Esther

4 - Note to self: don't eat too much before going to the fair

Alex

The fair opens at night, the lights blinking on as the sky darkens. The rides loom into the sky, music and lights and noises and smells attack me from every direction, the sense of excitement almost tangible amongst the frying oil of the food trucks.

I stand at the gate, trying to look a little less conspicuous than I feel. Who knows if it works. After a bit too long for me to feel comfortable, I see Esther, staring up at the glowing rides with awe.

"Hey, Estarella!"

She laughs when she spots me, making her way over through the crowds of small children trying desperately to run each other over in an attempt to get to the cotton candy first. I wrinkle my nose at them.

Esther looks amazing, as always.

"Getting creative with the nicknames, are we?" She smiles as I wrap my arm around her shoulder.

"You know me. Gotta find some way to bring my own personal charm into the conversation." I glance around for a bit. "Have you heard from Josh at all?"

When I look back at her, she's smirking.

"What?"

"Oh, nothing. He texted me a few minutes ago. Said he'll meet us at the here in a few minutes." She leans against the gate, breathing mist into the air. I lean next to her, the cold metal bars digging into my back. The silence stretches, slipping comfortably into place. I've missed this. Us. Being friends with Esther again has made me realise how much I value her friendship, her company, her warmth. But it's only when Josh arrives that I wonder if I should have been holding hand. Or something else mushy and romantic.

Esther drags Josh over to where I'm still leaning on the gate, his cheeks are slightly flushed from the cold air. He's not wearing his glasses today.

"Hey."

"Hi."

"Come on, let's go!" Esther grabs both me and Josh and pulls us behind her into the fairground. I can't help but laugh.

Now there are two problems with letting Esther dictate where we go in a fair.

1 – She is a sugar gremlin and will spend all her money on cotton candy and junk food unless physically restrained.

2 – This is someone who like horror movies. Meaning she also like rides where you feel like you're going to throw up after you get off them.

After I heroically stumbled off 'the death drop' and didn't throw up, Esther bounced around, telling Josh to get up off the floor before she trod on him. Note to self, for future reference, don't eat too much before going to the fair with Esther

"C'mon lets get cotton candy! Please? Please? Please?"

"Getting there...just let me" My knees violently shake. This girl is honestly crazy. "Not throw up first."

Esther is the only one eating the cotton candy of course. The very thought of it makes me feel sick, my stomach still churning after the helter skelter, the rollercoaster, the hurricane (don't ask), and the torture of whatever that was plus the other insane rides Esther managed to convince us to go on. Most of the younger crowds have gone home, yawning and dragging their feet as their parents pulled them back to the car. I check my watch. 11.27pm.

"We have 33 minutes until the fireworks and then closing."

Esther sighs from where she's lying on the park bench, staring up at the sky. Empty cotton candy containers balance precariously on the edge of the seat. Josh silently nudges them into a more secure position with his foot.

"I reckon we should ride the Ferris wheel." He pipes up. "Try and see the fireworks from there."

Esther traces shapes in the air in front of her with her hand, turning something over in her mind. In the silence, my eyes stray to Josh, tracing along his side profile. His face is lit up with the colours of the fair lights, casting shadows across his eyes.

"Alex? What do you think?"

I wrench my gaze back to Esther, her face turned towards me. I gape for a second before remembering what we were talking about.

"Yeah, I reckon the Ferris wheel is a great idea. Good vantage spot for the fireworks. Yep." I nod to sell my point, eyes wide. I check my watch again. 11.32pm.

We wander though the fair, seemingly the only people left. The food trucks begin to shut down as the workers leave, maybe to watch the fireworks. The rides still blink with dazzling lights. There's bickering and laughter, and Esther complaining about eating too much cotton candy. Bedraggled teenagers wander up to the hill overlooking the fair, trying to get the best view for the fireworks.

We're the only ones in line at the Ferris wheel.

"I'll try and stop when y'all're at the top." The attendee drawls, clearly wanting to not be there at the moment.

"Thanks mate. See ya when the shows over." I try not to laugh too hard at Josh's sad attempt to match the guys energy. Esther starts giggling.

We clamber into the car as the wheel slowly starts to turn. Esther keeps giggling and lays across two seats, forcing me and Josh to squish up next to each other on the opposite seat. True to the operators word, we slow to a stop at the very top of the wheel.

"Would you stop crushing me?" I whine, squished between Josh's bulk and the metal railing of the car. He blinks, then shuffles over sheepishly.

"Sorry."

"Damn right you are."

Esther giggles again. I glance up just in time to see the first firework shatter the darkness. I stare in awe as they blaze against the velvet of the night sky. Some spiral down in elaborate patterns, other spiral up so high you think they'll never come down, before they explode, forming new stars in the sky.

"It's beautiful." I breathe, barely daring to break the moment.

"Isn't it?" come the reply from beside me, and I look at Josh the moment he turns away from me to stare at the fireworks. He was probably talking about Esther, watching her instead of the fireworks, watching the way the bursts of light paint her face in a rainbow of hues, the way he...she...smiles as the sparks fly around us. Did I say he? I meant she. Obviously. Because I am definitely talking about Esther.

And for a moment, I can agree with him.

It really is a beautiful sight.