Not Just Another Boy Next Door

Chapter 4

"Not a fan?" Beck asks me, his eyes going from the colorful building and then back to me.

"I mean...I don't know. What is this place?" I look around at what appears to be an abandoned carnival set-up, hidden behind all the dazzling beauty of the festival and lurking in the shadows. A dense canopy of overgrown trees shield the area from any real direct sunlight, casting a chill that really doesn't exist anywhere else in this fairytale town.

"This place used to be ran by old Bill Maude. He passed away almost two years ago on the dot, actually."

"Oh, that's so sad. How did he die? If you don't mind me asking, of course."

"Heart attack. He was easily in his eighties at the time but really was very nice to everyone, even in the end. They kind of just forgot about this place and continued on with the festival. Mr. Maude only had one son who lives in Indonesia or something and he definitely wasn't coming home to take over."

Now that's seriously depressing.

"Geez. I wonder what it looked like before...when it was flourishing, you know."

Beck smiles for the first time since we arrived here, causing my heart to do that stupid fluttering thing and making me momentarily feel like I am going to pass out where I stand. "Let me show you, Rome." And without another word he reaches for my hand again, leading me inside the neon green building and past the peeling paint covered in endless cobwebs.

"Beck, where are we going now?"

"You worry too much." He replies, rolling his eyes to the Heavens and making a sudden stop. "On the wall, over there. That's what it used to be like here."

Turning slowly, my eyes scan my surroundings as I take in the scenes before me. Framed photographs, many in black and white, cover the wall and display a fun house more alive and well than ever. A man, who I presume is the late Bill Maude, is featured in the majority of these pictures, donning his bright smile throughout the years and waving at the photographer. There are photos of him with a small boy, his arm around the boy's shoulders while the child looks up at him like he is the greatest guy in the world.

"That's Mr. Maude and his son, Lionel. I haven't seen Lionel back here for years honestly. He's like a big business tycoon now or something. Too cool for carnival games, I guess." I sense some harbored resentment laced in Beck's tone of voice, my gaze leaving the photographs and instead returning to Beck's handsome face. His expression is extremely pensive, almost as if he has a bad taste in his mouth but cannot locate the source.

"Beck, are you okay?"

He shakes his head as if to clear his wayward thoughts. "Yeah, yes. Of course. I guess it's just been a while since I've been here. Feels weird."

"Did something happen here? With Bill and Lionel?"

Beck looks away, picking at a loose thread on his shirt. "I guess you could say that."

I reach out, unlocking our hands and grabbing his shoulder in a comforting manner. "Do you want to talk about it? I won't say a word to anyone. I mean, I would never tell anyone anything that you tell me."

Beck's gaze meets mine, chocolate brown eyes connecting with my hazel. He almost seems to be analyzing me, assessing whether or not he can trust my word. He is quiet for so long that I almost break the silence by apologizing and changing the subject, not wanting to spoil our newly-established peace treaty that seems to have formed between us.

However, before I can even speak up, Beck beats me to the punch and takes a seat on the floor with his back against the wall. "I guess it all started 4 years ago...actually, yeah, that's right. I had just turned fourteen and Mr. Maude was still running this fun house, rocking his cane and all..."

Oh my God. Beck is going to open up to me. Right now, as we speak.

Beck is telling me his deep, dark secret.

To be continued...