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chapter four ─ "Maybe I'm overthinking everything again,"

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Tinker-bell sat on her bedroom floor as Maya sat next to her, while Stew laid on his back throwing one of Tink's stuffed animals in the air and catching it. The two girls were working on the makeup, facing each other trying to balance out and straighten out the gems on their faces. "Are y'all almost done?" Stew whined out.

"Hush, I'm trying to keep them straight and you're distracting me." Maya hushed tilting Tink's head up more.

"I think Nick baked some more of those chunky brownie things you like." Tink informed him and he sat up with a surprised happy expression. "Really!?"

"Yeah, Wendy needed to bring something in for some meeting and--" She was cut off by the blonde golden retriever teen was already up and out of the room. "--and he's already gone. Are either of us surprised at this point?"

Maya chuckled lightly before pressing her lips together, she had been wanting for Stew to leave so the two could talk. "So, are you nervous?"

The dirty blondes' brows frowned as her head tilted which was quickly corrected. "About what?"

"Well it's Wendy's and Nick's first time actually seeing you and Fez in that way. Like as a real couple." She asked leaning back to check and admirer her work.

"No," She breathed out, "I mean when Wendy found out we were dating Nick gave her a twenty so.." She trailed off before starting to place the gems on her best friend's face. Maya always like more artistic type of makeup. While Tink went with a more easy and simple makeup out of pure laziness, but if she offered to do her makeup she was gladly accept.

"That oddly sounds about right." She remarked making the two laugh as the blonde checked her phone before her eyes widen. "Damn it, I told Fez we'd meet him there."

Maya smiled remembering when she used to do this with Stew when they had first meet Tink. "While then hurry the fuck up, your man isn't gunna wait forever!"

🎟

Fez pushed the silver cover up, opening the pretzel cart. Showing Ash stocking the pretzel's in the warmer while Stew stood on the other side scrolling through his phone. "It's gon' be a good night, tonight, man. Let's get this money." Fez told Ash bringing his fist up to bump it while rolls of red, blue, and yellow tickets sat on his wrist. "And don't let them eat all the shit up!" He warrened pointing towards the two girls sitting on the table pulling apart the pretzel's they each had eating them.

"Don't listen to him Ash! He told me yesterday We could eat all the pretzel's we want!" Maya shouted back getting a scoff from the buzzed boy.

"Oh really, cause I think your both full of shit!"

The red head rolled his eyes at the two bickering before hitting the bar of the stand before turning to walk away. Tink saw and quick run up in-between the two boys, "Don't forget I need you at eight for met the family."

"But we've already met, and they like me."

"Yeah, we need to keep it that way. So, I need you on your best behavior or I swear to god she will tie you up in here and set it on fire."

"It's true man, Wendy is crazy." Stew told him before quickly looking over to the raise brow blonde. "But in the best big sister way possible."

"Uh-huh. Be careful," She turned back to him as he nodded his head smirking lightly making her smile. "Always am baby." He reached over and kissed her cheek before walking away, "Who would've thought she had a heart for someone other than you?" Stew remarked looking at his girlfriend who nodded with her mouth full of pretzel. "Will you two shut up, we need to start our yearly tradition." She reminded as both their eyes lit up with joy. "Be nice Ash, remember the costumer is always right!"

🎟

"Fuck yeah!" Tinker-bell shouted before quickly covering her mouth remembering there were two very young kids and their mom next to them. "That makes it six-oh-zero."

"Six-to-zero." Maya corrected as the dirty blonde rolled her eyes. "Whatever,"

"Man, these-these things are rigged I tell you." Stew said upset having lost six games in a row. It was their tradition. It was the first year they met, and it was a rough year for Tink. Her mom had tried to come back into her life only to leave her even more broken, alone at three in the morning, in the middle of nowhere. Wendy had picked her up and Tink locked herself in her room. The oldest Murdock called the two not knowing a whole lot about them but knowing what they would do would help make her mind up if they were good friends or not. They took her to the carnival, wining the stupid cheap prizes that made her smile even the slightest. Getting every brightly colored cotton candy, snow cone anything and everything.

