12. Meg: On a Ferris Wheel

Chapter twelve

Meg – On a Ferris Wheel

It's the evening of the festival. The sky is burning red and orange as the sun is setting outside my window.

For some reason, I'm overthinking everything I try on, wondering what Drew would think about it. It's not like we're going on a super fancy date or anything. It's just a couple of rides, some food, and that's it. I keep reminding myself that he is just a guy and I have no reason to be nervous over this. Despite my best efforts, my stomach is filled with butterflies that won't go away.

The festival is always something Mia and I looked forward to each summer as kids, as did other children. I figured since it was a fun and familiar place to be, I wouldn't be so nervous around Drew when it was just the two of us.

I was surprised when he said he'd love to go. Because of his serious exterior when we first met, I didn't think a summer festival would be something he would be interested in, but apparently, I'm wrong.

I finally slip into a pink, flowy sundress, sandals, and a light cover for when it gets cooler in the evening. I decide on wearing my long blonde hair in loose curls to gently frame my face. And I throw on a bit of makeup to help brighten my features.

I decide to walk to the festival. It's at the local park, only an eight-or-nine-minutes' walk away from my cottage. The cool sea air circles around me as I breathe in deeply. I attempt to keep this up to stay calm as I make my way to the festival ground.

Drew said he would meet me there for some reason, so I guess I'll find him. It's not a big deal but I do wonder why he went on ahead.

The gentle breeze caresses my cheeks as I wrap my arms closer to my body, thinking I should have brought a heavier cover to keep me warm later tonight. The air is crisp and refreshing to my senses as I begin to hear the live music from the high school band playing.

Cymbals and trumpets are jazzing along as I get closer. Children dance to the beat of the joyous music, their faces decorated as glittering sea animals.

The aroma of delicious fair food fills my nose as the bright lights of the ferris wheel on the far end of the park start to light up the night. The energy of the scene is so lively and upbeat.

It makes me remember just how incredible Seaside is. I can't help but wonder how things would be different if the whole world knew of a treasure like this. I continue to admire the radiant ferris wheel until someone breaks my concentration.

"Meg!" I hear Drew's voice to my left, coming from the cotton candy stand. He holds a white paper bag and is dressed in casual attire of shorts and a white t-shirt. His deep brown eyes catch my attention as he comes closer.

And okay, I admit, his strong arms and broad shoulders inside that shirt are not too shabby either.

"Cotton candy?" he offers, holding up the paper bag. I gladly accept the warm, sweet treat that is the best reminder that summer has arrived.

"Why, thank you," I reply, gingerly eating it. I can feel how hot it still is and don't want to burn my mouth. Blue raspberry and sugar coat my palate as it sings in satisfaction.

"You look great by the way," Drew adds, popping another bite in his mouth. I grin and roll my eyes but he shakes his head. "I'm not kidding. I've seen you in different colors and no matter what you wear, you look incredible."

"Sun dresses are just easy and they go with everything else," I shrug. "Plain and simple."

"You are anything but," he replies, with flirtation in his voice. Once again, he surprises me and I don't know how to respond.

"Well, as you said before, this is supposed to be a distraction," I counter, finally. "What should we do first?"

The festival is full of fun distractions. There are colorful rides, games that include stuffed animals if you win, and plenty of fried food for everyone. White outdoor lights hang from booth to booth, illuminating the grounds.

Drew starts making his way toward the bottle toss stand, and I follow close behind him. He hands the vendor a dollar for three baseballs and hands two of them to me.

The tower of glass bottles collapses completely on my first toss.

"Beginner's luck?" Drew asks. I can't help but laugh to myself.

"You're not a beginner when you've been coming to these things since you were a kid." I smile. "Did you ever go to festivals like this when you were a kid?"

"This is the first one I've ever been to," he admits. "To be honest, I'm kind of jealous of the kids with their faces painted."

"Well, if you're a good boy, I'm sure we can work something out," I tease.

He lets out a laugh that makes my heart skip a beat. "I'll try my best but this game is definitely testing me."

"It's okay, it just takes practice," I assure him.

He nods and gives it a go, but he only hits the top bottle of the stack. I chuckle and hand him my extra baseball, giving him another chance, but to no avail. Half of the bottle tower still stands, almost as if it's mocking him.

"Well, if that's not emasculating," he says, rubbing his neck. His cheeks flush with embarrassment but he's still smiling. "Okay, I think I should probably confess why I came on ahead of you tonight," Drew begins. But then he gets the chuckles progressing to a bending at the waist full out guffaw. When he finally gets himself somewhat under control, he looks at me, tears falling down his cheeks.

