In Charlie's Arms

28 • Carnival

After about five minutes of walking around the small carnival, Seraphina came to the realization that if there was ever a time where all the women in town needed to be in one area for whatever reason, Charlie was the person to do it.

Everywhere Sera looked, she saw a woman staring at Charlie as if they had never seen an attractive man before.

It slightly irritated her, yet also made her happy that he wasn't paying attention to any other woman except her.

Not even Matt had been able to do that. She had caught him numerous times eyeing other women. But not Charlie. Charlie didn't even glance their way, like he was completely oblivious to them.

"Hey, wanna spilt a cotton candy?" Sera asked as they neared the confection booth. "I'll pay."

"Sure, but I'll pay," Charlie replied with finality.

Sera sighed, knowing that there was no use in arguing with him. "Alright. Is pink okay with you?"

"I guess so. I've never tried cotton candy before."

"Never?" Sera went bug-eyed.

Charlie shook his head. "Never, but I've always wanted to try it."

Sera smirked. "Well I'm pretty sure you'll like it. All it is is sugar, after all."

After waiting in line for five minutes, they eventually received their pink cotton candy, Charlie looking at it in confusion.

"Usually you bite into it, but you can also tear some off like this," Sera told him, pulling off a small wad of the fluffy, pink cloud and handing it off to him.

He took the piece gingerly, studying it closely between his fingers before popping it into his mouth. "Woah," he said almost immediately. "I didn't think it would melt so fast."

Sera smiled at his childlike fascination, motioning for him to eat some more. He did, and together they finished the treat off in mere seconds.

"Want another one?" Charlie asked, already getting back in line. "I want to try a blue one."

Sera laughed under her breath. "I think I'm all sugared out, but go ahead. I'm gonna go find a bathroom so I can wash my hands." She held up her sticky fingers.

"Do you want me to walk with you?" He offered, taking a step towards her to get out of the line.

"No, it's fine, it'll only take me a moment." She walked off when he gave her a nod, aimlessly wandering down the crowded street in search of a bathroom.

It didn't take long for her to locate several blue portable bathrooms near one of the game booths, though she did have to sneak her way past a group of Tessa's friends she recognized in order to reach it.

Luckily, she made it to the bathroom without them spotting her and was able to wash her hands. As she moved to exit the small space, she froze upon hearing Tessa's voice through the thin, plastic walls.

"You'll never guess who I just talked to," she said with an air of mystery, eliciting curious questions from the group of girls Sera assumed she was talking to. "Superman," Tessa revealed after a drawn out pause.

The girls gasped and giggled. "Really?" one of them asked. "What'd he say?"

"Oh, we just talked about this and that," Tessa repeated her line from earlier, the one she had said to Sera with a smug smile attached. "He's really handsome up close."

Wait, is Superman their nickname for Charlie? Sera thought.

"Where'd you see him at?" Another girl asked. "Maybe I can finally shoot my shot."