Carolina [h.s]

chapter five

south carolina
june 1990

***

Vada
//

Midsummer air is hot and smells like cotton candy, corn bogs, and just-cut grass. Flags and stars deck the fairgrounds, and loud parade music plays from the speakers. There's people everywhere from all across town celebrating the beginning of summer vacation.

The entire town mingles around me and Juliet as we find our way out of the busy areas of the concession stands and towards the beach where there's more people but less chaos.

"We should just leave, and go get drunk at my house." My best friend suggests. She's not having a good time like everyone else.

Probably because she and Zayn got in a huge fight yesterday and haven't spoken since. She's been not so secretly keeping an eye out for him, and I've been doing the same but with his band mate.

Things are still the same with our secret and it was becoming a routine. Every night I saw a little piece of that barrier he keeps up for everyone coming down in the slightest way. I was starting to get wrapped up in him without realizing it.

"He's probably not even here, Li." I say as we sit down in the sand and pass her the large slushy  we've been sharing.

I try to use my words to convince myself more than her. "The boys probably think some silly fair like this is lame." I shrug.

The waves crash in front of us and the sun hangs low in the sky. It was almost dark and that meant the fireworks were starting soon.

"You're right, they're probably not even here. I should just enjoy myself without letting my piece of shit boyfriend ruin my fun." Juliet rolls her eyes as she slips the blue slushee. Our mouths match the same stained blue.

I laugh wrapping my arm around her. "That's the spirit!" I pull her up from the spot in the sand.

"Let's go have fun. We can ride the zipper until we puke." I suggest which makes her laugh and follow my lead with our hands attached.

For the next hour we secretly sip out of a flask that Juliet brought while conquering almost every ride the fair has. We eat corn dogs, and cotton candy, and by the end of it Juliet swears she's gonna throw up so we sit down at one of the picnic tables while I eat the rest of the funnel cake.

"Well, if it isn't Juliet Parker." A slightly familiar voice calls from next to us interrupting our conversation.

We both look over to the two tall boys we have gone to school with since kindergarten. Benny and his best friend Michael. Juliet jumps up immediately hugging them both.

"Where the hell have you been, you assholes!" she jokes as she pulls away from the hug.

Michael whose eyes are always trained specifically on my best friend answers with a shrug.