A few hours later, Adette reappeared, her hair ruffled and her damp eyelashes giving away the fact she’d been crying. She was wearing a big, fake smile and a big, fake leather jacket to match.
“Ready to go?” she asked a little too brightly.
“To where?” he frowned in bewilderment.
“The carnival, silly!”
“That’s tonight?”
“You bet!”
He sighed, but got up. “Alright, just let me get my jacket.”
As he clambered into the car, he threw a sideways glance at her. She was trembling, her teeth sunken into her lower lip and her eyes clouded over.
“Hey, look, I’m sorry for picking up the phone,” he offered, “I didn’t realize it was that big of a deal.”
“No, I’m sorry. I overreacted,” she sighed. They drove the rest of the way to the carnival in silence.
“Here we are,” Adette announced lightly, signalling Derek to get out of the car. He stared at the carnival in awe. Lights glowed cheerily and the air was filled with the sound of laughter and music. People on stilts walked through the crowds and men stood before candyfloss machines. Enormous plush toys hung from stalls. A gigantic Ferris wheel turned slowly while beneath it bumper cars whizzed and collided. Derek had never seen anything like it in all his life.
“See? What did I tell you?” Adette grinned, clearly pleased by the amazement written all over his face. “What should we do first?”
“I don’t have any bloody clue. Why don’t you pick?”
Adette rolled her eyes, but she was smiling. “Let’s go play that game over there!” she said, grabbing his hand and tugging him along to a stall.
Hours later, the pair walked visibly closer as they headed for the Ferris wheel. Adette was clutching a stick of cotton candy. She turned to Derek and beamed. “Saving the best for last!”
They climbed into one of the seats and sat in awkward silence as the ride began to slowly move. Derek gripped the metal bar in front of him tightly; he decided to refrain from telling her he was a little scared of heights.
They reached the top of the Ferris wheel and Derek gazed in wonder, the entire city stretched before him in a sea of artificial light. “Isn’t it beautiful?” Adette breathed. Derek couldn’t find the words to answer. She glanced across at him and unexpectedly laid her hand over his. He looked away to hide the fact he was blushing.
The silence that stretched between them was no longer awkward as they walked back towards the car; simply both of them lost in their individual thoughts. It was then that something made Adette freeze.
“What is it?” Derek asked, frowning in concern. Her face had lost all colour and her eyes were stretched wider than he’d ever seen them. He followed her gaze to the silhouette of a man up ahead. Even without his years of street experience, Derek could tell from the way he stood that he was heavily intoxicated.
“Adette,” the man slurred, stumbling towards her.
“Leave me alone, Kevin.” The fear made her voice sound thin and shaky.
“Why’d ya leave me Adette?” He stood only a metre in front of them now, so Derek could smell the reek of alcohol on him. He was big, hairy and dishevelled. Kevin turned his bloodshot eyes on Derek.
“Did ya leave me for this loser?” he said, his voice dangerously soft. “Leave me in the dumps for this skinny little runt?”
“No, it’s not like that, Kevin,” she squeaked uncertainly. He lumbered forward and seized her, roughly pulling her against him.
“Why don’t ya come back to me, babe?”
“Hey, leave her alone,” Derek said angrily, attempting to pry his thick, meaty arms off her. He swatted him away like a fly. “Bugger off, prick.”
Derek scowled and spat out blood, anger boiling up in the pit of his stomach.
With surprising skill, he sprung forward, connected his knee to Kevin’s groin, uppercut him and kicked his legs out from under him, snatching Adette from his grip just before he fell.
“Let’s get out of here, quick,” he hissed to Adette under his breath while Kevin gathered himself. Together they hurried to the car, speeding away from the sounds of Kevin’s furious howls.
