Chapter Twenty-Five

      “Get up!” I heard. I grunted in response, and continued to lie lifelessly.

      “Nooooooooo...” I groaned.

      “Would you like me to sit on you?” he asked.

      “I’m sick! Just go away!” I whined. I didn’t feel well. My head felt clouded, and my nose had been running all night. I probably looked like shit. My lungs were so congested that I actually had to concentrate on breathing. I could literally stay in bed for the next twelve hours with no problem if given the option.

      “No; we have to go! Get up!” he said, ripping my warm comforter and blankets off. Oh no he didn’t!

      “ADAM!” I shrieked, before remembering why I wasn’t sitting in a boring classroom at the moment, enduring homeroom.

      “Get up! They’ll be over in a half hour, and then we’re leaving! Come on!” he said, shaking my shoulders.

      “What? Who’s coming over?!” I demanded.

      “You’ll see,” he said, a smug disposition evident in his tone.

      “You’re such a jerk!” I said, grudgingly lifting my frame off of my bed. This was hell.

      “Get dressed, and be down in ten minutes!” he said, leaving the room. Ten minutes? Who the fuck can get dressed in ten minutes? That’s like asking Obama to stop global warming in a day! It can’t be done!

      Once I safely shut the door, locking it just in case, I roamed over to my closet, and pulled out a pair of jeans. These jeans weren’t ripped at the knees, or tight, or edgy in anyway; they were simple, nice, skinny jeans. I jumped into them, and matched the denim with a soft, flannel, red and black, plaid shirt.

      I lowered myself down to the bottom of the closet, so I could view my vast selection of shoes, and scanned them. I closed my eyes, and picked up the first pair my hands gravitated towards. I opened my eyes, and was pleased with my random choosing. Red and white Converse, the Chuck Taylor All Star ones that stop just below the ankle. Simple, and cute. My favorite. I don’t know why my outfit choice was so simplistic, it just was. Maybe it’s a side effect of being sick…

      I went over to my dresser, and looked at my complexion for a brief moment. My skin looked smooth, and not irritated in the slightest way, whereas the area under my eyes looked as though I had been in a fight. Adam sucks for waking me up this early! My hair looked okay, though it was frizzy, wavy, and all over the place. For the morning, I wasn’t looking my worst.

      I picked up a brush, and drew it to the back of my head. I swept my caramel colored hair into a neat ponytail on the back of my head, and dropped the brush back onto the counter. Picking up a hair tie, I secured my hair in place by wrapping it around three times, so it wouldn’t come out. I took either side of the ponytail, and pulled, tightening it. Perfect.

      I took my phone from a jumble of wires and cords, and placed it inside my chest pocket. That’s how cool kids utilize chest pockets. I looked at my current state once more in the mirror, and my reflection looked okay. Not the best, but better than how I started out. On my way out of my room, I turned off the lights, and closed the door.

      I made my way down the hallway, curious as to whom Adam had invited over. I walked past the dining room, and entered the front room, to view two individuals I knew fairly well, one of whom was awesome, the other… not so much.

      “Hey Jules!” Talia greeted, smiling at me. God. Her smile is seriously like a street lamp in the middle of a dark alley. I will personally kill Adam if he ever breaks up with her. This chick is epic, and unlike his previous girlfriends, I think she actually likes me.

      I remember, starting at about the young age of eleven, Adam started having girlfriends. He was thirteen at the time, and not the brightest thirteen year old in the world. His first girlfriend’s name was Cynthia. Being a pessimistically inclined little 6th grader, I believed this lovely relationship would last all of a week. Why? Because I didn’t like Andrea. I didn’t like the way she talked down to me, or her personality in general. I was a great guesser. Seven days after the “relationship” had started, Adam ended it. Man was I happy.

      Andrea was the first of a long list of girls who would suffer the heartbreak of my brother. Sometimes they lasted a week, sometimes a day. I think the longest he had even seen a girl was a month, and even that’s exaggerating. Every girlfriend he had, treated me the same way. They didn’t like me. They thought I was a stupid little kid, and were probably in a way intimidated by me.

