Where Do We Go From Here?

Tony smiled at my initiative as the woman patted the black stool in front of her. I walked over and plopped myself on it, steadying myself since the stool felt a little small for my ass.

“Are you comfortable?” The woman asked.

“Not really.” I answered honestly.

“Let’s see…” She pondered. “Here we go.” She said while pulling out a metal chair that had a backing.

Standing up, we switched out the chairs before I settled comfortably in front of her. The first thing I felt as I closed my eyes so she could start was how cold the paint felt against my skin. The second thing I felt was how ticklish my skin was beneath the brush. She worked quickly while softly humming to herself. I didn’t recognize the song but I grew to enjoy it. Another five minutes passed and soon I felt the woman stop.

“All done sweetheart.” She said with a smile on her face while holding up the hand mirror that was leveled with my face.

The foremost thing I saw was the vibrant colors that covered my face. Mixtures of tan and orange was the base while thick black and white lines ran through it. My naturally green eyes seemed to glow beneath the dramatic face paint. However, my eyes were focused on the whiskers I had sporting on my nose.

“It’s amazing.” I complimented as I peered closer to my reflection.

“Wow, you look…wild.” Tony commented when I faced him.

Trading places, I watched as the woman worked her magic on Tony. It amazed me to see her work swiftly without having to glance at a picture for reference. Taking about the same amount of time as she had with me, the woman finished detailing Tony’s face. He looked adorable, more than usual.

“How do I look?” Tony asked with a growing grin on his face.

“So cute.” I gushed as if he were a toddler.

“Cute is a word that emasculates a man.” Tony countered.

“I meant to say very manly.” I sarcastically corrected.

Tony glanced at his reflection before letting out a low whistle. “I look good.”

I laughed. “Okay Narcissist, let’s not go overboard.”

Tony stuck his tongue out at me, and if it were any other day I might’ve just chuckled at it. However, his face resembled a monkey which made me say a series of “aww’s” while saying “how adorable”.

“How much?” Tony asked after rolling his eyes at me.

“Twenty flat.” The woman said.

Tony fished out the money and handed it to her.

“I could’ve paid for myself.” I interjected.

“Nonsense!” Tony countered as he grabbed my hand and led the way to the food section of the place.

The food booths at Carna-Palooza can be summed up with one word: fried. This was the only place in San Diego that offered any form of food fired. You want ice cream? Well, here at Carna-Palooza not only do you have a selection of flavors, but you also have the choice to either eat it regularly or fried. You want a burrito? Well, you have a choice to either eat it regularly or deep fried. It was both amazing and disgusting the more you thought about it.

Stopping at the Pizza stand, Tony asked “This would have made a pretty good first date, huh?”

I smiled. “I’ve never been on a date, so I’d have nothing to compare it to.” I answered honestly.

“Not a single one?” Tony asked skeptically.

I rolled my eyes. “Believe it or not, but my lack of allure didn’t reel in much.”

“You reeled me in.” Tony replied while placing a kiss on the top of my head.

“Yeah, and I still don’t know how that happened.” I chuckled.

Tony smiled. “It’s because you don’t try to be someone you’re not. You’re a breath of fresh air.”

Talking like this made my stomach turn with unruly butterflies. Changing the subject, I asked “What are we doing after this?”

“Well there’s the roller coaster ride and then the games booth and lastly the Ferris Wheel.” He listed.

“Is this what it’s like to be with you, to spend the whole day doing nothing but having fun?” I asked.

“I’m not sure whether I should take that as a good thing or bad.” Tony commented.

I laughed. “I didn’t mean it as a bad thing.”

Tony waved me off. “I’m just trying to keep you smiling. You’re very beautiful when you smile.”

I averted my gaze to the ground as I mumbled out “Thank you.”

Tony tilted my head up so I was looking in his eyes. “Don’t be embarrassed to accept compliments.”

I ate my pizza in silence as Tony guzzled his down. I didn't know what was more fascinating to watch, the people trying their best to win a prize at the games booth or Tony devouring an entire slice of pizza in record time.

"That's amazing." I pointed out.

"What is?"

"You ate your pizza before I finished wiping the grease off of mines."

Tony laughed. "It's not my fault you're a slow eater." He flashed me a wicked grin before chastely kissing my lips.

I rolled my eyes before saying “How’s about that roller coaster ride you promised.”

I handed Tony the rest of my pizza, in which he gladly chowed down before heading over to the roller coaster. It was the largest ride that Carna-Palooza had to offer. It towered high while offering twists and spirals that would get any thrill junkies heart pumping. I was nervous because I’ve never rode one before. Giving my hand a squeeze, Tony smiled at me before taking me to the line; which happened to be quite long since everyone seemed to gravitate towards the roller coaster. I nervously fidgeted from leaning on my right foot to my left as the line crept closer and closer. I could hear the various screams coming from the ride, all ranging from shouts of excitement to pure terror. I glanced at Tony with anxiety filled eyes. He was calm and smiled back at me.

“How are you not freaking out?” I asked while my voice wavered from my nerves.

Tony chuckled. “It’s cause me is strong man.” He said in a brutish, low voice.

I couldn’t stop a smile from spilling across my tigress face. “I’m being serious.”

He shrugged. “I love roller coasters.”

It was finally our turn and I felt my breathing hitch in my throat. “If I throw up, I’ll kill you.” I told him as we boarded the front cart.

The entire time I gripped Tony’s hand, who seemed to be unfazed by it. I kept my eyes open, watching as my surrounding collided into one big blur. Glancing at Tony, I saw that he was looking at me, watching as a broad smile took up half my face. Is it weird that I began comparing my life to a roller coaster ride? With new things coming to light—Veronica’s eating disorder, the pressure of being a good student, the weight of planning a stable future for myself—it all seemed to collide into one big blur. What felt even weirder was that through all of what I’m experiencing I was happy that Tony was next to me, anchoring me for the moment. Without thinking, I leaned over and closed the distance between Tony and I, who happened to still be looking thoughtfully at me. It was the first time I ever initiated a kiss, and it felt right.

Notes

Quick updated before I disappear off to work :)

Hope this chapter isn't shit and thanks for reading guys!!

Love you all and leave some comments if you want. <3