"Oh god! this is gorgeous" I say as I enter the carnival.

I look at all the rides everywhere and people laughing, like there's no worries in the world.
The world goes by in a flash and I stand there, gazing at how imperfectly perfect this is.
How there are so many strangers here.
People who don't know me and I don't know them.
They don't know my story and I don't know theirs.
So many people in front of whom I could be all I wanted to be.

"It really is your first time" he looked at me like an alien but even if I was amazed by the view in front of me my sarcastic-ness wasn't going anywhere

"Oh Mason you caught me. I'm an alien who looks like Amelia and this is my first time visiting this earth. You caught me. Please don't send me back. I'll be doomed. The alien kind doesn't treat me well" I say like a damsel in distress.

"Oh I'm gonna send you back. I always knew you were an alien. That is why you have these weird ears and...my oh my!" He steps closer taking some of my hair into his hand.
Why is he standing so close? Why am I letting him?
Inappropriate!
"Those aren't hair, they're antennas"

"Hey!" I slap his hand and he chuckles, I can't help but notice that he has a cute dimple on his right cheek.
He's still standing so close
"But then" he cocks his head to the side. My hair still clutched lightly in his hand "how could an alien be so human?"
What?
My breath gets caught in my throat and I gulp. I'm sweating through every pore of my hands and I desperately search for an escape

I try my best to look away because I can feel his eyes boring into me and I'm actually very proud of myself because I'm not staring right into his eyes.
I can't
It's stressful
Out of the corner of my eye I see a cotton candy stall

"Umm...th-there's a cotton candy stall there. We should go get some" I tear my gaze away from the ground and he nods.

After getting the cotton candy I see the Ferris Wheel
"Let's race!" I exclaim and start running and Mason starts running too

I squeal while running and feel the wind rush by my face.
My heart hammers in my chest. My legs carry themselves forward and I laugh to myself.

"You're like a 5 year old" he says, breathing heavily

"Let's go" I totally ignore his 'compliment' and we ride the Ferris wheel.

I have always loved this ride because I really like being up there.
Not like up there, up there!
I don't wanna die so young.

After the Ferris wheel we took many rides and then we came to a stall in which we had to hit the hammer on a scale kind of thingy and we got a price if it reaches the highest point or something.

I pick up the hammer with ease....sort of
And then just kind of dropped it on the scale.
It went till 70 and then came back

"Oh come on! Once more please!" I plead to the person in charge

"Sorry ma'am. You have to go back to the end of the line"

"Fine" I growl and walk off
I ain't waitin' in no line!
And plus the teddy bear I want is so cute.

I roll my eyes when I hear people cheer because someone just won a price

I can't clearly see who it is from behind but it is clear that he's a boy.

How cute! He might be getting it for his girlfriend or something.

"Here" Mason says breathlessly.
I whip my head to the side.
How did I almost forget that he wasn't by my side when I was walking off?

"What?" I ask and to my surprise he is holding a large teddy bear.
Is he the one who just won the hammer thingy?
And he got this for me?

"Oh Mason! This is so cute. Is this for me?" I ask

"Of course dumb head"

"Sorry dude but thanks anyways!" I exclaim and hold the cute little guy in my arms.
And here I was thinking that the guy won it for his girlfriend or something!

"So you're gonna keep it next to you while sleeping?" He refers to my new teddy
And that's the first question he asks?

"No way jose" I say and he laughs

"Why?" He asks and I glare at him

"Why though?" He pushes

"Because I'm scared of them. All of them remind me of Chucky" I reply sheepishly

"You've seen that movie?" He asks

"No. My room was filled with stuffed toys when I was a kid so I didn't sleep there"

He nods quietly
"But this is very cute. I might even keep it next to me while sleeping" I pat his arm and lie.
There's no way in hell in keeping a stuff you near me while sleeping!
What if it's comes to life and strangles me to death?

"You're welcome" he says and rubs the back of his neck.

"Hey you wanna get some popcorn and sit there?" he points to a deserted place.

"Sounds cool" I say and he gets the popcorn.
-----

I groan as I rescue my foot from the grass

"Is the bad grass over?" I ask

"Yes the bad grass is over" he chuckles

"Thank Go-" my words get stuck in my throat as I take in the view in front of me.

