“That’s intense,” Lance commented, sitting on my computer chair, tapping a pen against his shoe mindlessly.

            “You and Mr. Heywood meeting is like, fate, Holly!” Casey cried, staring at me with wide eyes. “You, the daughter of the man his parents killed. It’s like a romance! He’ll feel like he has to take care of you because he’s a man while you’re but a young lady. A romance will bud!”

            “You’re thinking into this way to much, Casey,” I responded, grinning at her crazy idea. “But it is a coincidence.”

            “I’ll say,” Casey said, nearly shaking with excitement.

            “Why exactly were you alone in his car with him again?” Lance asked, frowning at me.

            I sighed. “It’s not what you think, Lance. He was just bringing me home because I helped him after school as my punishment for being late.”

            “But it was the second day of school! Why should you be punished for being late?”

            “Calm down, Lance,” Casey responded before I could. “This is a good thing for Holly. He’s an attractive, experienced, young man, and she’s a cute, young, lady who is still a virgin. He could help her.”

            “Casey!” I cried, my face growing red.

            “You—” Lance growled, scowling at her.

            Casey laughed. “Chill guys, I was just joking.”

            I sighed, but couldn’t help a smile from slipping onto my lips. I shook my head and chuckled. Casey grinned at me shamelessly.

            “I still don’t think it’s fair he is punishing you,” Lance stated stubbornly, crossing his arms.

            I shrugged. It wasn’t like I minded helping Mr. Heywood after school at all. Honestly, I actually enjoyed it. It was better than being alone at home and bored. Though, Mr. Heywood had told me not to tell anyone I stayed after with him. I figured he didn’t want the other girls getting in trouble just so they could stay after with him. A wry smiled made its way on to my face. I couldn’t blame him for not wanting that.

“I just don’t like how you have to help that guy every day after school,” Lance stated, still looking irritated. “He’s using you.”

“Are you jealous?” Casey teased.

“No,” Lance snapped, “but what if Holly wants to hang out with friends?”

“I’m sure he’d let me hang out with friends,” I told Lance. But honestly I wasn’t sure. That man was so confusing. One second he’d be nice, the next he’d be a bully.

“Still…”

“It doesn’t matter!” Casey chirped, getting off my bed. “The fair is today, so let’s look forward to that! And who knows, maybe Mr. Heywood will be there, Holly.”

I rolled my eyes. “Why does that matter?”

“Romance,” she said with a French accent.

“Didn’t we just go over this?” Lance demanded sounding irritated.

“You never know,” Casey huffed. “Something might happen.”

I laughed. “Casey, he’s a teacher. I’m a student. That wouldn’t work out. In fact, it’s illegal. And kind of gross.”

“It’s only, what? A four-year difference? My parents are ten years apart,” she responded defensively.

“Still, he’s a teacher,” Lance interjected. “And she’s a student.”

“That’s doesn’t matter either.”

I sighed and flopped onto my back on the bed, hoping for the subject to drop. The fair started in only an hour. I still had to get ready. Casey spun around in my computer chair and logged onto the computer, going on Facebook. Lance started tinkering with things on my desk and I watched Casey with a bored expression. After about half an hour I went to the bathroom. When I got back I sat down on the bed and stared at Lance, who was coloring on my binder now.

“Oh my God!!” Casey gasped suddenly.

“What?” Lance and I responded simultaneously.

“Sadie is in a relationship with Sam!”

“No way!” I cried, standing up and going over to the computer.

Sure enough, on Facebook, Sadie’s relationship status went from single to in a relationship with Sam. I stared at the screen in shock. Mr. Heywood was right!

“I thought she liked him,” Lance commented, also coming over and taking a look. “Kind of sudden though.”

“Now I can go on double dates with her!” Casey said, grinning. “You two really need to find someone to go out with.”

“I don’t like anyone,” I responded with a shrug. “And I wouldn’t go out with someone I didn’t like.”

