Ronald escorted me to every class and was at the door waiting when every class ended. By lunch I felt like the frog in the jar with a cotton ball of formaldehyde.  Gasping for air and space while everyone watched with a repulsed fascination.

Tiffani's mind game was working. By lunch walking into the cafeteria I felt awkward picking up my tray and sitting at the table with Ronald by my side I ended up coming up with the perfect solution. Ronald was a pawn, but he was a nice guy, and he was cute.

It would be advantageous to my situation to just look like I was enjoying the attention, and maybe I could. After all, Tiffani was the one who assigned Ronald not to  leave my side. She couldn't possibly be upset by the fact that he and I got along.

"Ronald. This isn't really working for me. You see, I always thought if I had a boyfriend walking me to classes and meeting me for lunch he'd be more involved in my life, and I'd be more involved in his. This, what we've got going here, it feels more like stalker city." 

Ronald laughed as he wiped the mustard off his top lip with the back of his hand.

"You're right. We aren't bonding. Tell me about yourself. And how you got mixed up in the world of power and espionage." 

He draped his left arm around my shoulder and kept shoving the first of his three sandwiches on with his right.  There were no robot girls in sight and while I did feel some degree of nervous energy about where they were holed up and what they were planning, I found myself relaxing.

"It was a rash decision. But one I can't really regret. I mean, I met you and now my world is complete. What else can a girl ask for in life but another girl bossing her around while beating her up emotionally and a guy who can't leave your side, literally." I injected as much sarcasm into the words that I could and when I finished batted my eyelashes like a true damsel in distress.

Ronald's eyes lit up and the corner of his mouth titled upwards. He was actually adorable when he was amused and happy.

"Sounds like your life is going straight up perfect." He said holding the Bologna and cheese sandwich to my mouth.

I took a bite, surprising even myself and while scraping the gluten filled white bread off the roof of my mouth with my tongue asked "what about you Prince Charming? How'd you get mixed up with the future Prom Queen?"

Ronald's face went serious like, all sense of humor and wit gone. "Tiffani's dad owns us. Literally. When my sister got in a tractor accident the medical bills were too much and my dad went to hers for help. He owns half the farm even though we've paid him double what he gave us already."

My mouth stopped chewing and I stared at him. So Ronald was under a barrel, just like me. But did he think being nice to Tiffani would make her dad forgive the debt? Or maybe.... Ronald planned on marrying her and hoping the farm would belong to both of them. I was afraid to ask. Getting in deeper with these people just meant more problems, they weren't looking out for anyone else.

I scanned the cafetorium looking for the nerd table where I used to sit. I remembered feeling like the table I was at now was the Holy Grail of high school. The place where all good things came down from above and where the food was dipped in sweet honey from the Gods.

I saw the group of nerds and outcasts sitting there, oblivious to how good the had it. Mike L. Still eating cafeteria corn one piece at a time while counting it. (The standard lunch serving is 247 if you're wondering).

It wasn't where I wanted to be, I'll be honest. Mike drove me to some pretty dark places with his corn counting. But this table isn't where I wanted to be either. Maybe I was the oddball. As Ronald finished his second sandwich and headed into his third I got up from the table and started walking toward the bathroom.

Ronald lagged behind his steps quick and the sound of his chewing evident by the clicking of his jawbone. When I reached the outside door I inhaled and exhaled deep cleansing breaths of air. It felt so much better than the cafeteria air. My brain cleared and I smelled the familiar smell of smog and grass.

"Now what?" He asked while he marched beside me down the stairs.

"Now we have some fun. You have a car right?"

He nodded and clicked his keys. The truck winked it's lights and I headed over and got inside. Ronald looked from me to the school and shrugged getting inside.

"I just ate Bologna. So, like, if we're gonna make out you should know I'm gonna taste like processed lunch meat."

He put the keys on the ignition and pulled out of the lot. My heart soared. Ronald and I were going to have a normal day and I was going to enjoy it. I didn't tell her where to go, and he didn't ask. He just drove, and I stuck my hand out the window and caught the breeze on my skin.

He pulled up at an old carnival, not the huge fair kind, the small show up in a day and disappear three days later kind. No lights blinked and no rides twirled. It was like a ghost town of forgotten times. I couldn't stop staring at how darkly beautiful it was.

Ronald glanced my way and waggled his eyebrows. "I knew you'd get it. I can tell by the look on your face."

I opened the door and stood at the high padlocked fencing. My mind did what it was supposed to, it filled in the blanks. It made scenes of people and noise and lights and smells. It was a perfect moment. Ronald stood behind me and wrapped me in a hug from behind.

"Someday I'm gonna own this, and bring the joy back. I'll run it from sunup to sundown and I'll add a circus tent in the backlot where people perform tricks of wonder."

I didn't know what to say. A farmer owning a fair/circus? That was his life goal? I mean, I guess someone had to own amusement parks, but it sure seemed like a weird goal. And Tiffani would never go for that.

I turned sound to face him and did the only thing I could think of in response to a confession like that, I kissed him.

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I've actually heard people say they wanted to run away and join the circus. That was the first time I'd ever heard someone say they wanted to own one. It was epic in hindsight. Not quite as epic and what Ronald and I did next, but this isn't a romance novel so you have to just imagine it. That tale is all mine.

Oh!!!! We saw the movie!!! No lie. It was old, and grainy, and none of could hear it, but it was pretty awesome. I think it was about a guy and a girl chasing a tornado. Or maybe getting caught in a tornado. I'm not exactly sure. Bertha was in front of me and blocked out half the screen. Between that, and the fact that I can't read lips your guess is as good as mine. But dang it felt good to see people who weren't on one side of the bars or another, even if they weren't real! Someone said there's turkey today so I'm out.