Barely getting the words out, he confesses that he came early to practice the games so he wouldn't look unskilled. With that he cracks up again and laughs so hard at himself that I can't help but join in.

When we get a modicum of control, I tell him that based on his success rate so far, he should have come even earlier to practice. Of course, that just cracks him up yet again.

I'll admit I'm starting to enjoy myself and Drew's company as the nerves finally begin to fade away. He's pretty easy to be with, and I love that he doesn't take himself too seriously. How many men are there, really, who can laugh that hard at themselves.

"How about we get some slushies?" I suggest, looking over to the ferris wheel where the slushy stand line is starting to shorten.

"Sounds like a plan," Drew agrees, as we make our way over.

As we take a lazy beeline path, children of all ages are running with animal balloons in their hands, laughter escaping their mouths, and their faces adorned with glitter and colorful face paint. Nostalgia strikes my heart as I think back to when Mia and I were that age. It's normal to look back and miss those times as a kid, I think to myself.

He hands me a cold Styrofoam cup. Its cool temperature almost matches my hands as I carefully taste the first bite of red cherry.

"Why don't we find somewhere to sit and relax for a second?" he suggests. The air is starting to get brisker as the wind starts to pick up a bit.

There are no tables, so he leads me over to the grassy area that's a little protected from the wind. Some families brought blankets and are having their own picnics. They are providing a buffer against the wind as well.

Once we sit down in the grass, I can't help but sneak glimpses of Drew, thinking how handsome he looks tonight.

"Question game?" Drew asks, taking a bite of his blue slushy. I nod as he starts the game. "What is your favorite childhood memory?"

I smile when a memory surfaces almost immediately. "Mia and I were kids. I was seven and she was nine. She didn't listen to me when I told her she shouldn't eat before going on the faster rides," I begin.

"Oh, no," Drew groans, already knowing where the story is going.

"She insisted she'd be fine and that I needed to sit next to her on the pirate ship ride that just swings back and forth. Well, I knew she wasn't fine, and I stayed on the ground with our grandfather. Thankfully, we were out of the splash zone!" I say, trying, unsuccessfully, to hold back my chuckles.

"There weren't many people on the ride and they avoided most of the mess. But ever since that day, Mia stays away from festival food until she's been on all the rides. Except the pirate ship. She's never gone back on that one again."

"I think I would be traumatized too," Drew agrees.

"What about you and your favorite childhood memory?"

"When I was a kid, my brother Troy and I used to sneak out at night and go on late-night drives," he starts. "He was sixteen and I was twelve, so to have an older brother who could drive made me feel pretty cool. Sorry, I know that's not as exciting as yours," he scoffs.

"That doesn't matter," I wave. "My parents used to say that we don't remember the big stuff, we remember the moments. Sometimes the most important memories are the simpler ones."

He looks at me, almost confused at first, but then he pauses for a second longer. It's like the lightbulb goes on. He looks down at his cup and a faint smile lifts his lips. I wonder if he's taking inventory of the simple moments he might have taken for granted, or if he's realizing he has more happy memories than he thought he did.

"You're starting to completely change my perspective on things, you know that?" He grins.

"Is that a good thing?"

"I think so," he nods. "I'm starting to question why I have the perspective I have too."

"It's almost like getting away from the city is a good thing," I theorize. "If you could bring one thing back home from Seaside, what would it be?"

He grins. "Well, that depends. Can I just bottle you up and take you with me?"

"I'm sure the TSA would take issue with that," I reply, feeling confident in my witty response.

"Then I guess I'll have to write down all of your wisdom instead," he sighs. "What's your idea of a happy life?" he asks.

"Oh, that's a good one," I nod, carefully contemplating my answer. "It might sound a bit boring but I wouldn't mind the traditional happily ever after. I'd love to get married, have a few kids, and have a nice house to call home."

"That's not boring," he shakes his head. "That's honest. It's rare to find someone who genuinely wants a traditional life with marriage and kids."

"Really?"

"I mean, I've had friends in the past get married because that's what they thought they should do, and then end up breaking up just as quickly as they tied the knot." he explains. "I know that marriage isn't for everyone and neither are kids. I think the pressure is there and people give into it too easily."

"Yeah, I can see that," I agree. "What about you, Drew? When you think of a perfectly happy life, what does it look like?"