“What about you, Lance?” Casey asked, turning to him.

He blushed immediately. Casey and I exchanged glances and smirked.

“Aww, Lance has got a crush!” I cooed, elbowing him. “Who is it, huh?”

“I’m not telling you!” Lance responded, shaking his head. “No way.”

“Aw, come on!” Casey interjected. “You have to tell us now!”

“No I don’t,” Lance responded, his mouth in a straight line. “And you won’t ever know.”

“Why don’t you ask her out?” I asked him.

Lance snorted. “She wouldn’t go out with me.”

“What are you talking about? Everyone wants to go out with you!” I responded and Casey nodded in agreement.

“Not this person. She’s different.”

“Who is she?” Casey and I demanded together.

“I won’t tell you guys.”

“Come on! Please!” I begged, putting on my best puppy dog eye look.

Lance shook his head. “No. Now I’m leaving to get ready for the fair, you should too Casey.”

Casey nodded, logging out of Facebook. “I probably should.”

I frowned. My puppy eyes look never worked. I needed to work on it.

Lance and Casey left and I went to take a shower. When I was done I blow dried my hair and went to my room to start straightening it. The phone rang half way through the process and I set the straightener down for a second, walking over to the phone in my room and picking it up.

“Hello?”

“Hi honey, it’s mom.”

“Hi,” I said, going back to my hair straightener and continuing to straighten it.

“Work’s going to go really late tonight. I’m just going to stay at a friends so I don’t have to drive all the way back home,” she informed me and I heard something fall in the background. “Shoot,” she muttered. “Is that okay with you? What are your plans for tonight?”

“That’s fine,” I responded, shutting off my straightener. “I’m going to the fair with Lance and Casey in a little bit.”

“Why don’t you invite Casey to sleep over then? I feel bad leaving you alone.”

I rolled my eyes. “Mom. I’m a senior. Pretty soon I’ll be living by myself anyways.”

“Not too soon,” she responded, sounding a little sad.

“Okay, let me rephrase that. In a little while I could be living by myself, but probably won’t be.”

She laughed. “Sounds better. My break’s almost over though, so I have to go.”

“Okay mom, I love you.”

“Love you too,” she responded. “Bye.”

“See ya.”

I clicked the end button and set the phone down. I glanced at the clock. 7 o’clock. That meant I’d have to leave in about five minutes to make it to the fair grounds for half past. I went to my closet and threw on a pair of jean skinny jeans, a black tank top, and a white and green plaid shirt. Slipping on my shoes and grabbing my wallet and iPod, I went out the door, locking it behind me.

I stuck my headphones into my ears and set it on shuffle. Music blasted from them as I started down the street in the direction of the fair grounds. It was starting to get dark, which was the perfect time for going to a fair. The millions of lights that came off every ride was a stunning sight. As I grew closer, more people were walking on the sidewalks. I maneuvered around an old couple that was walking slowly and finally made it to the gate where I was meeting Casey, Lance, and the others.

In a little while Sadie and Sam showed up. And then Casey, and finally Lance. We bought our tickets and entered the area where the fair was. There were gaggles of people. Little kids were running around everywhere, teenagers walked around in groups, and couples were holding hands. Vendors called out to us as we walked by them, offering three darts for five dollars, and one dart for two.

“I’m hungry,” I complained after we walked a loop around the fair once to see what was there. “I’m going to eat.”

“I’ll come with you,” Lance offered.

“Casey, are you coming?” I asked, turning towards her.

She shook her head. “Willis is meeting me by the Ferris wheel and we’re going to go on with Sadie and Sam.”

“A date on a Ferris wheel, huh?” Lance said, laughing. “Have fun.”

“I will!” she responded with a wave. “See you guys later.”

“Bye,” I responded, waving back.

Lance and I headed back towards the food stands, dodging around the throngs of people congesting the area. We passed a large line at the fried dough stand, and a considerably smaller one at the fried Oreos.

