attn.

“Oh then I’ll just be gigantic. That’s the end of that. I have zero motivation to lose any weight and I’m basically one of the most sedentary people you’d ever meet.” It was partially true. If Shelby didn’t have a reason to move or do anything she wouldn’t. She supposed it was fortunate that she was a criminal. “So I will happily eat as much as I can right now and if I get fat then … you can be fat with me, yeah?”

Alex laughed at that because it was too real. He himself did like to do things more than he liked to sit around and do nothing but of course there were days he just sat around doing nothing. “Honestly, yes. I am down for that. I could never give up the food I like.”

“ It’s called a cactus burger. ” They enthused, noticing the random individual’s attention aimed in their general direction — were they even looking at the skinny brunette with the green burger on the paper plate in their lap? Syd didn’t know ; weirder to not address it if they were though, right? “ Trippy, I know. ” Shifting slighty in their seat, dark browns glanced back down to the dish. “ It was like no one was ordering it, so I just said fuck it. ”

The other’s words were like an answer to the question Alex had in his mind because he had been staring at the green burger because a green burger? Wrong. “What even is it?” he asked, quirking an eyebrow. “I feel like there was a reason nobody ordered it.”

Maddie felt her chest burn at the challenge. The implication that her first hit had a been a fluke irritated her more than casual banter should have. Instead of responding to him, she gave him a very determined look as she chose her next dart from the table. Hoping that she had retained at least a little talent from when she used to do this years ago, she aimed and threw, nearly jumping in excitement when she heard another pop! 

“Yes,” she answered, turning to smirk victoriously at him. “I can.”

The determination on the other’s face was priceless. Alex chuckled quietly to himself as he watched her take on the challenge. He crossed his arms over his chest, eyes glued to her as he held back his laughter. This was way too easy and way too fun for him. When she hit it again, he whistled, impressed.

“Well done,” he replied with a smirk of his own.

Jace paused blinking a few times, he was pretty certain he was more than fluent enough to understand but some how putting mac-and cheese on a stick just didn’t seem plausible to him, he still under estimated just how much American’s loved to deep fry things. “Erm- how does that work? Wouldn’t noodles fall off?” 

Alex couldn’t help but let out a laugh at the reaction he got from the other. “No, no,” he said shaking his head. “They’re fired into ball shapes so everything sticks together,” he explained.

“You know me, I’m always happy,” they smirked before taking another bite. Then they gave a chuckle. “I always ruin shit, don’t I? Sorry, not sorry.” They looked around at the carnival, wondering what would be the best thing for them to do next with their friend. “You big on rides?”

“I know, I don’t know how you do it.” He rolled his eyes fondly at the other. He wouldn’t say he was unhappy, he just wasn’t someone who was bubbly all the time. “Of course you not,” he said with a laugh. “They’re alright. Depends what you want to go on.”

         “A simple ‘I don’t know’ would have been fine.” Her smile brightened as she looked to him and then to the surrounding structures towering over them. From the moment it opened till they kicked people out at night she was here, wanting to experience every inch of it before it breezed by and the opportunity was wasted. She dare say she knew the funnel cake concession workers by name, now. “Yes, or at least I think I’d been on them all. I was wondering if there was one I’d miss. It’s a lot bigger than I thought it would be, and I didn’t know what to expect when they came. Which would you think is the most popular one?”

“I don’t do simple,” Alex replied with a shrug. He didn’t think his reply was anything but simple, if he was honest. He crossed his arms over his chest, eyes wandering around for a moment before looking back at the other. “You have been on them all?” he asked, eyes wider than usual. “Honestly, I don’t know. I’m not the best person to have, carnival rides are not my forte.”

“No I just didn’t quite hear you…”

“Fair enough,” Alex replied with a shrug. “Wasn’t important anyway.”

Callie looked at the guy in front of her with a deadpan look. “Move. And don’t act like you didn’t hear me because i know you did.” She said looking around him and sighing. “Never mind, what I wanted to take is gone.” The blonde said watching the mom tote her toddler off in a different direction. 

Alex bit his lip to keep himself from laughing. Maybe if she was a little more polite he would have actually moved but alas. “Aw, damn, such a shame,” he drawled, a smirk on his face. “Maybe you’ll have better luck next time.”

         There was something thrilling to all of this that the girl from Bristol couldn’t place her finger on but nonetheless kept a smile lifting her tiers. She knew for certain a part of it was the carnival, the first she had ever been to with a swarm of butterflies maintaining her excitement with their flutter in her stomach. And a challenge, an hour to be at every motorized amusement… there’s was something captivating about that too. Her watch read three o’clock, and what harm was there sitting on a fixture near several of the rides watching them all? “How many of these do you think there are,” she asked, already having a number to mind that she counted a day prior. “Have you been on all of them, yet?”

“Why don’t you count them?” Alex asked, raising an eyebrow. He hadn’t even been on more than three, mostly because the food had kept him occupied but also because most of them seemed boring. He’d never been a huge fan of rides but the carnival atmosphere wasn’t awful. “I haven’t. Have you?” He kind of knew the answer would be no considering the fact if she really did want to know how many there were, she probably would have counted them when going on them.

“I’m immensely fascinated to why so many different carnival foods are served on a stick. Cotton candy, corn dogs, even cheesecake now, I don’t understand it, but I think I’m growing rather fond of it anyway.” Jace mused, pulling off another piece from the blue tuft of cotton candy in his hands, he didn’t have to care so much about appearances here, no one knew who he or his family was, it meant he could relax a little. “It does save the cost and effort put into eating utensils, so I wish to find more stick foods, what else do they have here?”