And at the end of the night, they would ride the Ferris wheel. At first, she stayed at the bottom saying she felt sick. The next year went with on it twice they both wanted to go with her, Stew and she shook the seat and her and Maya just gushing about how beautiful it was up there. And the third year was the year her and Fez started getting closer, he would hang out with them during the small break from selling tickets to the pretzel carrier. And they were the last to ride the Ferris wheel except this time it was Stew and Maya with Tink and Fez at the bottom. The two had a goal to try every food/dessert possible and it made them sick.

Stew sat across the two girls, as they were all currently stuffing their faces with a mixture of cheese fries, fried pickles and onion rings. A stack of napkins one side of the three baskets of food and the extra cheese and ranch on the other.

He squinted his eyes at the younger Murdock who had been quite almost the whole time. Finishing the bite of fires in his mouth before whipping his mouth and fingers with a napkin. "Go on,"

Both girls looked at him with confused expressions, glancing at the other to see it matched their own. "What?"

"I know your dying to rambling on and on about your new relationship, so spill. I wanna know all of it." 

Tink smiled, whipping her mouth before speaking, "Well," She started to say playing the white napkin while looking down at the wooden panic table. "I'm happy, like extremely happy. I don't know it's like I have this extreme fucking weight off my fucking soul or something. It sounds stupid." She explained laughing humorless.

"No it's not," Maya quickly protested, "It's one of things that happens when you fall for your best friend. It's a mixture of anxiety and bliss, and happiness because you feel a certain way about them but are terrified at the same time that they won't feel the same way." She sighed heavily before looking over at Stew and smiled, "But when they do, it feels like the biggest fucking weight lifted."

Tink smiled, "It feels different with him. Something I've never felt with other people. He makes me feel safe, and calm, and like when I'm with him we are the only people in the world. It's just... different when I'm with him." She gushed before shrugged looking down and picking up one of the fried pickles, dunking it in the ranch before putting it in her mouth. "Maybe I'm overthinking everything again,"

The two watched as her smile grew with each word, each mention of his name, each thought of him. Maya looking up at Stew and they just knew, they had been together long enough to know when they were on the same page.

Tinker-bell was in love with Fezco.

🎟

She leaned on the railing of one of the rides as Fez stood next to her, an arm around her shoulder while the other fumbling with his sleeve. Watching him as he nervously fumbled with the hem of his sweater, something she knew he only did when something big was on his mind.

"What's up?" She asked getting a hum in response. "You fumbling with your sweater when something's up."

"It's nothing..." He trailed off shaking his head lightly before looking back at her seeing she wasn't going to light up. "Rue came by the other day and started banging on the door and demeaning I sell her drugs. I told her no, but that shit got really heavy."

She gave him an empathic smile, "You did the right thing. Something happened and it made her vulnerable and she doesn't want to deal with it and then emotions, so she turned to the only thing that she knows that will help." She explained after going through this with her before. "All we can hope is that she found someone to hold her accountable."

He nodded his head, knowing she was right but still didn't like the feeling. She noticed it and wanted to make him smile. So she turned and wrapped her arms around her waist as he wrapped his arms around her neck. Pushing on the tips of her toes and scrunching her nose up at him, which brought out her dimple that always made him smile. And it did, reaching up and poking the right one before reaching down a kissing her. She pulled back scrunching her nose up him making him smile.

Right diagonal from them Wendy and Nick watched them. Wendy held her hand on her forearm not wanting to ruin their moment. "She hasn't smiled like that in a long time."  She muttered happy that her sister had finally found her happiness. They waited for them to pull apart before walking up and making them known. "We'll keep this fast cause I know this is y'all's tradition an everything."

"And we already know Fez," Nick added as Wendy nodded her head. "Which means you know how I am and how important Tinker-bell is to me." The younger Murdock gave her sister a look before embarrassing smiling at Fez who she had an arm around. "But, from what I've heard you are good for her. So let it stay that way."

Fez nodded looking at the both of them smiling lightly, "Of course Wendy, I won't let anything happen to Tinker-bell."

Wendy's smile somehow widen at those words. "Good. That's exactly what I wanted to hear." Nick looked between the two sisters before clasping his hands together. "Great, you know your curfew and we are just a call away." He said wrapping an arm around his fiancée, pulling her away from the two.

