Draping an arm carelessly around my shoulder, Conner pulls me into a small convenience store. "What are you doing?" I glare annoyedly at his arm resting on mine, but in reality I like the way his fingertips brush delicately against the exposed skin, sending electric currents through my veins at lightning speed.

He sneers childishly, "Don't tell me you've already forgotten about the dare?" Forcefully, I pry his arm off of mine, concealing the sudden melancholy notion I feel at the loss of contact.

"Unfortunately no, but the dare was for me to act like your girlfriend, not for you to act like my boyfriend!" As I retort, I can't help but notice the quick flash of hurt in Conner's eyes. He is just trying to be friendly and play along. He knows this is really uncomfortable for me, and he doesn't deserve my constant complaining.

The deafening silence between us allows my guilt to increase rapidly, and I know I must have really offended him because of the lack of one of his usual snarky remarks. "I'm sorry. That's not how I meant it! It's just kind of weird that you're suddenly back in my life, and I'm afraid of losing my best friend again." His eyes roar with an emotion I can't determine, enveloping me in their emerald gleam. And suddenly the whole situation is too much to think about. Those years without my best friend in my life were full and lonely. Conner and I had constantly written each other letters when he first moved, and as the weeks passed, we exchanged less and less words. Soon, we weren't even talking. Afraid of the tears that are trying to leak out, I drop my stormy eyes to my shoes.

He brings a hand to rest tenderly on my chin and forces me to meet his stern gaze. "You're never going to lose me, Ali." We remain their like that for a few moments, transfixed with the hidden emotions burning deep in our eyes, completely unaware that we are standing in the entrance of a store. That is the affect Conner has on me. Time stands still when I'm with him, and I am ignorant to my surroundings. I like the high he gives me when I'm around him. And even though we had not talked in five years, it's like he never left. We are still the same two kids together, always getting into trouble.

"Okay...," I rasp, "okay, Conner. I'm going to hold you to that."

That familiar boyish grin plasters itself across his face and he pulls me into a short lived, bone crushing hug. As a vast array of claps erupt in the small, neighborhood store, we pull away awkwardly. Conner bows jokingly and smiles towards the crowd. As I watch him, I can't help but chuckle at him. How did I get so lucky to have a friend like him? I decide I don't want to dwell on the past and what could have been if Conner never moved. Instead, I want to enjoy the moments I have with my best friend before he goes back home.

"Come on!" I take a hold of his arm and pull him toward the back of the store, leaving our audience to gawk at us and carry on with their shopping. He shuffles behind me and after going up and down about ten isles, I finally reach the one I am looking for. Recognition flickers Conner his eyes as I make my way over to the shelf, leaving him just a few feet behind me. This is a farfetched idea, but I was desperate to see if it is still here. As I approach the small section of baseballs,–I'm not sure why we chose baseballs of all things–I gently slide my hand against the bottom side of one of the shelves.

I pivot around and sigh. He pouts and half asks half states, "It's not there?" I step away from the shelf, feeling crestfallen. How can I expect it to still be here? We were like eight when we put it here. "Let me see..." Conner walks over to where I had just been and gropes around for the object we are looking for. He skims around the bottom of the shelf a few times until his hand rests upon something. With a brisk jerk, he peels the small piece of paper off the surface and turns to face me.

"Are you kidding me? How..." I trail off, bewildered at how I had missed the sheet.

He smirks and unfolds the paper, "I have the magic touch, obviously."

"Yeah whatever. Now read the list before I whack you upside the head!" I threaten and peer curiously over Conner's broad shoulder.

"Okay, geez, little miss impatient!" He opens up the wrinkled piece of computer paper and lists off, "Conner's Bucket List: Win the championship game." He pauses and glances up at me. "Check." His eyes fall back onto the object in his hands. "Learn how to play the guitar. Date a girl when I get my license. Go to a Panthers game. Have a food fight. And..." Without warning he moves the paper from my view. "Yep that's all!"

