Sacrifice

Chapter Thirty-Three

The next morning at 11:34, Crybaby was getting ready for her plans with Ben. He hadn't even called her yet, as he was getting ready too. The day before, Crybaby had called Angelita to let her know they should meet up at the carnival after three o'clock, so that they could stay until evening. Of course, she didn't mention that it was also because she wanted to have enough time with Ben. While she was in her bathroom doing her hair, she heard the telephone ring from the living room. She quickly tied up her braid and went to go answer the phone. "Hello?" she said as she put the phone against her ear.

"Hey, good morning," Ben said.

"Morning," Crybaby responded cheerfully. "Our plans still happening?" she asked.

"Yeah, I'll be ready in a few. So, we can meet at the entrance around twelve?"

"Sounds good. I'm just about to finish getting ready too, then I'll start walking there," Crybaby said.

"Are you sure you don't want me to pick you up?" Ben offered. Crybaby thought about it for a moment. "Nah, I'm okay. I like walking," she smiled to herself.

"Alright, if you're sure. I'll see you at twelve," he said.

"See you soon. Bye," Crybaby said, then hung up. She went back to her bedroom to grab her purse, then stood in front of her mirror once more to adjust her clothes and smooth her hair. She then walked to her front door, left her house quietly, and started walking. Ben was just about to leave as well. He was putting on his shoes while his father grabbed his car keys so he could drive him. "You ready, bud?" his father asked him, walking to the front door.

"Yeah, let's go," Ben told him. He couldn't tell if he was excited or nervous about seeing Crybaby today. This was going to be different than every other time they've seen each other, because Crybaby was now somebody else's girlfriend. Ben's stomach turned at the thought of it; it didn't make him feel much better that Crybaby only wanted to be with him. In a few minutes, his father pulled into a space of the parking lot by the carnival. Ben unbuckled his seatbelt. "Thanks for the ride, dad," he told his father.

"Wait one second," his father said as he pulled his wallet out of his pocket. Ben watched him as he opened it up and flipped through its compartments. He pulled out a ten-dollar bill and handed it to Ben, which was in addition to another ten he'd given him earlier. "Buy Crybaby's wristband, and get yourselves some food and drinks, too," he instructed Ben with a smile on his face. Ben smiled, "Thanks, dad," he said as he put the bill in his pocket. He then opened his car door and got out.

"Have fun and stay safe," his father told him.

"I will," Ben grinned at him before he shut the car door. He began walking to the entrance of the carnival and looked around for a minute. After he couldn't see Crybaby anywhere, he sat on a bench and waited, keeping an eye out for her. She was only a couple minutes away. As she walked, she saw the top of a Ferris wheel with vibrant colored seats and lights on it. She lifted her head and picked up her pace a bit, as she was excited about how close she was to seeing Ben. At least, she was until she remembered. She had to keep reminding herself that this wouldn't be like any other time she'd been with Ben. She made Angelita a promise. As she walked up to the carnival's entrance, she looked around and easily spotted Ben isolated on a bench. He didn't notice her yet. A smile grew on her face as she approached him, then tapped his shoulder from behind him. "Hi," she greeted him playfully. He turned around to her. "Hey," he smiled. He stood up and impulsively went to hug her, but stopped right before he did so. "Oh, shit..." he muttered. Crybaby stood there uncomfortably. "Um... let's get to the ticket booth?" she suggested. Ben nodded, "Yeah. Sorry about that, though; I wasn't really thinking. I've just gotten so used to..." he began to explain, eventually trailing off a bit.