The Ferris wheel ride ended far too quickly.
Austin and I stepped off the platform, and I stretched my arms above my head as if I had just survived something dramatic.
"See?" Austin said. "You didn't die."
"Barely," I replied.
He laughed, and we walked deeper into the fair where the lights were brighter and the crowd thicker.
Music blasted from somewhere nearby, and the smell of fried food floated through the air.
"Okay," I said. "Your turn to pick something."
Austin looked around thoughtfully.
"There's a ring toss game over there."
I followed his gaze and saw a colorful booth with rows of bottles and plastic rings.
"Oh, that's impossible," I said.
"You don't know that."
"I absolutely know that."
He grinned.
"Let's test your theory."
We walked over and paid for a few rings.
Austin handed one to me.
"Go ahead."
I narrowed my eyes at the bottles.
"Watch me fail."
I tossed the ring.
It bounced off the bottle and landed on the table.
Austin laughed.
"Impressive."
"Your turn."
He tossed his ring casually.
It landed perfectly around the bottle.
I gasped.
"WHAT."
He shrugged.
"Luck."
"Do it again."
He threw another one.
It landed again.
I pointed accusingly.
"You've done this before."
He laughed.
"Maybe."
The booth owner handed him a small stuffed bear as a prize.
Austin turned to me and held it out.
"For you."
My brain paused for a second.
"You won it."
"Yeah."
"But you're giving it to me?"
He nodded.
"Well… yeah."
I slowly took the stuffed bear.
It was soft and ridiculously cute.
"Thank you," I said quietly.
"No problem."
We walked away from the booth, and for a few minutes we just wandered around the fair.
I sipped a soda while Austin tried a bag of popcorn.
The night had fully settled now, and the lights around us glowed brightly.
Honestly…
I was having a really good time.
Austin suddenly nudged my shoulder.
"Look."
I followed his gaze.
A small photo booth stood near the corner of the fair.
The sign read: "FUN FAIR PHOTOS!"
I immediately shook my head.
"No."
"Yes."
"No."
"Why not?"
"Because those pictures are embarrassing."
"That's the point."
I groaned.
"Fine. One photo."
"Deal."
We stepped inside the booth and squeezed onto the small bench.
The curtain closed behind us.
"Okay," Austin said, pressing the start button. "It's about to take four pictures."
"Four?!"
The machine beeped.
Flash.
The first photo captured us both looking normal.
The machine beeped again.
"Make a face," Austin said.
"I'm not making a face."
He leaned slightly closer.
"Too late."
Flash.
The second photo caught me mid-protest.
I groaned.
The third beep sounded.
Austin suddenly held the stuffed bear in front of my face.
"What are you doing?!"
Flash.
The third photo captured me trying to grab the bear.
We both started laughing.
Then the final beep sounded.
Austin looked at me for a moment.
The laughter faded.
Suddenly the small booth felt very quiet.
"Hey," he said softly.
"Yeah?"
He leaned slightly closer.
My heart immediately started racing.
The moment felt different from before.
Calmer.
More serious.
Austin's voice dropped just a little.
"You know… this 'not-a-date' is going pretty well."
I swallowed.
"Yeah… it is."
He looked at me for another second.
Then he slowly leaned in.
My brain froze.
Was he—
Was he about to—
Suddenly—
"AUSTIN?!"
A sharp voice cut through the moment.
The curtain of the photo booth was yanked open.
Both of us jumped back.
Standing outside was a girl with an angry expression.
Mary.
Austin blinked.
"Mary?"
Her eyes shifted to me.
And the look she gave me could have frozen lava.
"Well," she said coldly, "this is interesting, Ann, so you now steal people's boyfriends?."
I felt instantly awkward, for no single reason
"Hi…"
Mary crossed her arms.
"So this is why you didn't answer my texts."
Austin sighed.
"Mary—"
"I was looking for you everywhere," she interrupted.
Then her eyes landed on the stuffed bear in my hands.
Her expression darkened.
"Oh."
The word was full of jealousy.
Austin stood up from the booth.
"Mary, relax."
"Relax?" she repeated.
She looked at me again.
"You're here with her?"
I blinked.
"Uh… yes?"
Mary scoffed.
"This is unbelievable."
Austin stepped slightly in front of me.
"Mary, you're making a scene."
"Oh I'm making a scene?"
Before either of us could react, Mary grabbed a cup from a nearby table.
It was filled with ice water.
My brain barely processed what was happening.
Then—
SPLASH.
Ice-cold water poured all over me.
I gasped.
The shock of the freezing water made me shiver instantly.
My jacket, shirt, and hair were soaked.
People nearby turned to stare.
Mary looked satisfied.
"That's what you get," she said.
Austin's expression changed instantly.
"Mary!"
His voice was sharper than I had ever heard before.
"That was completely unnecessary."
Mary crossed her arms again.
"Whatever."
Then she turned and walked away into the crowd.
Just like that.
I stood there, dripping and shivering.
"Are you okay?" Austin asked quickly.
"I—"
Another shiver ran through me.
"I'm freezing."
"Yeah, that water was ice cold."
He immediately took off his jacket and wrapped it around my shoulders.
"Here."
The jacket was warm.
And it smelled faintly like him.
"Thank you," I whispered.
Austin looked frustrated.
"I'm really sorry about that."
"It's not your fault, Mary's been always crazy."
He ran a hand through his hair.
"Mary and I used to hang out a lot. I guess she assumed things."
I shrugged slightly.
"Well… she definitely looked jealous."
Austin sighed.
"Clearly."
My phone buzzed suddenly.
It was Ethan.
Of course.
I answered.
"Hello?"
"Status update!" Ethan's voice said loudly. "Did Austin finally kiss—"
"I got attacked with ice water."
Silence.
Then—
"WHAT."
Ten minutes later, Ethan appeared at the fair looking ready for battle.
He looked me up and down.
"You're soaked!"
"Thank you for noticing."
He turned to Austin.
"What happened?!"
Austin explained quickly.
Ethan's jaw dropped.
"She did WHAT?"
"Relax," I said. "I'm okay."
"You're shivering!"
Austin nodded.
"She should go home."
Ethan immediately agreed.
"Yeah. Mission abort."
I laughed weakly.
"This is the worst ending to a 'not-a-date.'"
Austin looked guilty.
"It started really well though."
"That's true," Ethan admitted.
The three of us walked back to Ethan's car.
The heater blasted warm air as soon as we got inside.
Austin handed me some tissues from the dashboard.
"Try to dry your hair."
"Thanks."
The ride to my house was quieter than usual.
But it wasn't awkward.
It actually felt… caring.
When we reached my house, Austin helped me out of the car.
"You should change into something warm,"
he said.
"I will."
Ethan crossed his arms.
"We're not leaving yet."
"You don't have to stay."
"We want to," Austin said simply.
I smiled a little.
So I changed into dry clothes and came back downstairs.
We sat in the living room talking quietly for a while.
Eventually the warmth and the long day made me sleepy.
Austin noticed first.
"You're falling asleep."
"I am not."
"You just yawned"
Ethan laughed.
"Three times."
I groaned.
"Okay maybe I'm a little tired."
"Go sleep," Austin said.
"You guys can go home."
Ethan shook his head.
"Nope."
"We'll wait," Austin added.
"Why?"
"In case you start shivering again," Ethan said.
I couldn't argue with that.
So I went upstairs to my room.
The last thing I remember before falling asleep was hearing them talking quietly downstairs.
And somehow…
Even after the chaos, the jealousy, and the freezing water…
I felt safe knowing Austin and Ethan were still there.
Waiting until I was okay.