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“Noooooo…. you know what about.”

The visual of a tall man in a mask crosses my mind, and the shivers come all across my body.

I thought about that night often, and I’ve wanted so badly to ask her, but I didn’t want her to freak out.

“About the carnival?” I ask even though I know what she’s talking about.

“Mhmm. Also, Charlie has been asking about you a lot recently.”

Charlie’s face comes to mind, and I felt nothing.

Not even a smidgen of interest.

“Oh, has he?” I ask and unlock the front door of our house.

“You know he has a crush on you. Since he first saw you last year. He’s a dork, but he actually is a great guy.”

“Well, that is nice.” I say to her as I place her on speaker.

“Raveeee.” she drags out.

“Yes?”

“What if you just gave him a chance at one date while your here?”

I flip on the TV.

“Willow.”

“Yessss?”

I put on Freddy VS Jason.

“It’s cute that you’re trying to wing woman for him, but I’m going to pass on that.”

She sighs into the phone.

“Okay, fine.” she says and I smile at her because I know she’s probably pouting.

But, she doesn’t know for the past year, that man from the carnival has been in my head constantly.

Other boys have tried to ask me out at school, but none of them made my heart rate increase like that stranger did.

It was strange and I wanted to talk about it with someone. But, if I told my mom that a strange man in a mask scared me, and then touched my arm and I liked it, she would drive me to the mental facility before I could even finish my sentence.

“I just can’t wait to see you.” she says. “I have to go but, I’ll call you tomorrow, okay?”

“Okay.” I say back, and hang up.

I sit back on the couch, and relax as I wait for my mom to come home.

* * *

I’m running.

I’m sprinting.

I’m sweating.