Can't you see...

***

CHAPTER 53:

GARGAMEL

"No! Stop, Oliver! Don't... don't open it, we're not there yet!"

Mars yanked me back to my seat. There shouldn't have been anything funny about it, but like everything else, it was hilarious. I burst into laughter. When Mars sighed next to me, my giggles spiraled even more out of control, doubling me over.

"You thought I was gonna jump, didn't you!" I shouted through my laughter.

My voice came out like a scream. Mars must be used to my ups and downs by now; he just tiredly turned his head away, doing nothing more. Clearly, he was annoyed with me, but I couldn't control my actions. Or my feelings. Or my thoughts. One moment, I was in a bottomless pit; the next, I was above the clouds. I had cried, laughed, collapsed in fear, and jumped for joy. The journey seemed endless, like I was on a roller coaster, flipping from one state to another.

That's exactly why I suddenly felt the urge to open the door. Mars had announced our arrival, and I could see it myself—we were speeding toward the station. The sight of metal steps stretching toward us sparked my desire to jump out and skip down to the fair—it seemed like such a blast. But Mars, unable to see what I saw or simply not sharing my enthusiasm, disagreed. Despite my repeated attempts to reach the door, he grabbed my hand firmly to stop me.

"Oliver!" he exclaimed sternly. "I swear, if you try to stand up one more time, I'll toss you out myself!"

"I studied his face closely. Then, in a sudden playful impulse, I reached out and gently lifted the corners of his lips into a smile. I liked the transformation. "You look better when you smile," I commented.

He seemed worn out from dealing with my antics. He just stared at me blankly. Meanwhile, my energy was endless. I wanted to talk, sing, dance, jump around—I was a whirlwind of motion. I sprang up again, and this time, Mars stood too. Before I could make another move, he reached out and firmly grasped the door handle. He waited patiently, his hand steady, until he finally heard the click, then he swung the door open. Fresh air rushed into the carriage, sweeping in a breath of freedom.

I stepped out ahead of Mars, making my way to the station. He didn't let me venture alone, linking his arm through mine. I guess that was a good thing because I was dazzled by the lights of the fair greeting us. It was so bright. So colorful. So... surreal. As soon as we touched solid ground, Mars let go, and I spun around excitedly. Stars spun with me. Planets whirled around me. Meteors rained down on us.

"Can we go there?" I pointed eagerly at the merry-go-round, my heart pounding with excitement. I was looking at the most beautiful thing I had ever seen. I couldn't help but start walking toward it, drawn in by its allure. Suddenly, Mars caught me by the waist and yanked me back.

"The only place you're headed is back to the dorm, you little whirlwind," he declared firmly. "I'm putting you on the first car home. Let's go!"

I pouted. "You sound like Gargamel."

My comment caught him off guard. Despite his furrowed brows, the corner of his mouth turned up. "If you don't want Gargamel to hand you over to Azrael, you should start walking, Smurfette. Chop chop!"

I let my lips droop and sulkily moved away from the merry-go-round. Mars's hand was on my back as if he expected me to bolt into madness any second. And honestly, there were a million reasons around me to do just that. I wanted to try all the rides, enter all the tents, visit all the booths. My heartless warden's answer was always the same. No, no, no!

I was generally a well-behaved girl following his commands. But then, I saw a pink pool covered with a glass dome, with pink cotton balls flying inside. Souls gathered around, dipping sticks in, crafting their cotton candies. It was the biggest, fluffiest, most delicious-smelling cotton candy I'd ever seen. That was where my willpower ran out. No Gargamel could stop me now.

Before Mars even had a chance to react, I was already dashing towards the glass dome. I copied the others and snagged a stick. It took me three tries to finally find the hole, and even then, I struggled to wrap the candy around the stick. I twisted and turned it, but no luck. How did everyone else make it seem so effortless? Then, unexpectedly, an arm extended beside me, grasping my hand and deftly guiding my wrist. I didn't need to look to know it was Mars by his familiar scent, but I turned anyway, and there he was.

