Matthew and my mom were running late. I was waiting at the carnival entrance for them, and when they finally arrived, they were looking far too chummy for my liking. Mom was giggling at something Matthew had said. Giggling. And she’d somehow managed to convince him to let her apply a little fake blood to his cheek and to loosen his tie. It was all too weird.
“Isobel, there you are,” Mom said, smiling brightly at me. She hadn’t applied her usual zombie makeup. Instead, she’d gone light on the face paint and seemed to be aiming for more of a sexy waitress. I had a feeling it was because Matthew was here.
“Hey, you guys. So, we’ve got a sexy—sorry, I mean—zombie waitress…” Mom shot me a scowl, but I happily ignored her. “And a…” I turned to my father, and my mouth puckered as I tried to guess what he was. “Can you give me a clue?”
“Apparently, I’m a zombie businessman,” he replied.
He said it so seriously I laughed. “Yeah, I guess I can see that.”
Matthew smiled, but his face turned serious again when he caught sight of someone beyond me. “If you will both excuse me for a moment, I see August Montfort. I’ve been meaning to have a quick word with him.”
He must have been talking about Sawyer and Wes’s dad. I hadn’t told Matthew that Wes and I were dating, but given the way he managed to keep tabs on everything that was happening at school, he’d probably found out somehow. Still, I hoped he was planning to talk to Wes’s dad about business or something completely unrelated to me dating his son. I’d already experienced more than enough drama when it came to meeting my boyfriend’s family, and I wasn’t so keen to repeat it.
“Go ahead,” Mom said.
I watched Matthew walk over to a man who was about his age. I could immediately see the similarity he shared with the twins. He had the same blond hair and a similar build to both boys, but he clearly didn’t hit the gym as much as they did. Matthew smiled brightly as he shook the man’s hand. There definitely wasn’t any rift between my father and Wes’s family—thank goodness.
“So, did you help Cress avoid her crisis?” Mom asked.
“I really just offered moral support,” I said. “It was actually Sawyer who saved the day.”
“That’s Wes’s twin brother, right? The cheeky one.”
“That’s him.” I smiled. Though he hadn’t been quite so cheeky when I’d last seen him. He’d been surprisingly thoughtful and honest as he’d questioned me about Wes. Although it was unlike Sawyer, I didn’t take offense. If anything, it warmed my heart to know he cared so much for his brother.
When Matthew returned from chatting with Mr. Montfort, I was relieved he didn’t come back with any warnings about dating Wes. Perhaps he didn’t know we were together. Or maybe he knew and was fine with it. I definitely wasn’t going to bring it up voluntarily. Ignorance was bliss, and I didn’t want another relationship ruined because of my father’s family name.
The carnival was already crowded with people as we entered. Locals from the town, kids from school, and their families and friends had all come out for the occasion. I was impressed by the elaborate costumes everyone wore and surprised to find so many of the parents had dressed up too.
There was something so enchanting about Halloween, and the carnival didn’t disappoint with the spooky atmosphere it created. The sound of rides and squeals of delight rang through the air, and when we walked past a fortune-telling tent, I heard a witch-like cackle from within. Everyone had gone to so much effort, and if my mom was only going to attend one school event this year, I was glad it was this one.
We bumped into Lily and her roommate Amber not far from the entrance. The two girls were dressed as hippies, and their outfits looked more appropriate for Coachella than Halloween. Mom gushed over how cute they looked and insisted they join us for food. I was somewhat glad for the company because my mom and Matthew were so busy chatting that, without my friends there, I was sure I’d have felt like a third wheel.
“I hear the haunted house is amazing this year,” Lily said as we munched on corndogs Matthew had bought us.
“The haunted house?” Amber scoffed. “It’s nothing compared to the soccer team’s booth. I’ll probably spend most of my night standing there drooling.”
“What are they doing?” I asked.
“They have a dunking booth,” Amber said. “Which means shirtless soccer players. Need I say more?”
“Probably not.” I laughed. “I’m surprised Sawyer hasn’t been bragging about it all week. He loves attention, and I imagine he’d love nothing more than to show off his abs.”
“I mean, have you seen his abs? I’d want to show them off too if I were him,” Amber gushed. “We should go check it out after we finish these corndogs.”
I glanced at Mom and Matthew. She was laughing again at something he’d said. The two of them were in their own little world. She’d practically forgotten I was here, but I wasn’t annoyed. Mom rarely took time off work to relax or socialize, and I liked seeing her so happy. It was nice to see her getting along so well with Matthew. They were both going to be a part of my life now, and it could only be a good thing if they were on friendly terms.
“Hey, Mom,” I said. “I’m going to go visit a few booths with the girls. Do you mind if I catch up with you guys later?” I’d considered asking Mom and Matthew to join us, but after all the girls’ talk of checking out shirtless soccer players, I wasn’t sure it was an experience I particularly wanted to share with my parents. Besides, they looked so content spending time together, and I wouldn’t be gone for long. We had the rest of the evening to explore the carnival together.
Mom smiled and shook her head. “That’s totally fine, Iz. You have fun with your friends.”
