The Walter Boys Assistant

Chapter 34: Love Like Fireworks

A parade has never felt longer. Watching the remaining floats seemed to drag on and on. Alex was surely done already. He promised he would wait for you there once it was over.

"Okay, am I going to be a weird third wheel today?" Kiley brings you back to the moment as the final float trudges out of your line of sight. The rest of your group begins to collect themselves, heading to the fairgrounds. Only when you register Kiley's words, do you turn to face her.

"What? No!" You sputter out, the both of you venturing towards the gates of the fairgrounds.

"Come on, (Y/n)," Kiley heaves verbally, "you and Alex are dating now. Things are going to be different."

"That doesn't mean that you can't still hang out with us. You're our best friend!" Persisting, you take hold of her hand to reassure her. "Besides, Jackie and Cole are going to spend some time with us too-"

"Oh, even better! A fifth wheel!"

"Not if I join the party." Isaac states, bringing the two of you to whip around and find him rising from his seat on the curb. "How 'bout it, Kiley? Care to accompany me to the festival?"

You can't think of a time you've ever been more dumbfounded by Isaac Garcia in all the years you have known him. He's the classic bad boy. The rebel of the Walter household. A womanizer, playboy... You could write an entire pamphlet consisting of nouns to describe this boy. None of them fall under the category of an empath.

"Oh. Sure. What the hell?"

Okay, you stand corrected. Now you're dumbfounded beyond comprehension. Especially as Isaac holds his arm out for Kiley to take. She does, looping her arm through his and he pulls her close before they continue walking ahead.

Only when they reach the ticket booth several feet away do you finally move and rush after them.

~~~~~

Hours of venturing through the carnival grounds pass by faster than you want it to. You're having such a fun time with everyone and it makes it a day you never want to end.

Alex has hardly taken his focus off of you, the only exception being when he would take notice of Isaac and Kiley hitting it off bizarrely well.

Every ride the group went on, Isaac and Kiley sat together, and not in awkward silence like you would expect.

"Isaac and Kiley," Alex juggles the names aloud as he walks with you, hand in hand. "I don't know how I should feel about that."

"It's something I never thought to even consider, but they're cute together." You chortle, finding the couple in question up ahead at a ring toss booth.

"Yeah, sure, but Isaac? He only ever has selfish agendas."

"You don't think he could change?"

"I think... that I want to focus on us tonight. Not my cousin." Alex goes to continue the conversation, but stops, and pulls you back to him.

Your halting causes people walking behind you to shuffle in avoidance of contact, barely getting by without bulldozing the two of you over.

"Alex! What are you doing?" The question surfaces in the form of a laugh. 

"Follow me," he removes you from the cluster of people, motioning back to the carnival rides.

You do as you're told without a moment of hesitation. The matter of fact is that you would follow this boy blindly, without an inkling of where the destination is or how treacherous the journey could be. So long as Alex was the one leading you, there was no doubt in following along.