Lasted • Tuck Everlasting

The Synoecize

As we entered the fair, I grinned and quickly held onto Miles' arm. "Remember to keep a low profile. We don't need anyone figuring out about you know what." Miles winked at me as I giggled and nodded.

"So, tell me more about yourself Miles." I asked as we passed by carnival games. Lights were strung about and chatter filled the fairgrounds.

Miles chuckled and looked around. "Well, not to brag, but I've traveled all around the world." Miles boasted as my jaw dropped.

"Really? What places have you seen?" I asked, hoping not to intrude.

Miles smiled as we both sat down on a bench. "The Pyramids, The Brooklyn Bridge, The Rio Grande, The Rhine.
I've seen the seven wonders of the world." He listed off the places he has been too, and glanced over at me. "Can't wait for eight and nine."

He sighed and leaned back into the bench, light emiting onto his face. "But because of my predicament, my peculiar situation. To keep my profile low, I'm a one man operation." Miles shrugged as I turned to look at him. "What's wrong?" He asked as he stood up with me.

A grin consumed my face. "Miles! I've got it!" I smiled as I grabbed both of his hands and held them in mine. "You need a partner in crime."

"What?" Miles asked, chuckling under his breath.

"Someone to share in the view!
Why see all of the world and all of its glories without a friend to tell your stories to?" I asked as he raised a brow, actually considering my offer.

"Someone to stand at my side. Two extra fists in a fight!" Miles teased as he got into a playful fighting stance.
"Why should the road be long and lonely?"

"Why not team up?" I asked as we held each others hand.

"We've only got tonight!" We both smiled as we ran around the fair, hand in hand.

Miles quickly came to a stop next to a clown juggling. "If no one's there to hear it, does a falling tree make sound?"

"Are we heard or seen or anything
without a friend around?" I asked him as the clown started to topple over, but we quickly helped him regain his balance. He lead us over to a cake stand and gestured for us to take a piece.

Miles continued explaining his adventures. "The old Great Wall, the Taj Mahal. Yes, they all have merit." I grabbed a piece of cake and handed it to him.

"But this traveling fair could take the cake because you get to share it!" I smiled as he took a bite of the frosted cake.

It took a moment, but he guessed the flavor. "Carrot?"

"You need a partner in crime! Someone to share in a laugh! Running a race without a pace setter!" Miles and I said together as we danced around the fair.

"I'm out of place-" Miles started but I cut him off.

"-Without my better half!"

The two of us continued to run around like children, receiving a few looks from the townsfolk of New Hampshire. "With you the fun is two-for-one and a choc full of surprises!" I pointed out as Miles saw a small child with bubbles and immediately ran through it with me.

"With you the line moves twice as fast and no one realizes!" Miles laughed as he lifted me up into the air and let me see what the fair had that we hadn't done yet.

"To do whatever we do now will merit reminiscing. With two I finally feel somehow that something isn't missing!" I smiled as he set me down onto the tall grass and I led him too our next activity.

"I have a partner in crime! Someone to share in the view! Why see the world and all of its glories, without a friend to tell your stories to?" We both questioned as we ran towards the dance floor. Miles was hesitant at first, but finally he joined me.

A loud noise sounded throughout the fair. "Last night for fun at the fair!
Sun's setting and tomorrow we're gone!" Music started playing and we both danced. Miles spun around and acted childish. This was the first time I had ever seen his goofy side.

Many people joined us as we jumped in the air and did very fun dances. As soon as the music stopped for the night, Miles and I laughed with each other as we ran off to see what else the night could bring us.

“Ok, so what's next on the list?” I asked as Miles and I were prancing through the fairgrounds.

“Well, I wasn't going to say anything, but I haven't won you anything yet!” Miles joked as we walked through the many prize booths.

I burst into laughter as my eyes met with his. “Oh, hey now!”

Suddenly, I heard a familiar voice. “Step right up. Step right up. Last chance tonight. Last chance to fool the great guesser. I guess right. You get a prize. Step right up.” The voice called out unenthusiastically.

My gosh, it's that man. “Miles, I'm pretty tired. Maybe we should go.”

“Hey, you're not leaving here without a prize!" Miles laughed as he started to walk over to the man.

"Miles. I don't like this man, let's go." I nervously asked as I followed after him, keeping my head low.

“I guess no one is brave enough, goodnight.” The man said as he started to walk off, but saw Miles shot his hand up. “What?”

Miles grinned confidently. “Guess my age, sir!” He obviously was having fun, but I couldn't trust this man for a second.

“Miles!” I whispered as he shrugged and brushed me off. I attempted to stand in between the two.

I ended up bumping into the man in the yellow suit. “Oh! Well, if it isn't the little nineteen-year-old spit fire from this morning!” The man cheered as Miles raised a brow to me. “Well, let's see if your friend's age is as easy to guess as yours was.”

The man beckoned the crowd to watch. “Watch the magic, watch the magic! So, first, we examine the height!” He compared his height and shoe size to Miles. “But the answer's always in the eyes. The age is in the eyes.” The man looked into his eyes and gasped.

“Twenty Two.” The man said as his eyes were widened.

This is when I stepped in. “Yep! Your right! You got him on your first try!” My hand interlocked with Miles' but the man grabbed his other arm.

“Wait! How old are you really?” The man asked as I made eye contact with him. Miles had a gleam in his eye that I had never seen before. The man could tell that he was unique.

“I'm Twenty-Two,” Miles mumbled as he kept a hold of my hand. He was like a protective lion.

The man sighed. “Well, come get your prize.” He sighed, walking to the back of his cart, where no one could see him.

We hesitantly followed him and he smiled. “Oh, girlie. Girlie do you want this prize?” He asked as he wrapped an arm around me and held a knife to my stomach. Miles raised his fists up.

"Don't touch her.” Miles shouted as I tried to stay still. He held up his fists as I looked up at the man.

I shook as the man finally released me, thinking he was wrong about us. I quickly ran to Miles and held onto him tightly. "Please don't hurt me." I panicked as the man pocketed the knife.

"Be on your way now." The man said as he threw a stuffed bear at me, Miles catching it. We both ran off into the woods, but the man in the yellow suit followed us. He still believed that there was something going on with Miles, and he had to figure it out.