i could feel the Slurpee coming back up in my throat, but it was probably only because i was feeling nervous, now beginning to sweat. It literally felt like there was a frog in my throat.
She noticed my behavior, and said, "Hey, don't feel nervous." and she grabbed my hand.
"Sit next to me on the swings." she said sweetly, although she never gave me the choice to refuse I knew I wanted to sit with her.
We were next in line for the ride, and the swing set lowered to the ground, and the riders unbuckled their chains, some smiling, some looking in the directions of the rides they wanted to go on next, and some who looked like they were ready to leave. Random chatters of conversations flourished while the riders walked through the exit within the barricades.
"We're next!" she exclaimed, pulling me closer, and the butterflies wildly fluttered in my stomach as we handed the carnival ride operator our tickets.
He had a tired, frowning expression on his face and enthusiastically said, "Step onto the ride, buckle up, and enjoy". We ran onto the platform to find good seats. We chose the purple colored swings. She sat down on the right side, and i sat next to her.
I closed my eyes and practiced mouthing the words, "Natalie, I think you are beautiful. Do you want to be my girlfriend?" I had my head faced to the left, so she couldn't see me mouthing the words in silence.
"So, is this your first time at the John F. Kennedy Commons Fair?" she asked.
"Actually, I've been here once last year. How about you?" I asked, as the operator pulled the lever, and elevated the carousel.
"Nah, I've been coming here since I was a little girl." she said, kicking her feet back and forth as the swing set lifted up in the air.
The sky was beautiful, and the sun was about to set. It was a very bright orange color blended with a purplish tint. Sounds of rattling chains cluttered in the air as the riders began to fill the seats.
“Natalie,” I said, hesitating.
“Yeah?” she said, smiling, looking into my eyes again.
“I think you are beautiful. Do you want to be my--” and then suddenly I accidentally burped loudly. My ears turned red, and I was so embarrassed. I fixated my eyes down at the crowds of people walking around at the fair. They looked like little ants. For a moment, I thought I saw Eric standing next to the barricade of the roller coaster ride called, “The Ring of DEATH”, with his arms folded, waiting in line. Natalie giggled at me, and grabbed me by the scruff of my collar shirt and gave me a kiss on the lips, for what seemed like the longest fifteen seconds of my life.
She couldn’t stop laughing at me, and said, “You’re so cute…”, and placed her hand onto mine, gripping her fingers into the open crevices of my hand.
My smile grew enormously, and I felt dumb, but in love. My heart was beating a mile a minute and I couldn’t find the words to say. The swings seemed to rotate into endless laps. I gazed down and I saw a couple holding hands, pushing a stroller, with a small child hopping around, and pointing at everything he looked, while tugging at his father’s shirt urging him to see. My attention switched to the carnival ride operator who was reading a book, with his feet resting on the control panel, eating a bag of chips. My cheeks felt warm, and my chest felt weightless, and I had no care left in the world.
“...you’re the prettiest girl I’ve ever seen.” I whispered in her ear, and she blushed.
“Look at the sky” she said, looking upwards with a crooked smile. The sky was now a pinkish color with the purplish spots that spread out that engulfed the night. Everything looked beautiful and still. The ride began to slow down, and I watched my feet return back to the ground. We unchained the seat belt lock, and I jumped out. I reached my hands out to her, with my palms open for her to grab, and pulled her out of the seat. She was standing in front of me, looking down and up at me. I stared deeply into her eyes, and she stared back into mine. I leaned forward, and softly kissed her, and wrapped my arms around her waist, nuzzling my nose against the tip of hers.
She closed her eyes while she kissed back, and slowly opened them and said,
“Do you want to go on another ride with me?”
I squeezed her waist gently, and replied, “I’m actually here with my friend Eric. He likes to wander off a lot. I should probably find him, but i’m sure he’ll be fine, and he won’t mind if i hung out with you right now.”
“Are you sure?” she asked, looking a little concerned.
And I thought to myself; should I try to find my clueless friend Eric who might be standing in line at the roller coaster? Or, should I just stay with Natalie, and maybe win her a teddy bear at one of the carnival games at the fair?
It didn’t take me very long to decide what i really wanted to do.