Every rose has its thorn.

Chapter Ten: All the fun of the fair

January 21st

The waves were calm and gentle by the time they reached my ankles. Not far off, Anna was splashing Jake with water, laughing childishly as she did so. I bent down and picked up a rock, skimming it accurately off the water's surface. It bounced five times, causing large ripples with every impact and ending with a gentle plop.

"Not bad." Said a soothing voice from behind me. There was the sound of feet trudging through wet sand, and Lauren appeared to my right, stone in hand. She sliced it perfectly through the air, and it ricochet off the water eight times before sinking down into the azure sea.

"You win!" I said. She grinned a pearly grin, and for a second, I found myself staring deep into her eyes. They were some of the most beautiful I had ever seen, a blue as pale as morning mist. She stared back, until a particularly large wave knocked us off our feet.

I was being stupid, she would never like someone as pathetic as me.

I laughed as we stood, soaked from head to toe. I admired Lauren's figure in her striped bikini as she shook the water off and drained it from her radiant blonde hair. She was mesmerizing, so much so that I would have gladly looked at her all day long.

"Anyway," I said, moving the conversation on to avoid any awkward silences cropping up "You having a good time?" I asked. She nodded vigorously.

"Yeah, great! What about you?"

"I'm good. A little tired, but otherwise good."

We talked and play-fought for another ten minutes, before deciding to leave the water. We settled down outside a small seaside cafe, ordering a few drinks as more people joined us.

"Alright, we'll finish our drinks and head off." I said. Most of the group seemed confused at this statement.

"Head off where?" Asked Jake, pounding his drink instantly.

"The fair, of course!"

The fair was alive with people as we bought our tickets and managed to get through the seemingly endless crowds. Music blared from enormous speakers that stood, hidden in every corner of the fairground.

"Where to first then?" I asked Anna, who clung lightly to my arm. She too was beautiful, but I couldn't shake Lauren from my mind no matter how hard I tried.

"Oooh, the roller-coaster!" She replied, pointing to a gigantic track that ran above our heads. Perfectly timed, a small cart jolted nimbly across it, roaring as it passed overhead.

"That is the epitome of fucking terrifying." I said, my eyes wide with fear. Sam and Lucy giggled, and Anna pushed me slightly.

"Oh come on, it's a roller-coaster. It's completely safe!" Daniel said.

"Yeah, but it's more the speed and height that i'm not a fan of." I replied, remembering the first time I had went on a roller-coaster. It was easily fifty foot tall, and I remember being mortified as the cart descended at full speed.

"Too bad, you're coming on!" Said Lauren, laughing. She grabbed me by the wrist and dragged me over to the queue. I let her, slightly scared but mainly lost thinking of her and how much I loved the feel of her hands on my wrist.

We waited for a solid fifty minutes, talking and anticipating all the while. Eventually, our turn came. I clambered into the cart, my emotions a mix of terror and excitement. Lauren hopped into the seat next to me, and it was clear she could see how nervous I was. She placed a hand on mine in a reassuring way, and my heart skipped a beat as she did. As the vehicle began to trundle forward, I began breathing faster, terrified to my very core, wishing I could just stop the ride and get off. Lauren noticed this and squeezed my hand harder, smiling gently and calmly at me. Without warning, the ride sped up, hurtling at over eighty miles per hour before I knew it.

"Holy shit!" I screamed, even though I could tell it would be drowned out by the sound of metal on metal and the terrified yells of others. The cart shredded along the track so quickly it rivalled that of my heartbeat, and the air seemed to be torn apart as we passed.

When the ride finally ended, I was filled with a feeling of euphoria. Lauren laughed as I turned to her, smiling brightly.

"Glad you came on?" She asked. I nodded and laughed.

"Very!" I replied gleefully.

"Good," She said, stepping off the ride and picking up her bag. The others followed suit, and we made our way down into the fairground.

"Alright, now that's out the way, I need something to eat!" I proclaimed, looking around and noticing a hotdog stand not far off.

After practically absorbing our hotdogs, we searched around for another ride to add to our contentment. My thoughts far off, I didn't notice Lauren stop and turn to me, and ended up walking directly into her. For a second, I felt her warm breath on me and her soft, perfect skin on mine. I wanted so badly just to kiss her, but I tore myself away. I was glad to see Anna was facing the other way, as she had a tenancy to notice little things like that.

"Sorry about that." I said, stepping back as I blushed a furious red.

"Don't worry about it!" She replied, readjusting her shirt. It clung to her amazing frame as she released it. I felt ashamed of myself for staring so much when I was already with Anna, but I couldn't help myself. I had wanted to be with her since I had met her, and up until then I had been denying it to make it that bit easier to see her every day.

"Something wrong?" She asked, snapping me out of my daze.

"Nah, i'm fine." I said, smiling and pretending to punch her gently in the stomach.

I was most certainly not fine.