Evie, Ezra, and Shane stood firm in front of their destination, each dressed in jeans, shirts, and caps to blend in and avoid drawing attention.
It was Shane's idea to come to the carnival, and after considerable persuasion, they were finally here. As they stood together, Evie shot Shane a glance, and he returned her look with a smile. Ezra, however, kept his gaze fixed ahead, hands shoved deep into his pockets, exuding an air of disinterest.
"Remember, we're here to have fun. No distractions and we stick together. If we separate, finding each other will be a chore," Shane commanded, taking the lead.
"Keep your phones on hand for emergencies, but stay aware of your surroundings, understood?" He addressed them, standing like a commander ready to execute a plan.
Evie raised her hand in acknowledgment, while Ezra moved forward, brushing past Shane without a word. "He's clearly not hiding his reluctance to be here," Shane remarked with a chuckle, "At least you're on board, right Evie?" He shot her a playful wink, to which she responded with smile and frantic nod.
The carnival buzzed with life; music vibrated through the air, and the vibrant colors of lights and banners surrounded them. Balloons floated above, and the sound of children giggling as they chased bubbles filled the atmosphere. Staff members were stationed in their uniforms, poised and alert.
"How about some ice cream?" Evie proposed, spotting a stand nearby. The enticing aromas of popcorn, cotton candy, candy apples, corn dogs, cakes, pretzels, lemonade, and spicy foods enveloped them. The atmosphere was electric; she wanted to savor it all.
"What a brilliant way to kick off the day," Shane agreed enthusiastically.
Ezra shrugged. "Sounds fine," he said, and they made their way to the ice cream stand. Evie placed her order for strawberry ice cream and two vanilla cones for Shane and Ezra.
As they walked away, Shane suddenly piped up, scooping a mouthful of vanilla ice cream. "I thought you were a chocolate guy, Ezra. When did that change?" he joked.
Evie felt a jolt in her chest. "He doesn't like vanilla?" she mused privately.
"Vanilla is just as great. Thanks, Evie," Ezra said, his gaze shifting to her as he continued to enjoy his treat, ignoring Shane.
They soon reached the street performers, where dancers captivated an audience that cheered them on. Magicians dazzled with tricks while little boys watched in awe, and acrobats and fire breathers added to the vibrant scene.
There were different gaming sections. The basketball shoot, Ring toss, balloon darts.
"Would you like a plushie, Evie?" Shane asked.
Her eyes sparkled. "Absolutely! Why?"
"Because I want to help you get one," he replied, prompting a sweet smile from her.
Ezra rolled his eyes. "What's your game, Shane?" he asked, but Shane shrugged it off, moving toward the games as Evie and Ezra followed to watch him. Evie radiated happiness as she observed Shane's attempts to win her a teddy bear by throwing darts, aiming for a prize.
"He's clearly failing," Ezra mocked, his eyes fixed on Shane as he unsuccessfully threw darts.
After a moment of frustration, Shane turned to Evie. "I'm sorry," he admitted.
"It's okay," she reassured him. "Let's check out some other games," she suggested, and Shane nodded in agreement as they walked on, momentarily forgetting about Ezra.
Ezra closed the gap and stepped up to the game. "Hit the bullseye three times for a chance to win this big teddy," the shop owner announced.
Ezra nodded. He took the dart, steadied his posture, and unleashed three perfect throws, winning effortlessly. A smirk emerged as he collected the prize—a fluffy white teddy bear with a pink nose and button eyes, complete with a pink bow. As he turned to present it to Evie, he frowned in realization—she and Shane were no longer in sight.
He wondered where they were. As he searched, his focus remained sharp, his ears attentive. Then, he spotted them up ahead but not too far away. Evie stood beside Shane, both of them grinning as they painted each other's faces at the painting shop, ready for a photo. It struck him that they hadn't even waited for him; they didn't notice he was missing.
Although Ezra typically wouldn't dwell on it, a strange feeling nagged at his heart as he observed their smiles—her eyes crescent-shaped and Shane's full set of teeth shining brightly. However, he squared his shoulders and headed toward them.
As he approached the painting shop, Evie was the first to notice him. She lifted her face from where she was painting Shane's. "Oh, Ezra! Where did you go?" she asked, genuine curiosity evident in her tone.
Shane turned to look at him. "Did you get lost or something?" He chuckled mockingly. Then he leaned toward Evie and whispered, "Looks like we need to hold his hand because he's a little baby."
"Actually, I stayed back to win this for you," Ezra replied, presenting her with the teddy bear.
Her mouth dropped open in surprise; she didn't expect him to do something like this. "How romantic," Shane quipped.
"I had no idea, Ezra," Evie said, genuinely touched.
Ezra shrugged. "It's no big deal," he replied, his tone casual. "Didn't take me long, unlike some people." He shot a pointed look at Shane, who merely rolled his eyes.
