Ducks and Koi Fishes

Chapter Eight : Bus Naps and Side by Side Exhanges

dedicated to Ned. Your endless support means so much. Talk soon, okay? <3

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The next day, we were all gathered in the auditorium for group activities, only this time it was an announcement. When we arrived at the auditorium, as usual, everyone was abuzz and talking about why there would be an announcement. Usually they were just reminders.

"Quiet down, guys." My aunt's boyfriend took the stage with her in tow.

"So we have a huge announcement for you guys!" she said, filled with enthusiasm.

"We're going to the Orange County Fair!"

Excited murmurs were heard all across the room, and from beside me, Katie squealed like a kid during Christmas. "Yay!" she swatted her hands in excitement in my direction, almost impaling me. "Vee, I love fairs!"

"So you guys better pack what you need to bring now," Aiden took over the mic, "We meet in the Haren mess hall at noon. Anyone who can't catch up will be left."

"Don't worry," he joked, "Wilma and the rest will still be there." Laughter filled the auditorium.

After that, everyone left, probably to get settled and prepare. Walking back to Haren, I told Katie, "I'm showering first."

She hummed in response.

Field trips weren't uncommon here, but for the past two years, we haven't really gone out much. That was why the hype seemed greater. Plus we never actually went to the Orange County Fair. That was probably just half an hour drive from here, but it was too much of a hassle before.

After showering, I got dressed my favorite Arctic Monkeys tee shirt and a plaid shirt over it, some jeans, and my red sneakers.

It was still early when me and Katie were done prepping our stuff. She wore a really cute black skirt with polka dots and a cropped top. When I asked her why she would be wearing a skirt to the county fair she said, "Why not?"

When I mentioned the fact that it was summer and the other fact that it would be windy, she rolled her eyes and called me a mother. Fortunately, she listened, getting the point that it would be really strange to flash at the fair.

So, changing out of her girly outfit, she chose jean shorts and retained her crop top, pairing it with her sneakers.

After her wardrobe problems were settled, I grabbed my phone and we headed to the mass hall to wait for the others. By the time we got there, we were relatively early, excited chatters filling the room. We found Hannah, Holland, and Peter in our usual table and sat with them.

Dressed in a cute graphic tee shirt and jeans, Hannah said, "Katie, Vee, hey."

"Hi." We chorused.

"So where are your men," Holland said, "and Matt of course."

"Who knows." Katie chirped happily while I was about to refuse having such person as a man.

Holland was dressed in striped shirt with colored shorts, looking like he was ready for the beach, while Peter wore a graphic shirt like Hannah and some jeans. Of course, that didn't go unnoticed by Katie who spent about five minutes gushing about how cute they were.

By the time the clock rolled around to quarter to twelve, the guys were still not around, and Aunt Cass and Aiden arrived.

"Hey guys!" Aiden said, scanning to see if everyone was here.

"So you guys will be split into different buses for transportation. They kids go with Cass to bus one, juniors with me to bus two, and seniors to bus three. Seniors, you guys will be free to walk around wherever you want later on, but please be careful. We meet at the fair entrance at seven-thirty after dinner. So you guys have about six to seven hours to walk around."