      Though I hate using this term to describe my brother, Adam was indeed a player. There was no getting around it. In California, nothing changed. His girlfriends were only different in the sense that they didn’t wear Uggs and jeans, but rather bikinis and flip-flops. They still treated me like crap, and were being dumped a few days after the relationship commenced.

      Then, I don’t know what happened, but when we moved back here, somehow he connected with Talia. I don’t their story. I’d like to think it’s a cute sweet one, but I don’t know. I’d like to think that Adam wasn’t a total jerk to Talia, and that he genuinely had liked her at first, but I don’t know. All I know is that my brother likes her… a lot. I don’t know if it’s love, but I do know it must be pretty damn close.

      “So, let me get this straight,” I said, directing my upcoming question to Adam. “You’re staying home with me, because I’m sick, and invited your girlfriend over?”

      “Yeah,” he said, clearly not seeing anything wrong with the situation. “Oh, and I invited her brother over,” he pointed over to Chase.

      “Right… And you don’t see anything wrong with that?” I questioned. He shook his head. “Uh huh. And how exactly did the two of you get out of school?”

      “I told the office we were visiting you yesterday, and must’ve caught something,” Talia said, fake coughing.

      “Uh huh. Why is Chase here?”

      “Because Jules, I didn’t think you’d want to spend the entire day with Talia and I, so why not invite her brother?” Adam said, putting his arm around Talia.

      “Talia, yes. You, no way. I really don’t have enough energy to argue about Chase being here, so I’ll just save up until he starts to really annoy me.”

      “Firstly, you do know that I’m in the room, correct? And secondly, Jules, are you implying that I’m annoying you now?” Chase asked.

      “Yes. Your presence aggravates me,” I said.

      “Okay. I can live with that,” he said, brushing my comment right off.

      “So where are you dragging the person with the illness?” I asked Adam.

      “It’s a surprise,” he smirked.

      “Well isn’t it just the most ironic thing in the world that I am in no mood for surprises!” I said, coughing.

      “Come on Jules, you’ll like it!” he said, grabbing his jacket and slipping his arms into it. He pulled up the zipper down the middle, took Talia’s hand, and was out of the house in a flash.

      “We should go, Jules,” Chase said, not looking fully awake himself.

      “I don’t really want to,” I sighed.

      “Yeah, but Adam thinks you’ll like where we’re going,” he said, approaching me.

      “Adam also thinks there are forty-eight states in the country we live in,” I countered.

      “Wait, really?”

      “Yeah… he doesn’t acknowledge Hawaii or Alaska because they’re not connected or some shit,” I said, smiling at the philosophy my dear brother had come across long ago. Oh Adam…

      “Okay, well his viewpoints aside, I think you might like where we’re going too.”

      “You know?!” I said, studying his face to see if he was lying. He wasn’t.

      “Yup,” he shrugged.

      “Where?! Tell me!” I demanded, remembering not to blowout my vocal chords this early in the morning.

      “You have to come and see,” he said, offering up his hand to me.

      “I’m not going to hold you’re hand, but I will go,” I said, passing him, and letting myself out of the house. Chase caught the door just as I released it, and shut it firmly.

      “Why not?” he questioned.

      “Because it’s too cliché. Take Talia and Adam for example: before they left, he held her hand. Holding hands is just too normal for me… Oh yeah, and because it’s you.”

      “Fair enough,” he said, as we reached Adam’s car. Talia was in the driver’s seat, and Adam was glaring at her. Thank. God. If I had to sit in a car for some undetermined amount of time, while sick, and Adam was driving, I think there’s a good chance of dying.

      “Aw! Did someone lose his driving privileges?” I teased, sliding into the middle row, Chase doing the same.

      “Yes, because someone doesn’t know how to drive,” Talia said, adjusting the mirror, and fixing the seat to her height.

      “I can drive! I passed the test!” Adam defended.

      “Barely,” I murmured.

      “Come on Jules! You know how hard that was for me!” he said.

      “Yeah, but I guess after five times you finally got the hang of it,” I said smugly. Five. My mom still can’t believe it. Five whole times, just to pass a stupid driving test!