"I don't deserve this punishment for any sins I've committed," he grumbled, but he kept wrapping the candy. Thanks to him, we had a growing cotton candy ball around the stick. "That's enough," he said after a while. He pulled my hand and the candy out of the dome. I gazed at our creation in awe. "There, you got your sugar fix. Can we go now?"

I shook my head with a big smile and shoved the giant puff of cotton candy into my mouth. The moment it hit, my eyes closed in bliss. That flavor was unmatched. Fireworks were exploding on my tongue. The taste infused into my blood, electrifying all my organs. "This... is incredible!" I licked my lips. "Here, you gotta try this!"

"I don't want any."

"No way, you have to!"

"Rea—" Mars barely started before I stuffed a piece of cotton candy into his mouth. His expression was priceless, and I burst into laughter. At that moment, a troupe of dancers whirled into view behind him, capturing my gaze completely. Men and women in dazzling costumes spun and glided, greeting the captivated crowd with waves. Some danced atop ornate floats while others moved gracefully on the ground. My eyes widened in awe. The rhythmic music seemed to pulse through me, energizing every fiber of my being. I was so mesmerized that I unknowingly began drifting towards them until...

"No, this is not happening. We are leaving now, and you are going back to the dorm!"

Once again, Mars tightened his grip on my arm like a vigilant guardian. I struggled to pull free, but his hold was firm. "I want to watch them!" I shouted, my brows knitting together in frustration. "I'm not leaving!"

"Oliver!"

"Let me go!"

Before Mars could reply, another voice interrupted. "Hey!" Suddenly, a different hand clasped my other arm, causing Mars's grip to relax immediately. As I turned, I spotted Tarben. My focus dissolved in an instant, replaced by an irrepressible grin that spread across my face.

"Tarben!" I yelled joyfully.

"What's going on, Olive?" he asked. He was serious, looking a bit upset, his eyes more on Mars than on me. I couldn't understand why anyone would be unhappy in such a lovely place.

"We're eating cotton candy," I chirped. "Here, have some, cheer up."

I popped a generous chunk of cotton candy into his mouth, much like I had with Mars. The shock on his face mirrored Mars's earlier reaction, sparking an uncontrollable fit of laughter from me. As I giggled, Mars sighed deeply, which only made me laugh harder. Meanwhile, Tarben's brow furrowed deeply, his eyes locking onto my lips with a puzzled gaze. His complexion drained of color, and he spun towards Mars, his expression darkening with anger.

"What did you do to her?"

"Cable car," I said, drawing an arc over my head. "We flew. Then, we landed on a peak. There were books. There was a river. I watched the stars." I laughed again. Tarben didn't.

"You..." he began, his tone sharp as he turned to face me. Then, pivoting to Mars, he repeated accusingly, "Did you give her a cigarette?"

No, I wanted to interject. It was me; I had taken the joint myself. A chuckle escaped me as I recalled snatching it from Mars. However, Tarben didn't share in the humor. In a swift move fueled by agitation, he lunged at Mars, grabbing him by the collar. He didn't notice he'd knocked my cotton candy from my hand in the process.

"Fool!" he thundered. "Wasn't your own mess enough? Why drag her into it as well?"

Confusion clouded my mind; I couldn't grasp why Tarben was so furious. Mars countered quickly, seizing Tarben's hand, pushing it aside, and breaking free. I waited, hoping Mars would clarify things, longing for him to articulate the feelings I couldn't voice. But he remained silent. Tarben continued to hurl accusations, his anger unyielding, while Mars stood there, absorbing the tirade without a word.

"Do you always have to ruin everything?" Tarben hurled the words like daggers. "You snatch up whatever catches your eye, shatter it, and discard it the moment you lose interest." He poked Mars forcefully in the chest, pushing him back. "Not this time. I won't let you harm Olive—do you hear me?"

"Tarben..." I reached out for his arm.

He didn't hear me; he had already seized my hand, pulling me away. "I want to stay," I protested, my voice lost against his resolve. I managed only a fleeting glance back at Mars. He remained exactly where we had left him, motionless as a statue, his gaze fixed on us. Tears welled up in my eyes once more. I wasn't sure what was making me sad this time, yet the grief was unmistakably permeating every cell of my being.

