Devil's Food Cake [✓]

43 | midnight the bear

He told me to help myself to drinks ('make yourself at home...just don't fall asleep') while he went to the shower. So, of course, I was left isolated in my strange friend's place. After spending a ten minutes fidgeting on his surprisingly comfy sofa; it seemed to provide temporary relief from all the standing I'd had to put up with throughout the day at the fair. I stared at the two teddy bears he'd won at the archery stand.

'You're very good,' I had remarked, as the arrow vibrated on the board on impact. Like myself, his male friends had missed. Him and Annika had been the only ones to succeed in winning something.

'I know.' He'd set the bow down and inspected his handiwork. 'What bear do you want to adopt?'

I was surprised he was even offering to get me a stuffed teddy bear as a prize for losing. He made a show of checking his watch, so I hurriedly chose a lavender-hued teddy bear.

'And I'll have Midnight over there.' He pointed at the something above my head, slightly hidden by a boring stuffed giraffe, who was slumped to one side, wearily watching our antics. Zachary chose a black one; I hadn't noticed that particular teddy bear amongst all the coloured ones, but it had such a cute blue silky bow wrapped around its neck. I couldn't believe I hadn't seen that one!

The stall owner gave the black bear to Zachary, before returning back to staring at his phone, which he'd done while we were playing the game.

'How did you notice this one?' I touched its silky black ear. Midnight the bear had warm little chocolate chip eyes.

Zachary, the new owner, grinned at me. 'Hands off. My bear doesn't want a strange, unfamiliar girl's hands on him. I should get him a whistle...'

My face fell as he snatched the bear away from me. He turned his back on me, but couldn't resist looking over his shoulder and having a dig. 'Pay attention to your one.'

I huffed and folded my arms on my chest enveloping my lavender bear.

Annika had come over with her light green bear and bumped her one onto Midnight. 'Chocolate Mint is my favourite flavour,' she giggled.

Zachary wagged his eyebrows suggestively. They leaned in to share a private joke and I looked away, my cheeks burning up with a flame of jealousy.

Midnight the bear might have been rare, but he was no gentleman. Certainly not suitable for a lavender bear at any rate. Mint bears probably tasted as inedible as toothpaste. However, now it seemed like Midnight was hungrily staring at Lavender from his single seater throne with interest.

'Just because you have a fancy blue bow, doesn't mean you're someone.' I rolled my eyes, hugging Lavender closely to my chest. Then I realised I was talking to a stuffed toy...

What was I doing with my life?