Chapter 7
“Step right up! Try your luck on the ring toss! Only three dollars for an entire bucket! It’s our Fourth of July special! Land one and you win!” I exclaimed to the incoming crowd walking down the carnival midway.
“Hey misses, I’d like to have a go at it.” I rolled my eyes at the sound of the familiar voice.
“Go back to your own booth Ian.” I shooed him away.
“I’m not going very far. My station’s right next to yours.”
“Clearly the lady running the fair didn’t hear me when I said I wanted to be as far away from you as possible.”
“Nah she probably heard you, but she just saw how badly you couldn’t resist me so she stuck you right next to me.”
“You’re so full of it.” I laughed, throwing a ring at him. He ducked before it could square him in the face. Stupid fast reflexes.
“You’re lucky I’m managing the baskets.”
“Now you wouldn’t hit a girl, would you?” I spoke with an innocent voice, batting my eyelashes for effect.
“You act anything but.” He teased.
“Well then.” I pouted, turning my attention away from him.
“Hazel, you know I was just messing with you.” I ignored him, focusing instead on a pair of little boys approaching me with their dad in tow behind them.
“One bucket please.” He handed me a bill and I traded it with a red bucket from beneath the counter. I stepped aside, leaning against the divider between the ring toss and the basket shots as I watched them.
“This isn’t over Haze.” He whispered from behind. I turned around, but he had already returned to his game as a line started trickling in. No one calls me that, my name was short as it was already, but he was the exception. It’s been forever since I’ve heard the nickname. It wasn’t like I minded; it just sounded strange after all this time.
Maybe, I should start getting used to it if it turns out to be a common occurrence. I felt a smile creep up to my lips as the two boys finished emptying their bucket with no luck landing any of them around the bottles.
“Nice try! Maybe next time!” I said positively as they moved onto the next booth. I collected the fallen rings, getting ready for the next participants.
In the span of five hours, only one was able to win a giant teddy bear. Ian, on the other hand, got to pass out more prizes with his slightly easier game of shooting the ball into the hoop. Our shifts ended at six as a fresh pair of employees replaced us. Let’s just say I was glad I wouldn’t be seeing another ring today. Since the night was still young, Ian and I decided to check out the rest of the town’s fair.
“You’re not still mad at me right?” He fell in step beside me after we had traded in our work attire.
“Maybe, maybe not.” I simply said, sticking my tongue out at him as I skipped ahead towards the food court. My stomach signaled my hunger with a loud, embarrassing growl.
“How about I apologize with a hot dog?” He teased, now fully aware that I was never really angry with him in the first place.
“Only if I get to pay for the lemonade.”
“Deal.” He nodded and we branched off into our separate ways: him behind the barbeque stand and I shuffled over to the beverages station. I soon regretted not volunteering to buy the dinner as I was stuck in the longest line ever. After what felt like an eternity, I made my way back to Ian who was sitting at a picnic table with a half eaten hot dog.
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The Lemonade Stand
RomanceAll Hazel Scott ever wanted to do was get away: get away from her alcoholic mother, her abusive father, and her clingy ex-boyfriend. So with senior year coming to a close, she only has a summer break to make her once mindless daydreams a reality bef...