“What are you going to get?” Lance asked, narrowly avoiding a giggling couple.

“Baked potato,” I responded immediately. “They’re basically the only reason I go to fairs.”

Lance laughed. “Okay, with everything on it?”

“Yeah,” I responded. “But I’ll buy my own.”

“Don’t worry about it, I got it,” Lance responded, heading over to the vendor. “Think of it as repayment for lunch money I’ve borrowed from you.”

“You’re going to have to buy me like fifty potatoes then,” I responded with a laugh.

“Shut up and go sit down,” Lance ordered, shaking his head and grinning.

Throwing another smile at Lance, I turned and followed his orders. A few minutes later Lance appeared, sitting down across from me with two baked potatoes. He placed mine in front of me and gave me a fork.

“Thank you,” I responded, stabbing my fork into it immediately and taking a bite. I exhaled quickly, the potato burning my mouth. “Hot!”

Lance laughed. “Duh.”

Ignoring him, I continued to eat my potato, this time being more wary. After a few moments I glanced back up at Lance and noticed him staring at something. I looked behind me and saw my friend Sarah standing a few feet away, standing with her boyfriend, Erik. I frowned slightly. Then it hit me.

“Oh!”

Lance blinked and shifted his gaze to me. “What?”

“You like Sarah?” I questioned, a smirk appearing on my face. It definitely made sense! Lance had said that the person he liked couldn’t like him back, and Sarah had a boyfriend.

“What? No,” Lance responded sounding confused. “Why do you think that?”

“Weren’t you just staring at her?”

Lance shook his head. “I was just looking.”

I frowned. “Well tell me whom you like,” I ordered, staring at him intently. “Casey’s not around, so it’s okay, right?”

Lance sighed, shaking his head again. “I’m not telling you.”

“Why not?” I whined. “Aren’t we best friends?”

“It’s not something I can tell you,” Lance responded, frowning. “And I already told you it doesn’t matter because she won’t like me back or date me.”

“Everyone likes you,” I responded rolling my eyes. “And I already told you anyone would date you.”

“Would you date me?” he asked, giving me a sarcastic look.

I laughed through my nose and shook my head. “No way!”

“See?”

“But that’s because we are best friends, Lance,” I told him, sighing. “It’s different with other girls.”

“Nope. I can guarantee you she would never date me.”

I scowled at him. Why was he so pessimistic? “Well fine. If you want to be that way, I hope she never dates you!”

“Harsh,” Lance responded with a grin.

“Mhm.”

Lance suddenly stood up, looking around. “I’m going to go get a drink. Want anything?”

“Coke,” I responded, putting my elbow on the table and resting my head on my hand.

Lance nodded and started walking back to the food area. I watched his back until he disappeared from my vision, leaving me to stare blankly at strangers as they walked by. There were a lot of couples out. One couple stopped right in front of me and started making out. Intensely making out. I looked away slightly disgusted and saw a familiar face.

Mr. Heywood was walking with two suspicious looking men. One of the men had short, cropped blond hair, and the other had longer, brunette hair. All three of the men didn’t look happy. The two on either side of him seemed to be holding onto him, grasping his arm tightly as to not let him escape. I watched curiously and bit my lip. What were they doing? And where were they going? After a minute I stood up and decided to follow them. I looked around for Lance, but couldn’t find him. He was still off getting us drinks. Mr. Heywood was now beginning to leave my field of vision, so I muttered an apology to Lance and hurried after my biology teacher. I dodged people filing around me until I was close enough to them so I could keep an eye on them without being noticed. It seemed like they were heading towards the woods.

I followed as they left the tangled madness of the crowded path that led to the rides. They slipped onto a vacant path, which lead to the back off he rides, and towards the forest. Now there were no people to hide behind, so I waited for a few moments before continuing to follow them.  For some reason, I was getting a forbidding feeling, but I continued anyway.