Short Stories (bxb)

Twenty-Four Hours Pt.4: Girls Always Do It

As it turned out, four days was a long time.

     After just one of those days, Ethan cracked. He wanted to talk to Michael, and he couldn't quite wait until Saturday.

      So he sent a text. Which turned into a lot of texts. An hour's worth, to be specific.

   The same happened on Thursday, and then Friday, and by Saturday, Ethan was way too excited to see his new friend again than any nineteen year-old boy should be.

     "Why hello, sir," Michael greeted, feigning a surprisingly convincing British accent, when the two met in the parking lot of the hotel where he was staying—it was owned by family friends, and they were kind enough let him stay in a room at a highly reduced cost as long as he helped out around the place.

     "It's quite lovely to see you," Ethan said, playing along with a little bow and a—much worse—Englishman impersonation.

     "The pleasure is mine, really." Michael smiled. "To the carnival?"

     "To the carnival."

      Michael tried not to show it during the car ride, but he was really damn nervous about this little outing, for multiple reasons. Mostly because Ethan was the only person going that he actually knew, and his awkward ass was bound to turn into a shy fool in a group of strangers.

      Reason number two: Ethan himself. This whole ordeal was insane. It was as if Michael was one of those dumb characters in a horror movie—the one that, when told not to open the closet because there was something dangerous inside, instantly ran to open the closet.

      "Hey, you okay?" Ethan turned to him at a red light, having noticed his silence and felt the waves of distress rolling off of him.

    "Hm? Yeah, I'm good," Michael said. "A little nervous, but good."

     "Don't be nervous. They're gonna love you," Ethan reassured.

     "I don't know about that."

     Ethan smiled the kind of smile that could instantly make anyone feel better. "I do."

The carnival was a lot bigger than Michael had imagined.

     He'd been expecting something along the lines of the county fair back home.

     This was nothing like the county fair.

     It was all bright lights and tall rides and big crowds. It was so colorful, it was almost hard to look at, but also really hard to look away from. Michael wasn't sure whether to be fascinated or intimidated.

    "Ethan!"

    Both Michael and Ethan turned around at the shrill cry of a girl who was practically running towards them. She tackled Ethan in a hug, her blue hair flying behind her.

     Ethan yelped in surprise and barely caught her when she jumped him. "Katie!" He gasped, sounding as surprised as Michael felt. So that was Katie.

     Bad breakup, huh?

     Ethan put her down, and Michael took the chance to look at her. She was tall, Asian, and—unsurprisingly—stunning.