Petal [h.s.]

EIGHTEEN - ON THE EDGE

My mind was racing at a thousand miles per minute.

I couldn't fully grasp what I just saw. It felt like a hallucination to see Dani and Finn sitting there laughing and playing games after she told me they were both going to work tonight. There was an intense ringing in my ears and the festival around me sounded like it was underwater. I couldn't stop my feet from moving, but I had no idea where to go.

I didn't know how I ended up on the Ferris Wheel when I hated it so much. It wasn't about heights. I was perfectly fine with most heights. It was about age-this thing was older than I was. This Ferris Wheel had been around since I was a child and it groaned and creaked every year like it was going to collapse any moment. That and it managed to get stuck multiple times every summer, leaving people sitting in the sky, waiting to be brought down.

Harry followed behind me and climbed into the enclosed cart, sitting down too close to me. Seeing him there knocked me right out of my thoughts and back into the present.

"Absolutely not." I stood back up to leave the cart, but he tugged me back down into the seat.

He turned to look at me, breathing heavily from chasing me through the festival, and gave me a smug little grin, "Stay for a while, petal."

"I'm not in the mood for this." I snapped at him, groaning when the wheel began to start, lifting us up in the air.

My hand went to the side of the cart, clutching it tightly as we moved.

"What's the matter? You scared?" Harry asked, smiling bright at me, like my fear amused him, "Feel free to hold onto my big, strong arm to help ease your nerves."

"I can't stand you." I glared at him, noticing that we were getting higher and higher. The bars of the Ferris Wheel groaned as it moved, like it was crying out to be retired.

I looked down at the ground as it got further away, "Haven't you ever seen this thing break down? It happens at least three times every summer. Last year, people were stuck on it for four hours. Do you think I want to get stuck with you for that long?"

"Can't imagine why you wouldn't. I can think of a few things we could do to occupy ourselves in that time frame." He smirked at me again and I fought the urge to punch him in the face.

"You're a disgusting pig." I spat out, watching him lift his eyebrows in amusement.

"I seem to remember being called beautiful only a moment ago. It really hurts that your feelings for me change so quickly, petal." His voice was so sarcastic. He leaned back in the seat, spreading his arms out so that his tattooed one was stretched out behind my shoulders. He didn't touch me, thankfully, so I ignored his arm there.

"Coming from the man who goes from screaming at me to kissing me in seconds?" I tilted my head, turning to look at him.

"Mmm, I distinctly remember you being the one who kissed me." Harry said, shaking his head and pretending to think.