Loyal

Chapter 43

Not a Bad Thing by Justin Timberlake has been on repeat while I wrote this! 

Vera's POV

            After a day of shopping and eating at Applebee's I feel stuffed. Night has fallen as we pull up to the familiar fairgrounds. I look around and notice there are only a few cars parked in the lot.

            "Are you sure there's a fair going on?" I ask. Colin had mentioned coming to a night fair, but it seems pretty deserted. Colin's nervous, and it's obvious in the way he pulls his hat down, his fingers tapping against the steering wheel.

            "Baby, are you okay?" I ask. I know something's up. He nods his head, looking around outside, rubbing his palms against the front of his basketball shorts. I grab his hand, holding it tightly, and pull it towards my lips. "I love you," I say with finality. Colin looks into my eyes and kisses my hand as well.

                        "Let's go have some fun baby girl," he says excitedly, hopping out of the car. I laugh at his childlike enthusiasm and hurry to join him. We walk hand in hand through the gravel lot towards the main gate of the fairgrounds.

            "See, I told you there was a fair going on," Colin says. A large sign arching over the main gates says, "For Vera, with Love." It is elegantly painted in bright blue. I look to Colin in disbelief.

                        "What is this Colin!?" I squeak. Colin grabs my hand and pulls me through the main entrance.

            "Let's go play some games baby girl," he laughs. Colin pulls me along and I look around, taking in the fair. All the workers in each booth, everywhere actually, are wearing bright blue wigs. The same bright blue wigs Colin wore at Target when he pretended to be "Colindra." I cover my mouth from laughing.

                        "Colin!" I squeal. He pulls me along and we go to different booths. At one, Colin holds me from behind as I throw a ball to knock down a tower of milk jugs. After I lose several times, he knocks them down effortlessly for me. After we leave that booth, he shows off his muscles at a punching bag game. I laugh and show him my baby muscles, punching the bag to receive a score that's half of his worst one. I give a pouty face and Colin pulls me in, kissing me deeply. At the touch of his lips I feel the world disappear from around us. It's just him and I in the middle of a carnival, which he planned just for me. When his lips finally part from me I look into his bright brown eyes. A deep warmth pervades me, and I wonder how it is possible to be so in love with someone.

            "Shall we go to the fun house?" He asks, bringing his nose down to touch mine.

                        "We shall!" I exclaim.

We grab several swirls of cotton candy and eat them as we walk towards our destination. Several workers laugh and wave at me, all wearing their bright blue wigs.

                        "I can't believe you did this for me, Colindra," I joke. I truly am overwhelmed. No one has ever gone to such great lengths to do something so special, so personal, just for me.

            "This is nothing, Vera. You deserve way more than this," he says quietly. When we get to the funhouse I notice that the same song has been playing throughout the night. Justin Timberlake's "Not A Bad Thing."

                        "Someone must really like this song," I say, opening the door to the fun house. Colin smirks at me and holds me from behind as we go into a room full of mirrors. It's dark, and only our reflections within the mirrors are visible. We walk slowly past them. Some mirrors make us appear to be incredibly tall, thin, and even plump. I laugh at the last mirror, pretending to poke Colin's reflection in the eye.