"Woah woah woah! There was something else written there, and you started to say it!" I accuse and pull on his arm, attempting to see what is written. He pulls his arm out of my grasp and tears the paper in two, handing me one half of the sheet. I read off, "Alice's Bucket List: Win the championship game." I smile up at Conner. "Eat four scoops of ice cream in ten minutes. Take photography lessons. Ride a ferris wheel."

"You know what this means, right?" He questions, running a hand through his coffee colored hair.

I ask in a serious tone. "What?"

"We were weird kids." He bursts out laughing and bonks me on the head with his knuckles.

"Oh come on." I nudge Conner into the shelf, causing a few baseballs to fall off. Laughing in response, he tugs on my ankle, making me fall straight on my butt for the second time this night by his doing.

"Okay, seriously though. Do you know what this means?" He grabs me by the elbows and hikes me up. I tumble face forward into his chest, the soft material of his white T-shirt greeting me. A subtle smell of pine emanates from him, and I can't help but breath in the heavenly scent.

"No," I mumble into his chest, and he pushes me away gingerly to face him.

"I think we should try to finish all the activities that we haven't completed on this list!" I think over his proposition. I would have to eat four scoops of ice cream and ride a ferris wheel before midnight. As I pull out my phone, I ogle at the time. 10:34 pm. It had been almost two hours ago since we had left the party. Caroline is probably worried about where I am... "Don't overthink." Conner leans towards my face and whispers, "Just do."

Alarmingly, I back up and bump into the shelf. "Okay. I'm in. How many things do you have left on your list?"

"On–two. What about you?" He stumbles and picks up the baseballs we had dropped on the floor just moments ago.

"Two. Eat four scoops of ice cream in under ten minutes and ride a ferris wheel."

"Cool, I know a place where we can go!" In an instant, he whips around and strides down the isle, but before he reaches the end of the row of shelves, he turns around, and throws an arm around my shoulder. "Don't think I forgot about the dare."

I roll my eyes and stick my tongue out, Conner's eyes drifting down to the action. In response, he pulls me closer into his side, and we wander arm in arm out into the cold thrilling night that lie ahead of us.

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"Come on. You can do this! You have one minute left!" Conner screams at me as I devour the last humongous scoop of ice cream. I settled on vanilla because it's less sweet, and I don't plan on throwing up tonight like that poor girl back at the party. As I basically inhale the sweet creamy food, I ignore the confused stares I receive from those passing by.

Halfway there. The ice cream puddles around the remaining frozen part in the soggy paper cup, and I basically dump the remainder in my mouth.

"Ten. Nine. Eight." Conner chimes off dramatically, and I force my mouth shut. The cold liquified substance runs down my throat, and I almost barf at the uncomfortable feeling. "Seven. Six. Five." A few drops trickle down my lips, and I use the corner of my shirt to wipe away the excess on my mouth. "Four. Three. Two. One. Tiiiiiiiiiimmmmmmmmeeeeeee!!" He hollers absentmindedly, and I swallow the last bit down. Ugh...My stomach is going to hate me later after eating the milkshake from earlier tonight and the ice cream just now. "One down. One to go!"

Bending over while clutching my stomach, I reply, "Your turn. What do you have left?" Hesitation flashes across his granite chiseled face, and he averts his eyes to a concession stand on our left.

We had taken the city bus out of downtown towards a park right out of the city, where a temporary fairground has been set up. A variety of rides, such as the ferris wheel and the tilt a whirl are just a few of the attractions present in the small park. And of course, the smell of fair foods wafts in the air, the auras of funnel cakes, fried oreos, and corn dogs infiltrating my senses.

"Have a food fight." He raises his arm to scratch his neck and grins. I swoon at his little antic and follow him over to the concessions. As he pulls out a ten dollar bill and slides it over to me on the counter, he avers, "Choose your ammo wisely." With an exaggerated groan, I ask the worker for buttered corn kernels and a water. Conner narrows his eyes at me and waits until I get my food before he orders.

