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Chapter 54

The following week my first semester of college started. I was consumed by homework and studying. I made a couple of study partners who were dedicated to succeeding in their education as much as I was. Logan and I have seen each other every other day and we had begun to regain the level of comfort we had once shared.

"So, you going to drag me to this carnival or what?" Logan said when I answered his call walking back to my car after my last class.

"Yeah. Do you want to meet there around seven?"

"Can I pick you up instead?" His insistency to drive made me smile.

"Sure. I won't say no to a free ride from a stranger." His laugh on the other side of the phone sends chills down my spine. He didn't even have to try to make me feel comfortable. Even his laugh could calm a storm.

"Ok. I'll pick you up around 6:30. How was class?"

"It was good. I don't have to be back here until Tuesday. Have you found out where that big construction job was you were telling me about?"

"Oh yeah. I am going to be going to Puerto Rico for a week to get the frame of the resort set up."

"What? That is amazing! Can you stick me in your suitcase?"

"I don't see why not. You are fun sized anyways."

"Boy, what are you talking about? I am like three inches shorter than you."

"What? Sorry I think I heard your math skills go down the drain. So I'll see you at 6:30. Just in case you don't know how to tell time either that's in three hours."

"Ha-Ha. Goodbye."

"Good bye Theresa." I hang up the phone and place it back into my pocket. I jump into my dad's car and drive all the way home to change without being able to remove the smile from my face. College was a lot less pressure, but a lot more work. I loved going to school and I loved that Logan would offer to help me study whenever we hung out.

***

I wasn't expecting Logan to walk up to the front door, but there he was standing in his favorite grey sweatshirt. "You ready?" He asked as I walk out of the house. We start our way down the driveway to where his truck was parked in the road.

"Yes sir! I hope you aren't a fan of the rides at the carnival."

"Honestly, I was going to ask you the same thing."

"Don't get me wrong, I love rides at the amusement parks, but the rides at the carnival make me sick."

"I just find them lame."

"Of course you do." I laugh.

"Oh hush." He smiled back. We get into his truck and head off to the carnival. The drive is filled with us arguing over what song was better to play. By the time we got to the carnival neither of us had plaid our song.

"Yeah, can we have thirty tickets please?" Logan asked the sweet old lady inside the small ticket booth.

"That will be fifteen dollars, Hun." They exchange the money and the tickets and we begin to walk around the crowded ground.

"We have to win a goldfish!"

"Why would we spend five bucks to win a fifteen cent fish?" He asks seriously. I look up at him and hand the man behind the booth the five dollar bill. He places a stack of rings in front of us and moves out of the way. Logan shakes his head and helps me try and get a ring around one of the bottles. After getting none of the thirty rings around the glass bottles Logan takes it upon himself to call the game fixed while he hands the man another five dollar bill. We throw all the rings again only to have the last one land on a bottle.

"Yay!" I jump as the man turns to see the ring. He hands me the world's tinniest goldfish in a plastic bag. I hold the bag up in front of my eyes as I examine the creature. From the corner of my eye, I see Logan look over at me and smile.

"That fish was ten dollars." Logan laughs.

"Hush. Becky will hear you!"

"Who the hell names a fish Becky?"

"You got any better ideas?"

"Maybe something like kitty or tuna." I swat his arm as he continues to laugh at his own joke. We spend the night walking around wasting our tickets on hopeless carnival games. He gets a basketball into a net and wins a small stuffed red dolphin for Becky.

"You know the one thing I have never had is funnel cake."

Logan stops in his tracks and looks at me disgusted. "You've never had funnel cake?"

"Nope. Never." Without a word he turns around and starts walking towards the food trucks. I catch up to him just in time for him to hand a man three dollars. The guy hands back a plate of dough. He sprinkles the flour on top and holds it up to me to try. I take a bite. "This tastes amazing."

"You've been missing out on heaven for so long."

"You're telling me." I take another bite before we walk over to the Ferris wheel line. We both have devoured the funnel cake when it is our turn to get on. As the Ferris wheel reaches the top we can see the whole carnival. "Isn't it so beautiful?"

"Yes, it is." Logan agrees. I turn to see him look away from me. I look back over the side of the cart to hide the thrill I had felt from his comment.