Beautiful
Utterly, completely, absolutely beautiful.

The little lake twinkles from the brightness of the stars and so does the wet grass.

I sigh in contentment

We sit in the grass and eat our popcorn in silence while staring at the stars.

The meteorites that shine oh so brightly, gazing down at me.
The ones that have kept me company in my darkest nights.
The ones that make me believe that there is so much more to the world than I know.

Words have always failed me when I take in this view and all I can come up with is:
"They're beautiful, aren't they?"

"Yeah"

"So tell me something about you Mason. We should really get to know each other" I look at him

"Well, I want to become a singer someday or I wanna start a YouTube channel or do both or maybe something else. I change my mind quite often" he says

"Your turn" he says changing the position in which he is lying so he can face me
I also turn to look at him.
I bite my lip and try to admit something.

I should just probably tell him. This whole facade is stupid.

"My name isn't Amelia" I admit and bite my lip harder but when he looks at me as if he wants me to continue
I do
"It's Amna" I say and sigh

"Woah" his eyes widen in surprise

"So you're the niece who's father-" he was going to say something but then stops abruptly and widens his eyes
"Amna I didn't mean that. It's just so stupid of me. My brain-to-mouth filter is completely damaged" and he babbles on and on about how sorry he is.

I keep calling his name so he would shut up but he doesn't until I scream his name.
Then he takes a deep breath.

"I'm sorry" he looks at me and I know he means it

"No that's okay. I'm used to it and how do you know about this?" I inquire

"Oh your aunt and my mom are really good friends so I overheard your aunt when she was telling my mom about you." He pauses
"You're a really strong person Amna"

Yeah I've herd that one before. You should ask me how I feel about that statement

But Somehow it felt amazingly nice to hear my "real" name from his mouth

"Thank you" I whisper.

"So.." , He trails off "since you're Muslim. Do you pray five times a day?"
Again, that's the first question he asks?

"As a matter of fact, no, I don't always and I'm trying to work on that but let me just tell you that it's very rude to ask somebody that because some people don't and it's embarrassing."

"Sorry" he whispers

"Why are you being so sorry today?" I look at him and frown. 

"Yeah I just noticed that too" he replies

"Dumbhead" I return his insult

"Your turn again" I say looking at him

"What else do I tell you?"

"Anything"

"I will not really call myself Christian because I'm not even religious and I just don't understand which way to go"

"Maybe you should read the Quran. Might be helpful" I suggest

"Maybe some day" he looks at me

"Your turn" he exclaims

"Ummm. What do I say?"

"Tell me about your relationship with your father. Your step father" he looks at me sheepishly

"Well he's an amazing person and he's the reason I meet my mom and we share many secrets. Just like an ordinary father daughter relationship" I say and shrug.

I really did not understand why people think that my relationship with my step father should be complicated.

"That's great" he says and stays quite for a while before adding

"What is one thing that makes you feel happy and peaceful inside?"

"The holy Quran" I answer without a doubt.

I wasn't very religious before but in the last few years my relationship with Allah almighty is becoming better and I am proud of myself for that.

"So Brie told me that you thought I was pretty" I look towards him and smirk.
He quickly flushes and mutters something which sounds a lot like 'she can't keep a thing in her stomach'
I mean he isn't the only one who should have the right to make me feel nervous.

"Oh come on. It's okay if you think I'm beautiful. I don't really understand people's need to complicate everything. You just thought I was pretty and told Brie" I shrug

"But you're Muslim and it's strictly forbidden in your religion."
Nah ah!

"That is where you're wrong. Thinking that a woman is pretty isn't forbidden what is forbidden is acting on your feelings in a haram way"

"Oh" is all he comes up with

"You know, I really hope that I can be a perfect Muslim one day."

"You'll be one broccoli" he smiles genuinely and asks

"What do you say when you're hoping for good thing to happen in the future?" I chuckle at his innocence and the way he wants to know more about my religion to make me comfortable.

"Inshallah"

"You'll be a perfect Muslim one day broccoli inshallah" he smiles again

"Thanks captain America" I say, smiling and then we both return to watching the stars peacefully.

I really feel like a serious weight has been lifted off of my shoulders.

So what's the ship name guys? Please vote and comment