The Three-Month Rule

Chapter 13 - Equinox

'The Autumn Equinox Festival' was written in large font on a banner above the entrance in Regent's Park.

Tom, Allegra, Elsa and Chris stood under the large oak tree looking up at the sign, Chris squinting as he tried to read it through his beer-goggles.

"The Autumn Equinox Festival?" Allegra read out aloud, raising her voice at the end to make it sound like a question.

"Are you ready to have some fun?" Chris asked, finishing with a hiccup.

"I think so," Allegra said, looking across to him whilst he tried to count the stars in the sky.

"Let's go and cause some controversy," he said suddenly. "Queue the music."

Chris marched off, leaving Tom, Allegra and Elsa exchanging amused looks before they followed their friend.

Stalls of all sizes lined the entrance, each one selling a different thing or offering a different activity; various handmade suncatchers, leaf prints, pumpkin carving, handmade pinecone bird feeders, bake sales, handmade stationary and hot spiced cider were among a few of the stalls available to the visitors.

Tom, Allegra and Elsa walked together, admiring the different crafted items and watching as people enjoyed their evenings participating in autumnal activities.

"I've never heard of this before. Is it new?" Allegra asked Tom as they walked; brown, gold and orange leaves crunching beneath their feet.

"I believe it's an American festival that they are trying to bring to the UK," he explained to her, mentally noting that people were beginning to recognise him.

Chris marched back to his group impatiently, wondering why they were taking so long.

"Can we get a picture with you?" a small voice said from behind Tom.

Tom and Allegra turned to see two young boys shuffling excitedly on the spot, phones in hands.

"Well, that depends," drunk Chris began. "Can we get a picture with you?"

Everyone stopped to look at him, once again wondering what he was trying to say in his drunken stupor.

"Yes, of course," Tom smiled happily, turning his attention back to the boys. "Don't mind him, he's never had alcohol before," he whispered to them with a witty grin.

Allegra and Elsa moved so that the two boys could pose with their idols. Tom stood on the left side of them, crouching down so that he was eye-level with them, whilst Chris stood the other side looking slightly away from the camera.

"Thank you!" they squealed as they ran off to tell their parents all about their exciting exchange.

Suddenly, it seemed to grow a lot busier as people began to rush to Tom and Chris once they had recognised them. Tom looked at Chris with a smirk.

"It begins," he said.

***

Chris and Tom said goodbye to the last of the group and joined Elsa and Allegra who were sitting on a bench beneath an elm tree drinking hot spiced cider.

"Now can we have fun?" Chris moaned.

"You're like a child," Tom chuckled as he sat down next to Allegra, placing a kiss delicately on her cheekbone.

"Hi, can I get a picture with you?" a small blonde girl asked Tom, her voice quiet as she hid her face partly behind her hands, her cheeks flushed red beneath her glasses.

"Hello, lovely to meet you," Tom smiled, leaning forwards to try and pull her from her shyness. "Of course you may."

The small girl looked at Allegra, her fingers playing with her bottom lip as she spoke her next words.