The Carnival
"I'm telling you those games are fixed."
"Or maybe you just suck at basketball." Scott remarked slyly.
"Screw you dude!" Geoff said letting Scott's teasing comment go through one ear and out the other as he tossed the tiny stuffed rabbit in his hand and caught it casually in his other hand.
"Hey ladies," The surfer said flirtatiously, eyeballing a pair of pretty girls who walked by them. It was a warm summer night the perfect night for a carnival and the girls worse in short shorts and spaghetti strap shirts and Geoff appreciated the views.
"Bridgette is going to kill you man." The taller friend said referring to Geoff's long time girlfriend.
"Shut up dude, I think I see her at the bumper cars." Geoff said elbowing him then walking ahead and whistling trying to catch his girlfriend's attention.
"Hey babe!"
"Hey babe!" Bridgette responded back waving excitedly and Scott rolled his eyes at the couple wondering why he even agreed to come to this stupid carnival, he didn't want to end up as a third wheel watching them make out all night again.
"Look Bridge, I won you something." Geoff said showing off his consolation prize like it was the life size teddy bear he wanted to get, none the less Bridgette giggled happily, she was a nice girl, kind and easy to please which worked well for Geoff since the only place he put effort in was his parties and his surfing.
The person in the car next to her used her moment of distraction to ram Bridgette's car hard in the side making Scott laugh.
"Hey!" Bridgette yelled, and the brunette girl just giggled and reversed to escape Bridgette's car now chasing after her.
"Who's that girl with Bridgette?" Scott asked nudging him in the side not taking his eyes off of the girl.
"That is Courtney Hamilton. She's here for the summer with her family. Her dad richer than God."
Scott continued to watch her. Watching how her brown hair blew in the wind, and the carnival lights illuminated her shin, he was mesmerized.
The boys waited for the girls to get out, Bridgette practically skipped to Geoff who put his arm around her shoulders and kissed her on the cheek with the ease of boy who's been dating their girlfriend for years. Their relationship felt comfortable easy as breathing. In comparison Scott felt nothing but anxiety and fear of rejection as he looked at Courtney who seemed pleasantly unaware of him, as she walked besides her best friend Bridgette. Scott over heard their conversation, they were talking about going on the ferris wheel, before they could go Scott swallowed his fears and decided to make his move.
"Hey, you want to grab something to eat?" He said hopping in front of her his hands balled up in his jeans. Please, just say yes.
Courtney finally looked at him but she seemed surprised and caught off guard, Scott didn't mean to startle her, but it seemed like he had put his foot in his mouth.
Tthen Courtney's gaze turned critical and judgmental as she looked at him up and down. "Ewl, no." She hissed dismissively and turned back to her friend.
Courtney didn't deter Scott, on the other hand he became more interested if that was even possible, he loved a challenge. "Why not?"
"Because I don't want to." Courtney said accenting her words, she placed her hands on her hips looking aggravatingly at the persistent teenager.
"Dude, she's with us." Geoff said as they stopped, some their other friends joined them and some guy with black hair asked Courtney if she wanted to ride the ferris wheel with him.
Courtney turned away from Scott to smile flirtatiously at the other guy, "I'd love to!" She replied smiling brightly, he grabbed her hand and led with him to the line where Geoff and Bridgette already stood.
Scott's smile never left. After all, he loved a challenge.
Bridgette looked back at Courtney and whispered in her ear, "Scott Calhoun."
"Who?" Courtney asked puzzled.
"Geoff and him are friends, he works at a farm."
"Oh," Courtney replied glad the teenage boy who asked her to ride the ferris wheel with him was busy talking to his other guy friends in their group, "Did you see how close he was to my face?!" Courtney remarked, arms crossed over her chest clearly annoyed at the annoying ginger who invaded her comfort zone.
"Yeah, I saw." Bridgette said casually, "That's Scott for you. I'm surprised he even came over. He's totally crushing on you, girl."
"No way!" Courtney said in an effort to cover up how flattered she was, "Is that going to happen, sure he's cute, in a rustic sort of way. But he's so not my type."
Scott stood next to a stand selling candy apples and cotton candy watching the ferris wheel turn a mysterious twinkle in his blue eyes. Finally he saw who he was looking for Courtney. She was sitting next to the same guy from before, she must have seen him too, because she quickly turned away, put and sat closer to the guy, instead of her former disinterested expression she was wearing a bright, totally fake smile.
Scott patiently waited for the ferris wheel to turn once again, a when he saw Courtney's cart he ran forward, up the ramp to the ride and hopped into her cart.
"Get off! Don't touch me!" Courtney squealed. Even when she's yelling she's cute, Scott thought as Courtney tried to process what exactly just happened.
"You can't do that!" the operator of the ride yelled waving his fist angrily at him. Scott shrugged him off and took his seat in between Courtney and whatever his name was.