“I will.” I flashed her and Matthew a smile before I walked off with Lily and Amber.
“Your mom and dad are so nice,” Lily said once we were out of earshot. “I thought you said they hadn’t seen each other since before you were born?”
“They haven’t,” I replied. “But they do seem pretty relaxed around each other.”
“Definitely,” Lily agreed. “I never would have guessed they weren’t a couple or at the very least close friends.”
“And they look so cute together,” Amber added. “Are you thinking of trying to parent trap them?”
“That’s the last thing on my mind. They’re very different people with very different lives. I don’t think they’d work out, even if they were interested in each other that way.”
“That’s a shame,” Lily said.
I shrugged as though I didn’t care either way, but that wasn’t really true. Until now, I hadn’t really thought much about my parents’ relationship and what it would be like when they saw each other again. Now that they were reunited, it was clear there was something between them. The slight glow of an ember from a fire that burned out long ago. I wondered if they had noticed it too. Even if they had, there was no denying I was right about them being different people from different worlds. Surely it couldn’t work, could it?
“Oh, is that the kissing booth?” Amber asked, saving me from my thoughts. I looked up as we rounded a corner and saw Cress’s booth up ahead. It looked amazing, and Sawyer’s sign was even more impressive when it was lit up at night.
“Yep, that’s it. Though they’ve called it a kiss or scare booth,” I said. “It’s pretty much a game of chance. You don’t know if you’re getting a kiss or something else.”
“Oh, sounds fun,” Amber replied. “We should give it a go, Lil.”
“Maybe later,” Lily said, refusing to meet Amber’s gaze. I didn’t blame her for being hesitant. Lots of people were standing around watching, and they burst into cheers and laughter when the blindfolded contestant spun the wheel and it landed on scare.
Cress was manning the booth, and she grinned as she pulled a guinea pig from a cage behind her and offered it out to the poor unsuspecting victim to kiss. The guy leaned forward and then flinched away when his lips brushed against fur. He pulled the blindfold off and burst out laughing when he saw what Cress was holding.
“Oh my gosh, is that Kaden?” Amber said. “Surely, he doesn’t need a kissing booth to get a girl to kiss him?”
Amber was right. I hadn’t recognized Kaden with the blindfold on. I smiled as I watched him talking with Cress. They were laughing nervously as Cress returned the guinea pig to its cage and Kaden pulled out another ticket. As he handed it to Cress, I swear I could see his hand shaking slightly, and her cheeks flushed prettily in response. She nodded toward the blindfold, but Kaden shook his head. Instead, he reached over and took her hand, placing a gentle kiss across the back of it. Cress almost fainted.
Kaden gave her one last smile before he got up from his seat and left the booth. Cress was frozen, her mouth hanging slightly open in shock as she watched Kaden walk away. Then she shook her head and got up from her seat before the next person in line could sit down. She beckoned to Anna to take her spot, and Anna happily obliged.
Cress was pacing back and forth at the side of the booth as we walked over to her.
“Oh my gosh, Isobel, did you see that?” she said as we approached. “Kaden just kissed my hand. He kissed it!”
She usually tried her best to act like she didn’t have a crush on Kaden, but she was totally failing right now.
“Yeah, we saw,” I said with a grin.
“And he’s asked me to meet him at the Ferris wheel,” she said. “I think I’m going to faint.”
“You’re not going to faint.” I laughed. “But you should probably take a few deep breaths.”
She nodded and slowly dragged a breath in before easing it back out.
“Better?” I asked.
“Not even close.”
“When are you meeting him?”
“In, like, five minutes.”
“You should probably get going then.”
She nodded but didn’t move. I think she was still in shock.
“Do you want us to walk you there?” Lily asked.
“No, I’m good.” Cress shook her head. “I guess I better head over there. Wish me luck.”
“Good luck.” I gave her arm a squeeze, and she smiled at me before heading off in the direction of the Ferris wheel.
The sound of raised voices caused me to turn back to the kiss or scare booth. Anna was standing behind her seat with her arms crossed over her chest. She was glaring at Luther, who sat opposite her.
“You can’t buy all the tickets, Luther,” she complained. “That’s not how it works.”
“I’m just doing my part to help the fundraiser,” he said, grinning at her. “Just like you’re doing yours.”
“You don’t actually want to kiss me. Let alone twenty times or however many tickets you just bought,” Anna said. “You’re just doing this to mess with me, and it’s not very funny.”
“I would never,” he said.
“Fine. Put the blindfold on, and get ready for a scare because you better believe I’m going to find a toad for you to kiss.”
“I’m not afraid to kiss a few toads.” Luther smirked and lowered the blindfold over his eyes. He spun the wheel, and Anna breathed a visible sigh of relief when it landed on scare. Despite her promise to make him kiss a toad, Anna reached down into a box at her side and produced a bunny for him to kiss. Luther spun the wheel once more, and when it landed on scare again, Anna made him kiss a snakeskin handbag. By some miracle, Luther’s third spin also landed on scare, and Anna held a chocolate doughnut to his lips.
