"Ali..." Someone pulls my hair back and mumbles into my ear. Where am I? What's happening? Thoughts flood my mind as I'm brought out of my dreams and back into reality. Slowly, my eyes flutter open, and I am welcomed with the sight of Conner leaning over me, staring intently into my stormy eyes. The feeling of his warm breath tickling my face causes me to shiver, and he takes notice of my body shuddering beneath him. "Are you cold?" Without waiting for a response, he wraps his arms around me and pulls me into the comfort of his chest. I curl up into his arms and allow my head to rest against his chest, reveling in the warmth that was Conner Williams. "Come on Ali, wake up." His hands slowly lift my limp-like body off of him, and he slowly intertwines his fingers intimately with mine.

"What time is it?" I ask groggily while yawning. Conner glances at his watch, breaking contact with my cold, empty hands, and I internally pout.

"11:11. Make a wish!" I contemplate what I want more than anything, but I can't come up with wish. As cliché as it sounds, I have everything I need. I have Caroline, the best friend I can ever ask for. I have Conner, only if it's for tonight, the best guy friend I can ever ask for. And I have the most caring, loving family in the entire world. For a few moments, Conner and I just stare at each other. I am completely captivated by his eyes that resemble a freshly-polished gemstone and the way his mocha hair flops almost perfectly into his face, in an adorable kind of way. His creative, adventurous personality closely reflects his tousled hairstyle and simple style. He is perfectly, imperfect, and that's what I like most about him. "So, what did you wish for?"

I bring my hand up to my heart in mock surprise. "I can't tell you!" He grins at me and pushes himself up off the ground, the back of his shirt still stained with melted butter from our food fight earlier. Which reminds me... I apprehensively reach my hand up to my hair and brush my fingers through my locks, instantly cringing at the crunchy texture of dry ice cream. Gross.

Conner laughs down at me, and I lunge towards his legs in a sad attempt to knock him over, but he remains as strong and grounded as the Empire State Building. "So if you're done trying to knock me over, I was thinking we could finish the last thing on your list..." He trails off, and I follow his eyes over to the humongous ferris wheel just a few feet away. I gulp silently, and he walks over to my cowering frame.

"Don't you have one thing left on your list?" I strive to change the conversation. He stiffens as soon as I ask my question, and he turns away from me.

"Yeah, but I can't tell you... I'm not sure if I can do it either," he speaks so softly that I can barely make out his words. Shifting off of the grass, I approach Conner from behind and lay a reluctant hand on his tense shoulder. The flashing carnival lights gleam on us, various shades of bright colors emphasizing the messy food stains on our clothes. "So, are you ready?" He delicately grabs my wrist and tugs me in the direction of the ticket booth.

I plant my feet, refusing to move another inch. "Umm... Conner."

"I can't believe you've never ridden a ferris wheel. Are you scar–" He turns around and shuts up when he sees my crestfallen expression. My eyes drop to my shoes, and I'm suddenly amazed how I have been able to walk and run in heels the entire night.

I sigh in embarrassment, "I've never ridden one because I'm scared of heights." I can feel his emerald gaze burning into me, and I refuse to peer into his eyes.

"Oh, I didn't know that. You don't have to do it if you don't want to." I take a risk and peek at Conner. Unexpectedly, there is no trace of any sarcasm or mockery on his countenance. Maybe I can't look at Conner because of his sculpted jawline and the cute way his freckles outline the bridge of his nose.

Holding my hands up in refusal, I respond, "No. I need to do this!" His concerned frown eventually turns up into a boyish grin and we stride the rest of the way over to the ticket area. "Two tickets please, sir." I smile back at Conner bravely as the worker hands over the tickets and my change. "Thank you."

"You're welcome! Have a happy New Year's!" The worker chuckles at us, sending a small wink in Conner's direction. "Remember a kiss at midnight is supposed to grant you a year of happiness in your relationship!" My jaw gapes in horror, and Conner just laughs in return.

