Chapter 8 - All Too Well (Flashback)

“Where are we heading?” we're almost walking for five minutes, and he didn't say anything. His sights glued on the freeway seriously as I began to discern a figure approaching through the trees, no through the sky, no it was from the land but up to the firmament – it's the never closing lights of the carnival.

“You haven't answered my question yet.” Now it feels like I'm talking to the air. We've crossed the street and now falling in line in the entrance, different faces, and some students from the school.

“This is where I'm taking you.” his voice crammed with jolly, tingling the tip of my ear as we're going through the arc of the opening – a girl snatched my left hand and stamped it, creating a wet inked logo of the amusement.

“Welcome aboard!” he added, as she did the same to Romeo.

My eyes widened, I haven't been to a carnival for a long time. My both parents were busy at work, and I was occupied with my own world I made up – just the comfort of my room. There are various fancy games, you can play and win prizes. Blinding lights, indistinctly screams, and assorted rides.

“Wow! This will be fun!” I beamed, shifting his scenery to my smiling ridiculous face.

“I'm going to write this in my journal,” I whispered to myself.

“Like a diary?” I didn't know he would hear it, and he grinned narrowly – in disbelief but cute.

“Why? I'm an old school.” I raised a brow, he secured my hand and pulled me towards a food stall.

“You must be mentioning my name there too..” he joked, I scoffed at his idea.

“Do you like sweet corn?” he asked, and we're standing before a particolored animated tent and a pile of steaming hot corns inside of structural fiberglass.

“Mm-hmm.” I hummed, nodding my head, comprehending I have poor digestion of solid food at night, maybe my system has been malfunctioning marginally. He paid and we reached it out individually. Strolling away, plunging through the waves of body.

“Do you want to play?” Romeo mumbled, gnashing the yellow grainy food and almost its corncob left. “Let's find out what our luck could bring.”

“But you haven't answered my question.” I interfered with an emphasis. He paid the guy on a chair, the operator that was supervising this game booth, and the excitement flows through his veins. Romeo chuckled,

“You don't choose who to hang out with but I'm happy when I'm with you.”

Then he steered the board, it's a trampoline big sized wheel made of thick plywood with words of different prizes had transpired – the wheel of fortune keeps spinning.

“But you preferred to be with me, there is must be a reason, at least.” his eyes were focused on the circling object, he keeps his mouth shut as if I didn't say something. The board stopped slowly and an arrowed pointing on a – ‘you'll have a pot of love.’

“What does it means? Is that the prize?” I bluffed, Romeo laughed incredulously. Then the old man extended a box of chocolates towards him.

“Sweet fortune buddy!” the gentleman from the chair on his ripped jeans and LA cap sorted out, Romeo grabbed his token and said his thanks.

He offered me it and I tossed my empty corn to the trash, accepting reluctantly. This isn't normal no one dares to give me something except for my family and relatives – my emotions going insane but instead, I shouldn't look for a deeper meaning to it.

“Let's reveal what's yours.” he chirped – but before he paid the guy, we heard someone called out his name. It was Astro and the group, Romeo didn't take the next millisecond – clutching my hand and run away with him. However, Astro's barking, wobbling through the open air.

“He's a dork!” he spat out, a little breathless.

“I shouldn't have introduced you to him.” scanning the area and looking back from our trail.

“I thought he was your friend.”

“No, he's not.” combing his hair with his fingers smoothly as my eyes pinned to him, and reduced our height – bending.

“They're on the way,” he whispered, while I'm examining where could we can escape.

“The Ferris wheel!” pointing my finger and brushing some people against our way, I fished my money from my pocket and paid. We rascally get in as if we're circumventing from some sort of criminals – but what Astro's had exposed to me – he's harmful.

Riding inside the big caddy, we could see them searching for us, they are chatting and made their way out finding no trace of us.

“He's my friend on the field, but in real life, no.” he confided, his face's mood changed abruptly – like there is a kind of hidden matter inside that he was maintaining to balance based on his tone.

“Astro knew a lot of things about me, about my family – about my secret.”

“Do you wanna share something now?” I mentioned, my sensitivity turned on, my awareness and understanding were been paralleled to him.

“Not that I wished to, but I'm willing to listen – but I won't insist you, we've only hanging out for almost a week – and better to share it with a real friend,” I told almost stuttering. I don't know what I'm talking about, but I'm trying to be mellow in the situation – irresolute maybe.

“Astro was my best friend – I'm sorry.”

“What? Then what's the point of lying?”

“It's part of growing up.” his dainty lips soughed, my brows creased, dissecting the idea but it was like an idiom to me. I bobbed my head – acknowledging.

“For you, it's like a week – but I've known you since the first day of high school.” meandering his sights and my heart zigzaggy beating, trying to disguise that I'm keeping my eyes on him too since that day.

“Wait, like you're stalking me?” I chuckled, forming my lips into a thin line, he snickered biting his lip.

“No, but you've been captured my attention and I couldn't delete it on my mind. It was been registered perfectly.” my heart's blossoming, unable to found my right senses.

“When I accidentally bumped you on the hallway, it's my ticket to got to know you personally, to have a reason talking to you, and hanging out with you.”

“And I'm not like them.” he continued, I peeked at him – unbelievably. Holding firm on the seat as the ride starting to rotate.

“What do you mean you're not like them?” his eyes were nervous but the natural allure that blinded me was present.

“I don't love soccer.” bowing his head, noticing the wooden floor of the carriage.

“Then why are you playing it?”

“It's hard to explain but it's my defense mechanism.” gulping goosey and raised his shirt, I was stupefied – bolt out from the blue, his chest down do his abdomen spotted with bruises.

“What happened?” I kneeled closer to him and my hand tracing the marks magnetically, making our ride a little unsteady.

“All of these were from my father's because I'm not the kind he wanted me to be, throughout these years I'm playing soccer and only I'm faking it – just to hide who I really am but I couldn't help it, Kris.” It's all clear to me now, but how could a father hurt his own son – his own blood and flesh, that's so cruel. I hugged him, that's the least I can do at the moment. He clapped my back, and words fleeing from his mouth.

“I couldn't help my self – to be someone I'm not.”

I keep my distance urgently – unlacing from his body. I clasped the border of his cloth and grips on his shoulder. Trying to maintain my balance as my throat gurgling and starts to disgorge the particles of the corn I've eaten to his shirt directly.

“I'm sorry.” we're both shocked, I could feel tears in my eyes and my mouth smells awful – Romeo take off his shirt before it'll absorb the liquid, he had still his inner plain sleeveless shirt. I know this is embarrassing – why out of all time and situation, why now? Now that Romeo's being emotional.

This cart witnessed how recklessly looking I am while I made Romeo a mess – a mess that I liked, probably. We have a few more minutes before the ride will stop and made our way home. Romeo gave me a bit smile, wiping my mouth at the sleeve of my shirt scrubbing some crud.

‘shit’ I cursed inside my head.