Luther didn’t complain once and simply smiled brightly after every unexpected kiss he experienced. He was actually enjoying it. “Mmm, fluffy,” he said after kissing the rabbit, and after the doughnut, I heard him moan dramatically, “Anna, your lips are so soft and sweet.”
Luther’s enthusiasm was only frustrating Anna more and more with each turn. She looked like she was ready to get the toad out if Luther spun the wheel and landed on scare for a fourth time.
However, on Luther’s fourth spin, the wheel finally landed on kiss. Anna scrunched her face up with disgust. She glanced around like she was searching for a way out, but she must have realized there was no escape. After one last grimace, she leaned over to Luther and gave him the quickest peck on the lips I’d ever seen. If there was a contest for speed kissing, she’d just won it.
“That was hardly a kiss,” Luther said, pulling the blindfold up to look at her.
“Well, you can take that up with management because I’m done.” Anna lifted her arms before storming away. She headed straight over to us, her cheeks flaming red.
“Oh my gosh, you guys saw that?” she said.
“It was hard not to,” I replied. “You two weren’t exactly subtle.”
“Ugh, because Luther is so ridiculous. Can you believe him? He bought every ticket for my shift at the kissing booth.”
I laughed.
“Shut up. It’s not funny,” she said. “I’m so embarrassed.”
“There’s nothing to be embarrassed about.”
“Isn’t there? Because him buying all the tickets wasn’t even the worst part. Did you see the way he was dressed?”
I slowly shook my head. I’d been so caught up in their argument I hadn’t noticed what he was wearing. “No, how is he dressed?”
“He’s dressed as Draco Malfoy,” she said. Her eyes were wide, and I could see she was fighting some kind of internal battle. “And you know how I feel about Draco…”
“Like you want him to slither-in?” Amber guessed.
“Ha, that’s a good one, and exactly,” Anna said. “Man, my head is so messed up with all this. How did he even know I’m obsessed with Malfoy? I swear, he dressed up that way because he knew it would get me all confused.”
“So, you’re feeling confused about Luther?” I asked.
“No!” She shuddered. “Please let’s just pretend this conversation never happened. I’m planning to wipe this entire night from my mind.”
“Okay, from now on, this conversation never happened,” I agreed.
“Good.” She drew in a deep breath, which seemed to calm her.
“Why couldn’t Luther have just kissed my hand instead?”
“I thought you didn’t want to talk about him,” I said.
“I don’t,” Anna gasped. “I need to get away from here. What are you guys up to?”
“We were just on our way to see the highlight of the carnival,” Amber said. “The soccer team’s dunking booth. That should help take your mind off the kissing booth.”
“Perfect,” Anna said. “Lead the way.”
A large crowd had already formed around the dunking booth by the time we got there. Most of them were girls. Amber wasn’t the only one with the bright idea of standing around watching shirtless soccer players waiting to get dunked.
“They should really charge to watch,” Anna said. “They’d make a killing.”
“I know,” Amber agreed. “I’d probably pay.”
I laughed because the two girls were hopeless. But, when I saw Noah sitting on the collapsing seat, waiting to be dunked, I didn’t find it all so funny. Somehow, I’d forgotten just how gorgeous he was, but it was impossible to deny when he was sitting there in all his shirtless glory.
The crowd was wolf whistling him and cheering as people took turns throwing a ball at the target. A direct hit would plunge Noah into the water. As he sat there, watching balls fly at the target, he was smiling along with everyone else. It felt like such a long time since I’d seen him smile that way. It might have been as long ago as the beach in Rapid Bay, when he flew me home to see my mom. Or maybe as we danced at the White Ball.
“I can’t believe you’ve kissed him.” I turned to find Veronica walking past us. She was with one of her friends, who was talking far too loudly to her. “Noah is so hot.”
Veronica’s eyes narrowed on the girl. “Sylvie, you’re staring.…”
Sylvie stopped talking and looked a little embarrassed, but Veronica didn’t notice because her focus was also on Noah as she gave him a small wave.
“Did Veronica come dressed as Paris Hilton?” Amber asked. I was guessing she’d heard Sylvie’s comment about Noah too.
“Looks like it,” I said. Veronica was dressed in a pink Juicy Couture velour tracksuit with a long blonde wig. She even had a small, yapping dog in the purse she wore over her shoulder.
“If she was going to use a dog as an accessory, I would have thought she’d come as Cruella de Vil,” Anna said, making us laugh.
A huge cheer erupted from the crowd, and we turned back to the booth just in time to see Noah dropping into the tank of water. The guy who had struck the target bowed with pride, and the applause increased, especially from the girls in the front row, when Noah emerged from the water dripping wet.
Veronica was the first one over to him, and she offered him a towel. It was harder to watch than I thought it would be. Noah had told me before he wasn’t interested in her, but I wasn’t sure if that was true when I saw him thank her and they shared a smile.
“Well, I think I’ve had enough shirtless fun for one evening. I’m going to go find my mom,” I said to the girls. “I’ll catch you all later.”
I didn’t stick around to see what else Noah and Veronica might share.