We make our way over to the line for the Ferris wheel, and I tremble at the sight of the ride that had to be about 150 feet tall. Conner must observe my reaction to ride, because he wraps both of his arms around my shoulders and rests his chin on my head. He bends down and places his lips up to my ear, lightly brushing against it in the process. "You can do this, Ali." His voice buzzes against my skin, and I tremor, but this time it isn't because of fear.

As we move up in line to get on the ride, the employee begins to go close the gate as we approach, and I heave a sigh of relief. But just as he starts to lock it, he opens the gate back up and lets us get on, collecting our tickets in the process. He allows the ride to start for just a moment so we have an empty car to get in. The only decent thing about this Ferris wheel is the fact that it has heated, enclosed compartments. They are completely glass, though, so you could see through them.

Conner slips his hand into line as we sit down. As soon as I step into the the clear pod and sit down on the bench, the worker slams the door shut and locks it. What the frick? What was that sound? What if the Ferris wheel falls off its henges and catapults us into traffic or a building?

I panic mentally, my pulse rapidly picking up, and my breathing becomes labored and uneven. Conner massages his thumb over my hand in circular motions, causing my anxiety to dissipate to immediately. As we make eye contact, I swear I swoon, because he has to reach behind me to balance me. "Woah... Stay with me." He holds a hand up to my forehead dramatically. "We haven't even started moving yet."

I push against his, and grouch, "Shut up!"

"Ouch." He retreats his hands away turns his head out the window. Before I can reply, the ride jerks to a start, and I dig my feet into the ground, in an attempt to stay on the ground. But of course, physics don't go according to how I wish they did, because we soon inch further and further away from the comfort of the earth. Squeezing my eyes shut, I refuse to open them not even for a second. Butterflies flutter aggressively in my stomach as we climb higher into the sky. It feels like I'm taking off into space, although I wouldn't know, because I have never been in a spaceship before.

My stomach flips as I feel my body descending towards the ground. "What's happening?! Why are we plummeting towards the earth?"

I can hear Conner snickering beside me. "This is a Ferris wheel. What comes up must come down."

"So does that mean it's over?" I can finally escape from this prison chamber, this torture chamber, this hell on ear–

"No. We still have like three rotations, cycles–whatever they are called." An awkward silence settles between us, and I can't tell if Conner is still looking at me because I still have my eyes closed.

Because I hate awkward silences, I ask a question I had been wanting to the whole night, "So... How did you get an invite to the party?" I have thought over every possible scenario, and I still can't come up with one logical answer to why he would be at the party. I know he visits his cousins and grandparents in the area over Christmas break, but all of his cousins are grown up and in college.

"Remember Dylan from elementary school? We're still friends, and he invited me." Interesting... I nod in acknowledgment.

"Cool."

"Yep." He replies, and I feel my stomach lurch in my body as we ascend again. As if closing my eyes isn't enough, I cover them with my ice cold hands and involuntarily whimper. Wow, I'm such a wimp. Conner's clothes rustle again the seat, and I feel a pair of arms wrap themselves around me, enveloping me in their protection. Just a simple touch floods my emotions with assurance. "It's okay. You're doing good, Ali." My nickname slips off his tongue naturally, and I didn't realize how much I had missed hearing him call me that.

The Ferris wheel orbits once more until it stops, and I feel the death cage rock back and forth. I'm not sure if I just imagine it or not, but I am almost convinced I hear the bolts that hold the ride together creaking against the strain of the sudden stop. "What happened?!" My mind imagination runs wild with millions of thoughts. A loud burst resounds through the air, and I'm shocked I don't pee myself at the loud noise. An unintentional screech escapes me mouth, and I latch tighter onto the body beside me.

"Ali, open your eyes." Conner speaks in a relaxed voice. Opening my eyes is the last thing I plan on doing at the moment. The image of our glass compartment plunging towards the ground and shattering below fills my brain, and I continue to clutch his arm securely. He gently pulls his arm out of my grasp and struggles to remove my hands away from my eyes.

"No. Stop it." I fight his strength, winning easily because of the amount of adrenaline pumping through my determined body.