      “It took you five tries to pass?” Talia asked in disbelief.

      “Yeah. Did you know that you’re actually supposed to go slowly when there’s an official who holds the fate of your driving future in their hands?” Adam said.

      “No, really?” she said, poking his shoulder.

      “Okay, enough about my incredible driving record, let’s go!” Adam said. Talia obliged, and started up the car. I leaned my head against the seat of the car, and closed my eyes.

I woke up abruptly as the car came to a smooth stop. Man Talia’s a good driver! I jolted up, glancing around me. Chase looked bored out of his mind, Adam was smiling, and Talia looked annoyed. I turned my head to view out the window, and wanted to shriek. Not out of joy, but fury.

      “Adam! Are you mentally stable? Is there seriously something wrong with your head?” I asked, my level of anger growing as we sat in the parking lot.

      “What? Jules you love carnivals! Don’t you?” he said obliviously. Wow he sucks as an older brother!

      “No! I hate them!”

      “What about the pier in Santa Monica?”

      “That was different. Do you remember when we were younger, we went to one with mom and dad, and some idiot clown scared the shit out of me?” I paused, and he just shook his head. “Well we did, and that happened, and that’s why I hate clowns, and carnivals, not to mention they’re both sketchy!”

      “You want to talk about sketchy? What about that skate park you’re always chilling at? That place is sketchy!” he said.

      “You’re right it is, but this place is worse!”

      “You know what, you’re going to have a corrective experience with carnivals today,” he proclaimed.

      “But I really don’t want to,” I said.

      “Too bad. Get out.”

      “No; I refuse to.”

      “Talia! Tell her to get out!” he whined.

      “Jules, come on, just get out, face your fears, and have fun,” she said encouragingly.

      “If I puke can we leave?” I asked, realizing Chase had been silent this entire time.

      “Maybe…” Adam said. Talia slapped his arm. “I mean yes,” he corrected.

      “But that doesn’t mean you should try throwing up!” Talia warned.

      “Fine,” I said, opening the door on my side, and withdrawing from the car. I waited patiently for the others to come out, when I felt someone squeeze my shoulder.

      “It’ll be okay,” Talia told me reassuringly, removing her hand.

      “I know,” I said, not believing it myself. I was scared. Actually, I was terrified. You would’ve thought that after waking up to a shrieking seven year old in the middle of the night, Adam would’ve remembered something like this…

      I hesitantly followed the three to the ticket booth at the entrance. Adam bought some tickets, and delegated them out between the four of us. We passed through those terrifying wrought iron gates, and stepped onto the fairgrounds of hell. A carnival and I feel like shit- what a mix!

      “What do you two want to do first?” Talia asked, as we started walking, passing by games and such that would later haunt me in my darkest dreams.

      “I know!” Adam said. “How about the two of them go off and do whatever, while the two of us go off and do whatever!”

      “But isn’t the point of this day to spend it with Jules?” she questioned, linking arms with him.

      “Oh right… Well how about they go off and do whatever, and then we can meet up at noon for lunch; sound good?” he proposed.

      “No,” I said, “I don’t really want to roam around a place this shifty with Chase.”

      “Don’t worry, I’ll protect you,” Chase said, smirking at me.

      “Yeah, no thanks!” I coughed.

      “We can meet up at the hot dog shack place,” Adam said, looking over to Talia for approval.

      “No,” she shook her head.

      “Sounds like a plan to me! Talia let’s go!” Adam said, ignoring her comment, taking her hand, and running. He was literally running away from me! The son of- wait… we have the same mom. Never mind.

      “So Jules, what do you want to do first?” Chase asked, cramming his hands into his pockets.

      “Sleep,” I answered, yawning.

      “No, we’re going to do something fun. Do you like haunted houses?”

      “No.”

      “Bungee jumping?”

      “Nope.”

      “Ring tosses?”

      “No.”

      “Bumper cars?”

      “No.”

      “You know what, I’m going to surprise you,” he declared.

      “I don’t like surprises today!” I said, somewhat intrigued by whatever he was thinking.

      “Too bad, follow me.”

      “What if I don’t?” I challenged.

