make-believe | jason newsted

xxi

chapter twenty one: unexpected

In the days after their adventure in the public park, Jason noticed some flyers posted around the city that spoke of a carnival coming to town. As soon as he read it, a lightbulb went off in his head.

Valencia was at work when Jason got the idea. He couldn't waste any time, he had to see her now or else the chance was going to slip by him. 

When Jason made it to the store, he saw Valencia standing at the register, her hand resting against her cheek in boredom. It was a slow day, even better.

When she heard the sound of the door ringing, she looked up to see Jason coming through the door, her smile growing. "Jason, what are you doing here?" She asked.

"Just came to ask if you wanted to come with me to the carnival down the street later," Jason replied. It sounded like a date, but he didn't want to call it that just yet. Not until she accepted.

Valencia's eyes lit up. "Really? I would love to go with you!" She said with excitement in her voice. She was so adorable. 

To Jason, there wasn't anything inherently romantic about carnivals, so that was why he didn't want to call it a date. But who was he kidding, it was only going to be the two of them. It was a date.

Later on in the day, he made his way to the carnival and stood by the entrance, waiting for Valencia. For something he kept telling himself wasn't a date, he felt nervous as time went on.

What if something else came up? What if she didn't want to go to the carnival? What if she didn't even want to spend time with him? What if she came with someone else?

Before his thoughts threatened to consume him, he noticed Valencia making her way towards him with a smile on her face. He felt a sense of relief wash over him as she approached him.

"Hey Jason, I'm here!" She laughed, announcing her arrival. "Sorry I came in my work clothes, I didn't have time to go back and change."

Jason shook his head. "Don't worry about it, Val. I'm just glad you made it," He didn't care about how she was dressed anyway, she was always beautiful to him. "Wanna get on some rides?"

Valencia nodded her head excitedly, walking beside Jason as they made their way into the carnival. Her hand reached over to intertwine with his, a teasing smile on her lips. "Just so I don't get lost." 

They got on a couple of rides, screaming and laughing with delight. In between rides, they stopped to buy cotton candy and popcorn, walking around hand-in-hand as they shared their snacks. 

While they were exploring the carnival, they stumbled upon some games to try their luck at. Jason looked over at Valencia, a cocky grin on his face. "You think I can beat this game?"

Valencia couldn't help but laugh a bit, giving into Jason's charm. "If you think so, go ahead. I'll watch and be your personal cheerleader." She giggled.

Jason made his way toward the basketball game, ready to impress Valencia. He grabbed the first ball, shot it, and watched it go through the net without much effort.

Her face lit up as she watched Jason shoot more basketballs straight into the hoop, every single one going in. He made it look so easy, and even the carnival worker was shocked to see it.

Valencia cheered him on as he successfully shot all the balls into the net. By the time the game was over, he turned back to look at her, watching her clap and celebrate his win.

The carnival worker motioned for Jason to pick his prize for winning. The worker didn't look too impressed, most likely annoyed that his rigged game didn't stop Jason from winning.

As Jason looked at what was available, he didn't see anything he liked. He had only participated in the game to impress Valencia to some extent, but didn't really care to take a prize.

Still, he decided to pick a stuffed teddy bear with a light blue color. Heading back to Valencia, he held it out for her to take. "For you." He said with a smile.

Valencia's heart melted at the sight of the teddy bear. "Aww, Jason, you didn't have to..." She replied as she took it from him gently, holding it appreciatively. 

He smiled and wrapped his arm around her shoulders as they tried to test their luck at other carnival games. As long as she was happy, he was happy.

To end their night, Jason and Valencia decided to get on the Ferris wheel and get some rest from all the crazy rides and games. She hadn't let go of her newly won teddy bear once, holding it close to her.

She and Jason climbed into the carriage, sitting beside each other. Jason wrapped his arm around her again, holding her close as they ascended into the air.

As Valencia held the stuffed bear Jason won in her lap, she leaned over to press a gentle kiss on his cheek. Her eyes were sparkling with love for Jason, making him feel flustered.

"What was that for?" He asked curiously, his cheeks turning a bit pink. He still felt the sensation of her lips on his cheek, even if she had pulled away. 

"Because," She started looking down at her teddy bear for a moment. "I'm really lucky to have you." She replied with a soft smile.

Jason felt his heart melt with admiration for the girl sitting beside him. He drew her in closer, allowing her to rest her head on his shoulder as they watched the view of the city. 

Every day spent with her was always a perfect day in Jason's mind.

Nothing could ever go wrong.