Alex couldn’t say he ever really questioned little things like that, things were the way the were and it was that simple. Obviously he understood people questioning things but if they weren’t going to get a straight answer why bother? In reply to the question, Alex shrugged his shoulders. “I did see mac and cheese bites on sticks, but I can’t remember where.”

“Damn it. I can never get the exposure right on this picture.” Callie muttered to herself. Photography had been a hobby that she had picked up when she was a teen, but it had been years since she had gotten back into it. Before coming to the town, her mother had given her a new camera and the blonde figured she should get some use out of it. The carnival was the perfect place due to all the photo opportunities. Holding the camera up, the girl sighed when she saw someone in her field of vision. 

“Can you please move.”

It would be a lie to say Alex had just been accidentally in the way but he’d spotted the blonde with her camera and he couldn’t help but stand in the way, blocking her view. Feigning ignorance, he hummed and turned to look at her. “Hm, I’m sorry, I didn’t catch that,” he lied.

“Perfect shot,” he joked and held the obliterated piece of paper up to the incandescent lights. The massive hole in the middle once depicted a star and thankfully the point of the game was to remove it entirely. Even if he didn’t have a fancy degree declaring his smarts Finn could attest to his improvisation to achieve his goals, and to show for it: a shredded and holey mark and a large stuffed prize. [ If only he had the chance to show off as he intended. ]  “Bet you I could do it again,” he spoke turning to the person next to him. 

Honestly, Alex wasn’t the best at carnival games. He always gave them his best shot but he had never been to that many carnival’s to get good at the games there. “What you betting?” he asked.

“If you’re gonna eat it all the time then own it, babe. Nothing to be ashamed of,” he coos it sweetly toward the other, letting his laugh wash over him pleasantly. It’s ethereal, to him – people’s joy always is. Especially if he’s contributed to it in any tangible way. He seems to contribute toward Alex’s more than most, and it’s a spectacular feeling.

“You have to share,” there’s a squint contradicting the pout that forms upon his lips, chin tilted upward in distaste for the teasing he’s forced to endure. It’s just not right, is it? He deserves as many bites of Alex’s sugary delight as he wants! That’s just the way the world works. 

Alex couldn’t help but roll his eyes at Bernie but it was fond.. it always was. “It’s not that deep, babe,” he teased back before smiling softly at him and then schooling his features. 

Raising an eyebrow, Alex took a small step back. “Oh really?” he challenged. It always made him laugh how easily he could tease the other about literally anything. “I’m pretty sure I don’t have to do anything,” he added before his tongue poked out to wet his lips before laughing. “Maybe I’ll let you have one bite.”

Sighing in disappointment as her attempt to rid herself of the large stuffed animal failed. “You don’t know anyone who would like to have something like this?” She asked, still hopeful of maybe relieving herself of the large object.

The fact she really did not want this teddy bear was too amusing to Alex, probably more amusing than it should be. “My little sister,” he said seriously before laughing. It was true, his little sister loved stuffed animals. “But alas she is not here.”

“You’ve got a dark side, don’t you?” Maddie asked with a laugh. She made a face at his banter, quickly aiming another of her darts. “I’m just getting started. Even professionals need warm-ups, right?” 

Determination spiked through her system now. After all of her big talk and challenges, she was starting to feel like she’d given herself too much to live up to. She tossed the dart harder this time, throwing it with perhaps a bit too much force. The attendant at the booth looked a little frightened as it soared past his head, but it eventually found it’s purchase in the rubber of one of the lower balloons. At least it wasn’t a miss. “You mean like that?”

Instead of responding with words he just looked at the other and quirked an eyebrow. “Right,” he said, laughing. “The warm up usually happens before the competition, though.”

His eyes followed the dart, watching a it one of the balloons. He whistled, impressed. “That is what I’m talking about,” he encouraged. He wasn’t about to let her win but he really wasn’t good at the whole smack talk so this is what she got. “Question is, can you do it again?” he challenged.

“Didn’t you grow up in Michigan?” they clarified. “Try asking a non-native speaker, Mr. College Man.” They took another bite before covering their mouth and saying “You know, buying implies you, you know, spent money, which the wristband helps us not do.” They chuckled before asking “So, what’s the plan after eating this delicious concoction?”

Alex shrugged his shoulders as he pressed his lips together. “Fine. English is easy for someone who has English as their first language,” he said. “Happy now?” He rolled his eyes before taking another bite of the funnel cake. “Sh, let me pretend I spent money, it sounds better than saying ‘that’s why I got it for free.’ Don’t ruin it.” He had not thought that far ahead, he never did. “Who knows? I haven’t decided.”

         IF he had denied her she would have moved onto the next person instead. Ana wasn’t thirsty for the company, and people were people. For a moment she studied the expression that shifted onto his features, her eyes narrowing as she awaited the response and readied to move onto the next person. She was honestly surprised he agreed. “Wonderful.” And she paused for a moment, “I just like the horses. Even if they are fake.”

Alex let out a short laugh. “Whatever floats your boat,” he replied. He honestly didn’t care what he sat on, he didn’t have a preference like the other; mostly because he was going to look an idiot no matter what, so what did it matter? “You going to pretend your a cow girl”? he asked.