"Trust me." Can I trust Conner? He is known for joking around and pulling pranks...oh wait, that  was when he was a kid.... The Conner I had gotten to know again for the second time in my life still had traces of his boyish, immature ways, but he proved to be trustworthy thus far tonight. I grumble, knowing I was about to give into his wishes.

"I swear, Conner. If this is some sick joke..." I cut my sentence short to stress my earnestness behind the threat.

"It's not! Just open your eyes!" He exclaims, sounding partially aggravated but mostly excited. As I slowly allow my eyes to flitter open, the same alarming boom I had heard just heard moments before greets my ears once again, and a bright flare of light flashes with it. Was that lightning? Are we caught in a Ferris wheel in the middle of a thunderstorm?

Another blast chimes through the once serene night sky, but this time I notice something very distinct about the way the light glints in the darkness. An explosion of colors accompany the racket, and I'm in awe of the breathtaking sight in front of me. An assortment of golds, silvers, and reds light up the park, and the glittery embers dissolve away into colorful smoke as the cannons crackle.

This night is turning out even better than I could have imagined. I turn to Conner and almost fall out of my seat as I realize he has been staring at me this whole time, his eyes shining even brighter then the fireworks outside. "Close your eyes, Ali." For once in my life, I decide to not respond with some sarcastic, snide comment and listen to him.

Without another thought, my eyes shut, and I'm basked in darkness. I feel Conner's warm breath prickle against my face, causing a crimson blush to spread its way up my neck. The smell of pine penetrates my senses, and his fingers brushing against my neck make me shiver. What is this boy doing to me? His fingers travel achingly slowly to my lips, and trace the outline of my Cupid's bow.

In an instant, his lips are pressed against mine, passionately but intimately. He is holding me as if I'm the most beautiful female he has ever laid his eyes on, and maybe I am to him. As he moves his lips in sync with mine, I feel like the firework show is exploding through my own body. I run my hands through his perfectly disheveled hair, and he gasps in response to the touch but doesn't pull away from the kiss. We continue to relish in the movement, the hungry kiss stimulating every nerve ending in my body.

We finally break away when the Ferris wheel jerks back into movement. Conner's eyes are dilated when I stare back into them, and the grin on his face proves he feels the same way about the kiss as I do. As we turn away from each, reveling in our thoughts, I hear him whisper, "Check," under his breath. At first I don't react to his strange comment, because my brain doesn't register what he is referring to, but then it hits me– like a semi-truck!

I push him away from me, not caring if he hits the glass or not. "Are you freaking kidding me, Conner?! Check?! CHECK?!" No amount of words could express the amount of fury I feel. This is all a game to him, and I can't believe I just got played. I should have known he is just like every other narcissistic, idiotic boy out there, and those words aren't even strong enough to capture how I really feel about the entirety of the situation.

"No, Alice–" He starts, but I have already beat him out of the prison cell as soon as the carnival employee unlocks and opens the door. I sprint, to who knows where, just as far as way from Conner freaking Williams as I can get. "Alice! Please, stop!" I ignore the shouting coming from behind me, and towards a city bus approaching the park entrance.

I hop on as soon as I get to the bus stop, and tell the bus driver. "I'll pay extra if you leave right now!" She hesitates but succumbs to my request as soon as she spots the desperation in my eyes. Do I believe in guardian angels? Heck yes.

The bus pulls away right as Conner reaches the stop, and I can't help but stare back at him out the window as he grows smaller and smaller the further the distance. Only when I can't make out his figure anymore, and the downtown city lights replace the flashing lights of the fireworks, is when I let the first tears fall.

⃟ ⃟ ⃟ ⃟

Well... that escalated quickly. ALSO, SORRY THIS CHAPTER IS LATE GUYS!!

Anyways, Conner really fricked up, didn't he? Do you think he can fix it? Come back at 12:00 am to see if he redeems himself! ;) And guess what, the next time you come back, it will be 2018!

See you in the new year! Don't forget to comment, vote, and follow!!

-Lizzy West :)