Evie swallowed, momentarily at a loss for words. She understood their relationship was a facade, but she couldn't believe he had gone out of his way to get her this small gift.
"Take it," Ezra insisted, and Evie nervously bit her lower lip.
"Thank you," she muttered, her gaze fixed on the bear in her hands—adorable, soft, and beautiful. Her eyes threatened to well up.
"I'll get you something even prettier, Evie," Shane declared, prompting a chuckle from her.
With face painting complete, Evie looked delightful, her two buns and face cap complementing the colorful patterns that adorned her cheeks. She resembled one of those traditional girls, and certainly a lovely one at that.
"Sir, would you like a painting as well?" The middle-aged woman at the shop inquired, directing her attention to Ezra.
"No," Ezra replied firmly.
"But it would look great, Ezra. We were planning to take a photo," Evie suggested, her eyes hopeful.
"Pfft, I doubt Ezra would want his stunning face covered in those colors," Shane chimed in, sounding absolutely sure.
"Okay," Ezra conceded, and Shane's expression shifted. "If you'll do the painting," Ezra added, looking at Evie, who nodded enthusiastically, excited to return the favor.
"This is absolutely horrendous, Ezra," Shane remarked with drama, "If anyone recognizes you—"
Ezra cut him off, "I could say the same for you. You're the most recognizable one here." He gestured at Shane before taking a seat. Shane held his tongue while Evie smiled at their banter, then she began painting Ezra's face.
She concentrated, skillfully applying the brush to create a pattern, pausing occasionally to assess her work, and nodding with satisfaction. Ezra watched her, his expression neutral yet entertained; her focused demeanor was endearingly cute, especially as she tapped the brush against her head, lost in her task.
When they finally finished, they posed for a photo—Evie in the middle, holding the teddy bear, with Shane and Ezra on either side as the camera clicked.
"The photos came out amazing," Evie beamed, her joy palpable as they began walking again, their painted faces still intact, though Ezra quickly wiped his clean after the shot.
"What's next on our agenda?" Shane asked, halting in his tracks and prompting the others to stop as well. "Let's go for rides," he said excitedly.
"Rides?" Evie's eyes widened. She was terrified of heights and could only hope they weren't going for a drop tower.
"Yeah," Shane affirmed. "Don't you like rides?"
"No, that's okay," she brushed off dismissively, and Shane nodded, not pushing further. They were going for rides, but Ezra picked up on the unease in her expression—it was clear she was apprehensive about some of them. He noted it.
They started with bumper cars, where Evie tried to evade the hits but ended up laughing as they continuously bumped her from different directions. Shane frequently targeted Ezra, clearly seeking to annoy him. After this, they moved on to the merry-go-round, where Evie and Ezra took a seat together while Shane...
"Today was fun," Evie said as they settled into the cabin, determined to keep things from getting awkward between them.
"Absolutely," Ezra responded, a hint of enthusiasm in his voice.
"I haven't seen you enjoy a day like this in a while," she remarked, tilting her head slightly. "Shane made the right choice in bringing us here," she added with a smile.
Ezra's lips curled into a smirk. "I couldn't agree more," he replied.
Evie nodded, swallowing hard as the cabin started to move slowly. Her gaze fell on the teddy bear tightly held in her hands. "You really didn't need to get this for me, Ezra. I was just joking about it with Shane; it didn't matter," she said, addressing him directly.
Ezra's expression turned serious. "Do you not like it?" He raised an eyebrow, having noticed her excitement when Shane suggested getting it for her.
"I—"
"Do you not like it?" He pressed.
"I like it. It's pretty. I just didn't think it was necessary, you know we're not real so..." she stammered.
"You can toss it if you want," he said plainly. The silence that followed made Evie choke back a lump in her throat, unsure why she felt compelled to even say that.
The merry-go-round had reached its peak. She admired the night sky, the carnival lights illuminating the scene—truly beautiful. Her gaze remained fixed on the window, watching the city pass by. That was the last remark exchanged before the ride ended, and they stepped out.
Shane was already waiting for them, arms crossed.
"I bet you two were busy smooching up there," he teased, but his eyes narrowed as he noticed their grim expressions.
They had seemed lively before the ride, but now there was something off.
Ezra started walking away, Evie halted behind. Shane quickly looked at Ezra with concern before following him, wrapping an arm around his shoulder. "What happened? I thought I'd set the stage for you two to kiss, but it looks like there's been an argument."
"That did not happen," Ezra replied coolly, maintaining his composure.
"Then what's going on? Evie doesn't look good," Shane pointed out.
"Why don't you ask her instead of bothering me?" Ezra shot back with a glare.
Shane hissed in frustration before turning to look behind them. His eyebrows knitted together as he spoke. "Ezra," he said, and
Ezra halted. "What is it?" he asked, impatience creeping into his tone.
"Where's Evie?" Shane demanded.