Page 44 of Finding My Charming

“No problem. You would have done the same for me.” She winked and began blowing up another balloon.

Chapter 16

once the sun went down, and people finally became more interested in the food trucks and chili cook-off, my mom came over to relieve us of our duties.

“You girls are so awesome! Thanks for helping out.”

Ari smiled and shrugged. “It was fun.”

“Maybe for you.” I glared at the balloon-covered wall and shivered. I would have nightmares about the sounds of them rubbing and popping for weeks.

“I’m so sorry, Elise. I know that wasn’t easy for you, but I appreciate it! I’ve got April and her friends taking over now. So, you go off and have fun!”

“Thanks, Mom.” I tugged on Ari’s wrist and hurried away. The farther we were from the booth, the less likely we were to get volunteered for something else.

Ari laughed next to me and slid my hand from her arm. “Relax, Elle. It’s over. We can have fun for the rest of the night.”

I caved. Her positive attitude was contagious. “Where’s the first stop?”

She looked around and pointed. “Funnel cakes! I’ve been smelling them all night!”

“Perfect! Carbs and sugar are just what I need.” On our way over, I scanned the crowd for any of our friends, but there were too many people. I was sure my parents were ecstatic about the turnout.

“Looking for someone in particular?” Ari was grinning like the Cheshire cat.

Maybe. She knew me well enough to know exactly what I was doing, but I wasn’t going to admit that to her out loud.

“I didn’t recognize anyone with him earlier, but if we can find Calvin, he might know where to find Vincent.”

Vincent! That was his name. It had been driving me crazy, but again my pride had refused to allow me to ask Ari.

“Let’s focus on food, then we can look for people.”

“Deal.” She cut through the crowd and got us in line without getting lost or trampled.

We waited for almost ten minutes, but the second the warm sugary dough hit my tongue, I groaned. So worth it.

“That good?” Ari’s face was covered in powdered sugar — her chin, right cheek, and even a streak on her forehead.

I burst out laughing and nearly dropped my plate.

“What? Why are you laughing?” She looked at me like I was possessed, which only made me laugh harder. If I looked crazy to her, she would die if she saw her own reflection.

“You’ve got a little something on your face.”

Her hand shot up with a napkin and began rubbing all the wrong places. “Did I get it?”

Laughter bubbled up again and exploded.

She gave me a dirty look and handed me the napkin. “Help me.”

With shaking hands, I dabbed at each affected area.

“You’re messing with me, right? How did anything get on my forehead?”

I giggled and shrugged. “Must be on your fingers.” I handed the napkin back to her so she could wipe up more, and my laughter finally started dying down.

She walked away and tossed her plate, but when she turned back, she stuck her tongue out at me. “That’s for your help. Next time you do something embarrassing, I’ll be sure to laugh at you for five minutes straight.”