      “Then you’ll be alone in this creepy ass carnival,” he said. He made a compelling argument, following Chase it is!

      “Fine,” I sniffled, trying not to let out a sneeze. He smiled at his minor victory, and went. I was behind him the entire time, curious as to where he was leading me. We got to a large structure with no line, and stopped.

      Chase gave a lady with twelve too many piercings a few tickets, and she opened a small gate for us. We went through the gate, and slid into a seat. I was on the inside, Chase on the outside. We lifted our arms, and down came a bar, securing us in place. The seat we were in began to move, and started to ascend.

      “You like Ferris wheels?” he asked once we were a quarter of the way up.

      “Eh. Some memories I have aren’t the fondest,” I said, turning my head to the side to cough into my arm.

      “With Josh?” he asked.

      “With Josh,” I confirmed, thinking back to that amazing time.

      It was the summer; that wonderful summer that we moved. Josh and I were just getting to know each other. He suggested we spend the day at the iconic pier. I wasn’t opposed to it, and went with him. It was a gorgeous day. The water was the color photographers can only dream of capturing, and there was a light breeze. The area was still new to me, so I was late to arrive. Josh was standing on the boardwalk, looking around. When he spotted me, he ran over, and we went in together.

      We went to the arcade, and he beat me at a few games, until I started to complain, so we stopped. He dragged me onto a rollercoaster, and I didn’t admit to him that I was scared. Once the wind was zipping through our hair and we were going down the track at lightning speed, I wasn’t the least bit frightened, but more excited. I was laughing, and at that moment, happy.

      After the rollercoaster, Josh took me over to the Ferris wheel. Those red and yellow cars were circling around, and in a moment they stopped. We got on, and I was astonished by the view at such a height. We got to the very top, and I looked over to Josh to exclaim how incredible this all was. Mid sentence, he leaned in, and kissed me.

      That was the first time Josh kissed me; on top of that Ferris wheel. When we got down, I couldn’t stop smiling, and he thanked me for a memorable first date. I was confused, thinking that we were just friends. On that day, he said that he wanted to be more then friends. On that day, he became my boyfriend.

      It’s a painful memory now. There’s nothing I can do to change the past, and the sad part is Josh and I were so happy together. Those memories I have of him make a part of me hurt, and a part of me miss him. Unbelievable that I wasted two years thinking he was the boy I would marry, when in reality, he would betray me like everyone else…

      “Jules?” Chase said, lightly nudging me with his elbow. “We don’t have to talk about it if you don’t want to.”

      “I wasn’t planning on it,” I said, stifling a cough. He nodded, and remained noiseless. I looked down, to see we were at the top. From here, you could see the maze of fairgrounds below, and everything around. It was a calming thought, not being around anyone, just alone… with Chase.

      Time lapsed, the Ferris wheel continued to circle, and we stayed quiet. It rotated again, and paused. We were one place away from getting off. I looked over to Chase dubiously, and sighed. Then, before I had another second to think, he looked back at me, leaned in, and kissed me. Our lips met each other, and I could feel the sensation taking over my body. My stomach was in a knot, and all for what? Kissing Chase Ryan.

      The car swayed, and the bar that had kept us in place released. It was over. The kiss, and the ride. Chase got off without a word, and I followed. Sometimes that boy confuses the shit out of me! He walked over to a bench, and sat down. I hobbled over, and sat next to him, slightly dizzy from the revolving of the ride.

      I stayed silent for a good eighteen seconds before speaking up. “Why at the bottom?” was the question that tumbled out of my still tingling lips.

      “Because I knew that you would find me kissing you at the top of a Ferris wheel cliché,” he said. A surge of happiness and joy tugged at the corners of my mouth, and I smiled. I actually smiled something Chase said!

      “You’re right; I would have. Now, you do know that I’m sick, right?”

      “I know, but I don’t really care,” he said, staring off into the distance at nothing specific.

      “Well okay then,” I said, coughing. My hand moved from my side, and made its way into Chase’s.

      “I thought holding hands was too cliché for you?” he said as more of a statement than a question.

      “It is,” I replied happily, keeping my hand just where it was.