Back To You [Completed] ✔

9. Who's 12 now?

The screams and laughter echoed throughout the field and the smell of carnival food drifted in the air as I stood next to Ed at the entrance of the carnival. As we walked past a number of rides, Ed looked at me with a mischievous gleam...I knew what he was insinuating.

"Seriously?" I jeered.

He grinned, grabbed my hand, and paced us to the horse ride.

Being the only adults to hop on a horse ride involved a lot of judgmental looks from people but I guess Ed's disease of not caring infected me, we laughed and screamed and giggled like crazy.

"shoot the balloon!" I proposed, adrenaline rushing in my voice, as I pointed to the booth.

"Let's check these glasses," I said mockingly  "Do they actually work or do you just wear them so that people take you seriously."

"ooh...challenge Miss Cooper," he said leaning towards me with a smirk.

"yes, Mr. Windsor" I too leaned in reciprocating the smirk. "let's go now!"

"you should give up now!" I said patting his shoulders pompously.

"no way!" he again took the gun and stood in position to aim. And finally lost.

I guffawed as he mocked a forced smile. "you're growing old Mr. Windsor and these glasses can't stop you."

"It's nothing like that....it's just...I'm a bit distracted" he said adjusting the lapels of his shirt as we moved ahead.

"oh really!"  Silly excuse "What's the distraction?"

"a self-gloating girl who can't stop bragging about her stupid win" feels like we're in a roasting competition with each other.

"I can understand...that's the burning pain of defeat speaking"   "Cotton candy!" I pointed.

"cotton candy?" he chuckled. "Who's 12 now?"

"c'mon....there's no carnival without a cotton candy"

He took out his wallet to pay and something dropped on the ground and that something was a pack of cigarettes. He immediately put it in his pocket so that I couldn't see it. But I did

"It's fun after all,"   I said while we slowly walked and gawked at all the twinkling and jovial sights around us. "glad I agreed to it."

"Thanks to me"

I was struggling to keep a strand of hair away from my face but both my hands were busy in holding and eating the candy...suddenly a finger gently swiped on my cheek to help me...I looked beside and it was Ed. We slightly turned towards each other. I looked at him in surprise while he kept looking at me constantly like it was an opportunity to see me from such proximity without having to look away. He ran his fingers twice, thrice on the outline of my forehead to slide the strands of hair but I knew only one attempt was enough for the deed. He then tucked my hair behind the ear and the silence crept in.

We could hear a lot of noise from the carnival but the two of us, standing so close, looking at each other....or say...looking through each other...made every sound go mute.

Why is he looking at me in such a way? Why he did do such a simple thing so slowly...as if to...savor the moment? What's in his mind?

"Giant wheel?" I broke the silence.

"Yeah"