Will Jay Imagines

Ferris Wheel Feels

The scenery was dark as I gazed out the window from the passenger seat of my boyfriends car. It was around 7:30pm when we were on our way to go see a play at the Ruben Theatre across town.

I hummed along to the radio softly as we finally pulled into the parking lot of the theatre. I smiled widely over at Will.

"Excited?" He asked.

I nodded my head. A few of our friends were characters in the play, and I had been anticipating coming to see them. This was also the first date Will and I had gone on in a while. We'd both been really busy lately. I just started a new term in college and Will was busy working on an EP, and frequently traveling to and from China.

Will offered me his hand to help me out of the car after walking around to open my door for me. "Always a gentleman," I giggled as we linked arms.

Thirty minutes into the play, Will nuzzled his face into the crook of my neck, and made an aggravated noise. "How much longer do we have to sit through this?"

I looked over at him guiltily. We both were very artsy. We enjoyed things like this, but this play was exempt from our usual gusto.

I couldn't help but make a sour face  in the direction of the stage as I spoke. "You're right. This play is awful," I whispered.

Will looked at me hopefully as he gestured to the back doors of the auditorium. We had sat near the back, luckily. I grasped his hand and led him out quickly.

"Thank goodness that's over," he sighed when we got to the car.

"Technically it's not over. We just bailed," I reminded him. "What are we going to tell our friends?" I asked nervously. We had told them we were coming to watch. I couldn't just tell them that I had to leave because the play was terrible.

Will looked resentful for just a second before he shrugged and started the car. "We'll figure it out later. Let's just go home."

I frowned. "Home?"

Will hummed absentmindedly in response.

"I don't want to go home yet," I whined a little. I'd been looking forward to this for so long. I didn't want the night to end just yet.

"What do we do then?" Will asked, turning onto the highway.

We drove for a while until a cluster of bright lights caught my attention. My eyes widened and I turned to Will anxiously. "There!" I pointed. "Let's go there!" I smiled widely.

This caught Will by surprise. He looked as though he was about to question me, but I yelped before he could. "You're going to miss the turn!"

Will chuckled softly, putting the car in park. "You're crazy," he said.

I squealed in delight when I caught sight of the tall ferris wheel. I didn't even give Will a chance to open my door for me like he usually did. I just hopped out of the car and took off.

Will stayed behind, shaking his head at me. But I knew he understood my excitement. The carnival was a sacred place regarding our relationship. We met at a carnival three years ago when we both were riding the ferris wheel solo and got put in a cart together. We also shared our first kiss on a ferris wheel no more than a year after. The carnival would always be a special place to us.

I made it to the ticket booth at the gate entrance of the carnival. "Two wristbands, please," I spoke politely to the woman behind the booth.

I was searching my purse for bills to pay for the tickets when Will appeared at my side.

"Babe, I'll pay," he said quickly, taking out his wallet.

"Oh, it's fine," I said having retrieved my money.

"No, I've got it," he insisted. He payed before I could protest.

I was about to argue when he grabbed my wrist. "Please, let me be the dashing boyfriend for once. I owe you for leaving all the time," he spoke quietly at the end.

He wrapped the band around my wrist, and I returned the favor. "You don't own me anything, William. You've always been the dashing boyfriend," I assured him. I got on my toes to press my lips to his curtly.

He smiled gratefully, and we made our way into the carnival.

For the next hour we became ten year olds again, playing all the carnival games and riding all the rides we could. We raced remote controlled boats across a small pool, Will having beat me to the finish line. We rode bumper cars and tried fried Oreos for the first time. I later took him by surprise when I managed to pop a series of balloons with darts, winning him a stuffed penguin.

We decided to end our night with my favorite part of any carnival: the ferris wheel.

"I've missed this," Will said reminiscently as we climbed into the dangling cart.

"The carnival?" I questioned curiously.

He shook his head. "You," he said simply. "I miss spending time with you. Everything's been so hectic lately. Sometimes I feel like I don't pay enough attention to you, and I get scared..." he trailed off.

"Scared of what?" I made sure to keep my voice soft and understanding. Will could be very emotional and wary over things that weren't necessarily a problem.

He fidgeted. "That you'll leave me," he said, avoiding eye contact. He started to ramble about his reasonings for this theory, but I didn't say a word.

I waited for him to look at me, the ferris wheel slowly taking us higher and higher.

"Will," I spoke, trying my best to sound serious but not harsh. He looked up at me. "I love you," I admitted softly. I'd only said this once before, and for some reason I feel like Will had never believed me.

"I know I don't say it often, but it's true. I love you, and I would never voluntarily leave you. I'll leave when angels themselves come to pry me from the earth," I joked.

The brooding look that had been looming on his features slowly disappeared as his lips stretched into a smile.

He took my hands in his and leaned in to kiss me gingerly. I deepened our kiss, and when we finally pulled apart I noticed we were at the top of the ferris wheel.

I sighed happily. "It's so beautiful up here."

"It really is," Will agreed, his eyes never leaving me.

He pushed some fly always from my face as he pulled me in for another tender kiss.

"I love you too," he whispered.

We bought bags of cotton candy before we left the carnival.

"Did you have fun?" Will asked when we got back to the car.

"Uh-huh," I yawned. I stretched in my seat, afterwards leaning my head against the window.

My eyes followed the ferris wheel until it was not longer in site, and my eyelids drifted closed.

As I fell into slumber, my thoughts swirled with visions of the next time we'd be back at the carnival. Thoughts of our future together put a complacent smile on my face, and I finally slipped into a peaceful sleep.