In the meantime, I walk over and plop down onto an isolated bench behind the food stand, glancing at the lights protruding from the city. Like embers in the night, the street lamps shine against the vast blackness above. The smells of corn permeate my nostrils, and I have to fight the urge to upchuck at the smell of food. It will be a while before I eat ice cream again.

"Ready?" Conner pulls me out of my thoughts and we trail over to an empty field of grass a few feet away from the rides and concessions. He is hiding his food behind his back, and I jump to the side, in effort to see his weapons of choice. "Hey, no peaking!" He jerks around, but I'm too fast, and I catch a glimpse of a funnel cake covered with layers of powdered sugar and chocolate syrup. In the other hand, his fingers wrap around a single cone of cotton candy ice cream. Thanks for choosing the worst foods possible! You're not the one with long, thick hair.

"Oh my gosh look!!" I scream and point in the opposite direction to a random line of trees. As he whips around, I grip the cup of water tightly in my hands, preparing for my first attack.

"I don't see any–" I chuck the cup of water in his face and sprint away from the now ticked off Conner. "What the actual–" He stops mid sentence and stumbles over his feet, sprawling spastically into a trash can. I double over, tears escaping my eyes as I laugh hysterically. During the disarray, he quietly makes his way over to me, without my knowledge and towers above me, holding his slightly deterred weapons in his hands. I was surprised most of the ice cream had stayed intact for the most part, unfortunately... Somewhere along his tumble to the ground, though, some of the powdered sugar has clung to his wet clothes. His hair is soaked thanks to me, and he resembles a moping puppy that has just been scolded.

"Aw Conner, what's wrong?" I pipe snidely from my uncomfortable position on the ground, which was probably not the wisest thing to do considering I had pelted water at him.

"Alice..." He quips angrily and bends down toward me, smooshing the ice cream into my hair. I try to move underneath his weight, but he easily pins me to the ground with one arm and scours the messy substance into my scalp. Caroline would have been furious if she had seen this happen, all her hard work plummeted down the drain. 

"Conner! What the heck?!" I snap, and he picks me up off the ground. Without warning, he pulls me into an embrace. "You're such a good girlfriend!" In a swift motion, he pops a piece of the funnel cake into his mouth, and I take advantage of the moment and wrap my arms around his neck and massage the area where his hair meets his skin with my fingers. He freezes under my touch, and I pour the cup of buttered corn kernels down the back of his shirt. In an instant, he yelps like a child and hops around at the abnormal feeling of the oily contents sliding down his back.

"Come back here you little wench!" He's hot on my trail as I sprint away from the raging monster with corn stuffed down his shirt. Oops!

This time, I trip over an uneven patch of dirt, and Conner topples over me, smashing the remains of his funnel cake into my face, which ruins any trace of Caroline's fabulous makeup skills in the process.

As I admit defeat, Conner rolls off of me and surrenders to the silence between us. All that can be heard amongst the carnival music floating into the park is our panting breaths. He slowly places his hand in mine, interlocking our fingers together, and this time, I can't ignore the way his skin tingles against my hand. "Have a good fight..." He mumbles. "Check."

We both erupt into a fit of giggles, and I rest my head on his shoulder, succumbing to the exhaustion that slowly overcomes my body. As I drift off to sleep, I feel the sensation of Conner's lips brushing against my forehead, sending sparks through my bones, but I am too far gone to process the notion, giving in to the sleepiness that overtakes my body.

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Hey, it's me again! Thanks for coming back for more. I appreciate it! ;)

So...what did you think about that food fight? Pretty crazy, huh? What do you think Conner was about to say before he cut himself off while talking about his bucket list? I would love to hear your ideas below, so don't be afraid to comment. You may just get a cookie if you do!

See you back at 11 pm! And don't forget to vote and follow!

-Lizzy West :)