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The event is set up in a park that overlooks the lake. I’m shocked by the size of the fair and the turnout. Every impression I’ve gotten of Canmore so far is that it’s a sleepy, quiet town. The sudden appearance of crowds, lights, and noise is disorienting.
Loud, upbeat pop music streams through hidden speakers, mixing with the shouts of small children and the chatter of the hundreds of people milling about. I smile at the joyful scene as I walk under the balloon arch marking the entrance.
I pass young families, elderly couples, and several groups of teenagers. None of them include Annabel, and I’m glad. I’m certain she would just ignore me if she saw me, but I would rather avoid her entirely.
I buy an ice cream cone from one of the food trucks and then continue walking around, taking in the joy and excitement permeating the air around me. After a couple of laps around the carnival, I wander away from the commotion. I’ve been down to the lake’s shore before, but never at night. I follow a footworn path to the start of the town dock, which juts out about thirty feet. When I reach the very end of it, I take a seat, kicking my shoes off and rolling up the ends of my jeans so I can dip my feet into the cool water. The lights from the houses that line the shore glimmer on the smooth, dark surface. Past it, the houses that encircle the lake are laid out in a map of sparks, with the dark mountains hovering in the distance.
It’s a stunning view.
One I’ve never seen before.
But, oddly, it looks like home in a way California never has.
Elliot
My favorite part of Canmore is the lake. I spend most of the summer on or near the rippling water I’m staring out at. In the winter, it turns into a sheet of ice that’s my favorite surface to skate on. The warm breeze ruffling the leaves on the trees lining the shore makes the arctic temperatures necessary for the lake to freeze feel pretty far away, though.
Lucas does a cannonball off the dock. I smirk as he hits the surface of the smooth water with more of a belly slap.
“Some things never change.” Josh snorts as he takes a seat in the Adirondack chair next to one I’m slouching in. We both laugh when Luke breaks the surface of the water, wincing. “That’ll leave a mark.”
A couple of girls pass by us to grab drinks from the cooler on the dock, giggling as they glance over.
“You going there tonight?” Josh asks, nodding to them with a knowing smirk.
I lean back and stretch my legs out. “Nah, I don’t think so. I’m headed to the rink early, so I’ll probably call it a night fairly early.”
Josh eyes me, appearing incredulous. “Dude, it’s summer. I seriously thought you were going to chill out for once.”
I scoff before taking a swig from the bottle of beer I’m holding. “Iseriously thoughtyou knew me better than that.” The chair creaks as I stand.
Josh groans. “You’re leaving already?”
“Nope. Just sick of talking to you.” I laugh when he flips me off, then head back for the shore. I snag the sweatshirt I left by the other two coolers, shrug it on, and then wander toward the town dock.
Tonight is the annual Canmore carnival. The lights from the Ferris wheel shimmer on the surface of the lake. Shouts and upbeat music sound in the distance. When I was a kid, I loved it. Like a lot of things, it’s lost its luster as I’ve grown up.
There’s already someone sitting at the very end of the pier. I walk halfway down the wooden planks anyway, my stomach grumbling when the wind blows the scent of fried food across my face.
I pause three-quarters of the way along, planning to turn back. The figure down at the end looks like a female one, and girls tend to think me approaching them means I’m looking for a girlfriend. Last year, I found the endless stream of attention flattering. I’ve only just completed grade 10, but I’m looking ahead to college. I’ve gotten interest from American universities: prestigious Division I programs that will all but guarantee me a one-way ticket to a professional career. No girl is worth messing that up for.
A pontoon boat chugs along to the left, and the figure in front of me glances at it. I’m surprised to realize I recognize her face, even more surprised when I act on instinct and keep walking to the end of the pier.
I like to be in control. Off the ice, I rarely make split-second decisions.
But I take a seat beside the girl from the coffee shop like I’ve known her for years. Because bizarrely, it feels like Idoknow her. I even remember her name. “Hey, Auden.”
She glances over. Surprise then recognition flash across her face. “Elliot. Hi.”
She remembered my name, too, and it gives me a small, silly thrill of satisfaction I’m not expecting.
“You check out the carnival?” I nod toward the lights and sound to our right.
“Yep. This town really knows how to party.”
I smile at the sarcasm. “Where are you from?”
“California.”