"Like I said," Tink started to say after turning to face Fez taking his hands into her. "You had nothing to worry about." She reached on the tips of her toes and kissed him.

"Now, I need funnel cake, what do you say?" He looked at his watch before looking back at her. Wanting to spend his whole time left with her. Not caring or even thinking about going back to the booth. "With extra powder sugar?" He asked as she scoffed, "Of course! Is there any other way?" She replied in a 'duh' like tone. He laughed at her before wrapping an arm around her shoulders as her went around his waist.

It was a feeling Tink had loved and missed loving. Happiness, but the care-free happiness. The type taht didn't fade the moment it came. The type that didn't make her worry about what was about to happen. What terrible and traumatic heartache was about to happen next.

She finally felt normally.

She was overthinking every little detail. Living in the moment and not obsessing on how short the moment is or will be.

She was finally happy.

🎟

Tink was now alone, Fez went back to the post by the trees and Maya was nursing Stew back at the pretzel booth who had gotten sick from eating too much cotton candy and rode the Gravitron. Puking everything he had ever eaten but now with a pink hue. Trying to find some water, or possible even pickle juice. Anything to help ease her sick friend.

Ending with her being lost. Somehow making her to the trailers confused on how her feet brought her over here. So she started to look for someone to tell how to make her way back to the food stands.

She heard the laughs and the slap sound thinking it was someone having sex, but then she really listened after hearing the heavy thud. It was giving her the worst feeling, like a pit of acid was at the bottom of her stomach. She heard heavy breathing and someone wheezing, like someone was being choked, but not in the good way. Like they were gasping for air, like they didn't want to be choked.

Quietly and carefully glancing around the corner of one of the trailers seeing Nate holding Maddy by her throat against the trailer. "You're fucking dead to me. Fuck you."

The hate and disgust in his voice made her want to vomit. She saw him let her go and start to turn her way, so she swiftly turned and ran away. She didn't know where she was going, she just kept running. Making her way through the crowd as all her senses immediately got overloaded. With the fireworks and people on either side of her, the screaming and laughter it drove her nuts.

She didn't even see Rue before she felt her running straight into her. "Woah, sorry Tink."

"It's okay I wasn't paying attention." She quickly added as Rue helped her back to her feet. "Hey, have you seen Gia anywhere?"

"Uh, uh, uh, no sorry I, uh, I haven't." She stuttered out not being able to get her mind right. "Okay, thanks." She replied after looking the Murdock up and down seeing she was clearly upset, and she had a bigger issue being her missing sister. She watched her stumble away losing her before turning back trying to find Gia.

Tink made her way to Fez, smiling at the two guys he was talking to. Smiling up at him after his head snapped to her trying to see who was hanging on her shoulder. "Hey babe," He said inter-locking his fingers with hers.

"I, uh, have to go but I just wanted to tell you bye." She reached up and kissed him and he kissed her back. In that moment she felt calm, she could feel her heartbeat slow back to a normal beat.

"Call me when you get home, yeah?"

"Yeah, of course I will." She said as he reached up and kissed her hand before she walked backwards waiting till the last moment to un-lock their fingers. The two guys nodded at her as she glanced at them giving a smile before turning around completely. She had somehow made it back to the stand saying that they should probably get going since Stew wasn't feeling great. She dropped them off at Maya's house saying that she would call Tink in the morning knowing he was going to be okay.

And now she was alone.

Alone and driving. At first, she wanted to go home, she wanted to crawl into the deepest, softest, safest part of her room and just stay there. And that's exactly what she did. As soon as she pulled into their driveway texting both Fez and Maya that she made it home before going inside. Telling both Wendy and Nick that she wasn't feeling well and that she was gunna sleep in the next day, since it was the weekend.

She tossed her phone into the farthest corner of her room and mustered enough strength to change into sweats. Laying in bed and just stared at the ceiling.

She didn't know what sent her over the edge. She didn't think an episode would come on this fast. She thought she was happy, at least felt it. Her body felt sluggish and that things were taking more energy than they normal did. Her days seemly blurred together with good moments spliced in between. Maybe this was how her life was always supposed to be, high highs and low lows.