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“Love enters your life when you least expect it. It barges in. Soothing fears you never knew existed... Breaking down barriers and laying claim your heart. Oh, when love comes... You’ll know.” - Phoenix Mode
“I can’t believe you’re going to eat all of that,” Haylee, my sister Danielle’s best friend, says as she takes a seat beside me at the picnic table.
My sister sets the tray piled high with food down in front of her. She takes a seat across from us next to Emmett, her boyfriend, who also happens to be my best friend and Haylee’s older brother. Emmett and Dani have been inseparable since they were thirteen. It might be weird for other people to watch their sister and best friend be together, but for me, it would be weird not to.
Dani grimaces and looks down at her thin body. “Umm, no. Most of this is for Em and this jackass in front of me…” She points to me, and I hold my hand to my chest as if offended by the nickname. “…who claimed he didn’t want anything, but I know him better than he does, so I got extra.”
I laugh because my sister is exactly right. Although now, I want to prove her wrong.
“These, however…” Dani holds up a plate full of curly fries covered in cheese, and her eyes light up. “…are for me.” She grabs one of the fries and dances as she brings it to her mouth and lets out an over-the-top moan as she chews, forcing us all to laugh.
“You’re adorable with how you get with your cheese fries.” Emmett places a quick kiss on her lips before reaching for one of the pit beef sandwiches, a staple when coming to a Maryland carnival.
My mouth instantly waters at the smell of all the delicious food.
“Take a picture, Zach. It’ll last longer. Or take that other sandwich off the tray because there’s no way I can eat them both. You know you want to.”
He doesn’t have to tell me twice. I inhale the sandwich. I’m not even sure I taste it as I shove it in my mouth. I crumple the wrapper and place it back on the tray. My stomach now thanks me for filling it.
“I can’t believe this is our last carnival together,” Dani says in between bites.
Summer will be ending in a few weeks, and Emmett and I will be heading off to college at the University of Pennsylvania. It’s only a two-hour drive from where we live in Annapolis. Dani and Haylee will begin their senior year, and if all things go as planned, my sister will join us at UPenn next fall.
“It’s not like we all won’t be back together next summer. We’ll come back. Coming to these carnivals is tradition.” Carnivals were never really my thing, but I enjoy the company. The four of us have been coming to the local firehouse carnival for as long as I can remember.
“Dani’s right,” Haylee adds. “It just won’t be the same. Everything will be different.”
She shrugs. Life might change, but we will always have each other.
I reach over to snag a piece of funnel cake off Haylee’s plate, and she smacks my hand away. “Uh-uh, Mr. I’m Not Hungry. Go get your own. I didn’t wait in that line for this just to share.”
I roll my eyes at her. The girl takes her funnel cake seriously. Haylee takes a massive bite of the sweet treat and gets powdered sugar everywhere.
“Hey, Hails?”
She turns toward me with a mouth full of food. “Huh?”
A puff of powdered sugar smoke escapes her mouth.
“You got a little something there.” I move my hand in a circular motion all over my face.
“Real attractive there, sis,” Emmett jokes from across the table.
“Thank you,” she mumbles in between chewing. “I plan to make some lucky man very happy one day.”
Lord help the man who plans to marry her. I’d say he deserves a gold medal.
“So, what next?” Haylee asks, throwing her empty plate in the trash. It’s rather impressive that she ate the entire funnel cake herself.
“We can go ride some rides,” my sister suggests.
“Ooh, how ’bout the Zipper,” I call out. That ride is my favorite.
All color has drained from Haylee’s face, and her eyes are wide. “Oh, hell no. You know I don’t do heights.”
There are not many things this girl is afraid of, but heights are at the top of her list.
“What about the Tilt-A-Whirl?” Haylee rubs her hands together in excitement.
Meh, that ride always makes me dizzy.
“Why don’t we play some games? They have the water gun balloon game over there. That’s always fun.” Em points over his shoulder in the opposite direction.
“Oh look, there is a new fun house this year,” Dani shouts.
“Those things are stupid. They’re so easy to get through.” I sigh. A fun house? Those are for kids.
“I bet I could beat you through there.” Haylee stands up straight with an intensity in her eyes that I see when she gets competitive.
Now, this just got interesting. Haylee and I are never ones to back down from a dare or a bet, and she knows I can’t refuse.
I step up to Haylee and stare down at her. “Oh, it’s on. Winner gets to pick the ride, and when I win, we will be going on the Zipper.”
Haylee extends her hand, and I take it.
“Deal,” we both say at the same time.
“Here we go again.” Dani rolls her eyes.
“Oh, this is gonna be good.” A mischievous smile comes over my best friend’s face as he tugs my sister’s arm, pulling her closer to his chest.
Haylee and I both take the positions at the fun house entrance.
“The first one to the finish line wins,” Haylee explains. “Ready. Set. Go.”
Seventeen minutes later, Dani and Haylee are in one cart, and Emmett and I have crammed into another on the Zipper. I love my best friend and all, but I don’t think I need to be this close to him. As the ride begins to take off and the carts begin to spin, I hear Haylee’s screams from the cart in front of us.
“I hate you, Jacobs!”
“You know she’s going to knock you on your ass when the ride is over, right?” Em says, shaking his head.