"Hey!" the other man yelled.
"Hi." Scott said briefly to the other teenager before he turned his body next to Courtney.
"I'm Scott Calhoun." Scott introduced himself holding his hand out for her.
Courtney looked shocked between his hand and his face, "So what?!" She yelled.
"So, its really nice to meet you."
"Courtney, who is this guy?"
"I don't know!" Courtney said clearly frustrated. "Scott Calhoun?"
"I would really like to take you out." Scott said interrupting their conversation.
"Pal! Do you mind?!"
"You can't sit more than two people in a chair!" the man called up at Scott as he stopped the ride.
"Fine." Scott replied hopping out of his seat and grabbing on to the black metal bar ahead of them, his feet dangling in mid air.
"Scott!" Bridgette yelled, "Get down from there! You're going to kill yourself!"
"Seriously bro? Cut it out!" Geoff added
Scott twisted his hands around to face Courtney, "Now will you go out with me?" Scott asked again, calmly as if he wasn't hanging in mid air by a thin metal bar as on lookers stared fearfully and curiously at him like he was a crazy fool. Maybe he was.
"What?" Courtney looked at this crazy boy with red hair. "No I won't!" she replied stubbornly refusing to give into his demands by his crazy antics.
"No?" Scott repeated curiously.
"No!"
"Hey pal, she just told you no." the black haired male added.
"Nobody asked you five head!" Scott shouted at the guy, making both of their jaws drop from his rude insult then he turned back to the brunette, "Why not?"
"Because I don't date crazy people!"
"Well then, you leave me no choice then." Scott said as he removed one of his hands.
Courtney and Bridgette both gasped and screamed in fear, Geoff yelling under him to stop fooling around.
"I'm going to ask you one more time, will you go out with me?" Courtney was torn, she hated being made to do anything she didn't want to do, but oh my God this crazy boy was hanging in 50 maybe 100 feet in the air before her with one hand no less! And she did not want to be known in law school as "that girl who let that crazy ginger boy fall to his death".
"Crud, my hands slipping!" Scott said sounding genuinely fearful as he looked up at his sweaty hand.
"Then grab the bar!" Bridgette shouted up at him
"Not 'til she agrees." Scott replied stubbornly.
"Court! Just say you'll go out with him!" Geoff cooed smiling ever the romantic and wingman. Bridgette hit him in the shoulder aggravated at his antics. "What?!" He asked throwing his hands, "It's like a scene out of a freakin' romance novel. I'll be disappointed in myself if I didn't help set them up."
"Fine! I'll go out with you." Finally! Scott thought, loving this moment. He knew it was unfair, but he never cared much about fairness or rules and he wanted her, more than anything he wanted in his entire life. Including rodent control. He loved this moment so much he decided he'd draw it out a little more, always one to test the waters, and see exactly how much he could get away with.
"Don't do me any favors." Scott said, "I'm ain't no dang charity case."
"No, no I want to!" Courtney said her usual steady confident voice shaking. She was worried and anxious. No need really, Scott spent most of his childhood climbing and testing with his cousins how long they could hang on the bar outside, after his chores at his farm were down he worked out, mostly on his upper body, with push ups and pulls up. His effort paid of his arms were strong and Scott was more than confident in his ability to hang on to the bar for as long as he needed. But Courtney didn't know that and he loved how worried she was over him, maybe she even liked him a little.
"Really?" the boy next to her asked.
"Yes!" Courtney yelled automatically not even looking at the man next to her.
"Say it." Scott insisted, crap his hand really was starting to slip, but he could make it another couple of seconds, hopefully.
"I WANT TO GO OUT WITH YOU!"
Thank God, Scott thought, but forced himself to casually grab the bar by both hands, "Alright, alright, no need to beg." He said smirking triumphantly
Courtney wanted to slap him, "You think you're so smart don't you?"
"I got you to go out with me, didn't I?" He said making Courtney scowl.
"That wasn't funny Scott, you idiot!" Bridgette said.
"That's okay, I got this." Courtney said confidently to her friend looking down reassuringly at her before she turned back around at this crazy… Scott and started unbuttoning and unzipping his pants.
"Hey! What are you doing?" Scott asked, trying to swing away some kind of way, but there was not a lot he could do with both his hands holding the bar and Courtney pushed his jeans down his legs, letting everyone see him in just his boxers.
Damn, why did I wear have to wear the ones with the hearts on it today? Scott thought. But they were better than the ones with the holes in them. Scott reasoned as Bridgette and Geoff laughed at him along with Courtney and the boy next to her… and everyone else in the carnival. "Oh God."
"Not so cocky now are you?" Courtney replied giggling.
Touché, he thought warning Courtney that he was going to get her for that.
Courtney was still smiling, God her smile is beautiful. "Maybe you will, maybe you won't."