"Hey..." Tarben said when he noticed me crying. He stopped, pulled me close, and hugged me tightly. "It's over, Olive. Don't be scared. I'm here."

I wasn't sure what was over, why Tarben was protecting me, why I was still crying, but I knew I could trust this boy who was holding me so tightly. So when he pulled me to walk again, I didn't resist this time. Even though I looked back again, Mars was no longer there. Instead, new toys, new smells, and new sounds had captured my attention. Soon, my tears were replaced by laughter again.

Tarben was much more patient than Mars. He accompanied me to every place I desired to visit, sampled the foods I was eager to try, and shared laughter over the things that amused me. But as the night wore on, exhaustion enveloped me. Despite my best intentions, sleepiness gradually took hold; my desire to experience the fair's all-night magic battled with my drooping eyelids. By the time Tarben guided me toward the exit, the carriages ready to shuttle us back to the dorm were already in motion—it was definitely past midnight.

"Concert!" I blurted out suddenly.

Thoughts of Mars suddenly filled my mind. Had he arrived in time? Would he be performing? I was eager to hear his new song—the one I had helped shape. But before I could linger on that thought, Tarben had already ushered me into one of the cars. My body was too weary to protest. I tried to insist on attending the concert, but my words came out jumbled and slurred. Overcome by fatigue, I soon found myself slipping into another world, a realm of dreams far removed from the vibrant noises of the fair.

Reality and fantasy mixed as fleeting glimpses of Tarben, distant voices, and the sensation of moving through various places mingled in my mind. Each moment was brief, always succumbing to the inevitable pull of darkness and the deeper call of sleep. Then, I felt the gentle caress of a soft texture beneath my head. My body sank into the comfort of a fluffy blanket, and the familiar scent of my room enveloped me—I was back in my bed. I saw Tarben sitting on the floor next to me through half-closed eyes. I tried to speak, to express my gratitude, but my words were stubbornly elusive. Gently, he stroked my hair, soothing me into tranquility. Just on the cusp of being swallowed by sleep, I managed to form one meaningful sentence.

"He's not a bad person."

Tarben had misunderstood; Mars wasn't the villain he imagined. He had been my hero, staying by my side as promised. But whether Tarben had responded or not, I couldn't tell. This time, the darkness brought no dreams. I slept deeply, for hours, maybe even days... When I finally awoke, sunlight was frolicking in my room. It was morning, but which morning was unclear. Somehow, I had made it back to my room. Yet, I couldn't tell what day it was from the calendar.

Bela was sleeping contentedly at the foot of my bed. I slowly sat up without disturbing her, dangling my feet off the bed. That's when I noticed I was still in my clothes from the day before. My heeled boots lay sideways on the floor. Someone hadn't only brought me to my room; they'd removed my shoes and tucked me into bed. I vaguely remembered who it was, but to confirm my recollection, there was a note on the nightstand next to a glass.

Drink plenty of water today. I'll leave something to eat outside your door. You'll probably wake up starving. If you want to do something crazy again, please text me first. I'll come right away.

T.

I took a deep gulp of water, yet instead of heading towards the basket left outside my door, I curled into myself, drawing my knees up to my chest and wrapping my arms tightly around them. As the fragmented memories of the night began to piece themselves together, tears streamed down my cheeks. This time, it wasn't a drug stirring my emotions. Instead, I wept for the fears I had confronted, the helplessness I had endured, the hopes I had clung to, and the surprises that had shaken me.

The act of forgetting had reached its limits. Now, it was time to face real life.

***

And that's a wrap on the fair! Now it's time for all of us to confront real life. What's going to unfold in the Bong-Mars-Tarben triangle? But that's a drama for next chapters. Before we dive into that, we'll have some girl-to-girl talk, discussing love. Brace yourselves for heartfelt confessions, tears, and a cozy pj night. 

Before we leave, I have one last question for you. With everything that happened, who do you think was in the right? I'm curious to know. Write your thoughts!

a) Tarben - I mean, what else could he do when he saw Olive like that?

b) Mars - The guy spent all night looking out for Olive. He didn't even get a chance to explain himself.

c) I don't know. I love them all!

d) I have another opinion.

Until next time... Kisses to you all, EC.