Understanding a Storm

22. Ring pop

Aisha's POV

I parked in the nearest parking space available and looked at Keon who was silent through out the whole ride. His eyes scanned the whole area with excitement making me release a breath I didn't know I anxiously held onto.

"Is this really?" he whirled his head to face me. I nod also not being able to resist the urge to smile the way he was.

"This is so cool!" he giddily got out of the car and jogged over to my side. He opened my door while he was already twirling around to see the attractions. This place was the little event like carnival they held across the street from the church I first met him. Instead of an overpopulated area with lots of litter, it was pretty fancy with the top brand stores in rows. Funny really. It was the one I frowned down upon. Oh, the irony.

But a very happy boyfriend meant I actually did it right. My anxiety vanished right away when he started tugging me over to see the booths. We walked around as well as having mindless chatter and random bursts of laughter.

"Which one do you want?" Keon crossed his arms and nod over to the selection of stuffed toys hung up in one particular booth. I leaned my head on his arm to take my time in choosing. Even though we haven't played the game yet.

"I want the octopus," I spoke with my eyes locked on the cute thing. It was purple, my favorite color. With a nice little top hat, fancy mustache and a monocle! Keon shook his head lightly as he tried to conceal his laugh by coughing.

"You know what, I'll get my own." I huffed. His brow shifted up, "Is that a challenge?"

"It might be," I crossed my arms and showed him a competitive smirk.

"Okay... How about, you try to win the pug for me. While I'll win the octopus for you," he suggested as we hands the clerk a ten dollar bill. I shrugged and looked up to see the cute pug. But the octopus was cuter. The clerk gave us our own little bean bags with a few screws tapered into it and explained the rules. Stand behind the line, throw them, and try to aim for at least a whole row- consisting of three balloons.

I threw one of the five bean bags I had. It went straight to one of the balloons and popped it. Keon did the same but missed. "Beginner's luck," Keon scoffed playfully. I stuck my tongue out and proceeded to hit multiple balloons while he missed a couple.

"Here," Keon grumpily hands me my octopus. I eagerly snatched it out of his hand and threw him his pug. My excitement turned his frown upside down and soon we were walking back to the car.

"What are you gonna name it," he swung his arm around my shoulder. I cuddled closer, holding it against my chest while he had his pug hanging in his other arm.

"Petunia," I answered.

"Pe-" he started but stopped when I raised a brow. "Okay, Petunia it is." he humored making me smile. It's an ugly sounding name though I can't stop myself from naming my octopus exactly it.

"What about you?" I asked motioning over to his other side. He looked up thoughtfully, then concentrated on the hood of the car as if it would reveal the answer.

"Vladimir," he nods. I covered my mouth to stifle the bubbling laughter in my throat. He catches me and shot me a glare. 

"Nothing," I held my hands up in surrender.

"Petunia the octopus and Vladimir the pug. Let's never be parents," he chuckled.

...

"It's 6 PM. We still have a lot of time... we can-" I shushed him by patting my palm on his nose. Keon looks at me oddly, then shook it off. I waved him over to my bedroom and sat him down on my bed. His eyes widened in sheer panic making me laugh.