"Aw, man!" Ricky exclaimed, craning his neck to see over the crowd. "They gotta Twister. I haven't been on one in years, man."

"Of course they gotta Twister," Rex said, clicking his tongue. "It's a fair. The only way they get away with selling their nasty ass food is by making people throw it up."

Squid snickered. José's crazy laugh drew the attention of all the rednecks in the area, which only made Squid laugh harder.

Recently released from Camp Green Lake, the boys were enjoying themselves at the West Texas Fair. Later on, a few of the other members of tent D would be joining them. But for now, it was just Squid, José, Ricky, and Rex.

"You don't know what you're talking about," Ricky said with a grin. "Anything fried is good."

"Whatever, man." Rex shook his head in exasperation. "Save your cravings for after the Twister. You'll thank me later."

As they drew closer to the Twister, the music blasting over the ride became easier to hear. Squid wasn't sure he'd ever heard the song before – though to be fair, it didn't sound much different than any other country song.

Not many people were very interested in the Twister, and only three people stood between the boys and the gate. As they waited for the current ride to end, the boys perched on top of the wooden fence.

"Mighty fine dimes, there," Rex said, nudging Squid and nodding at the attendant's booth.

Squid leaned around Rex to take a peek and his eyebrows rose involuntarily.

Two girls stood shoulder to shoulder at the booth, brunette and a redhead (who didn't have a nametag, Squid noted). Under different circumstances, he may have found the redhead pretty. However, since he had left Camp, he found himself completely repulsed by red hair. The brunette, on the other hand, would have had him mesmerized any day of the week.

She was the breath of fresh air he had always waited for on the lake, the rain that splashed onto his face after months of sun. Her smile was the prettiest thing for miles, her laugh the best music Squid'd ever heard. For some reason, he thought he recognized her from somewhere, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it.

He now realized how much Camp Green Lake screwed him up (and probably his friends, too). It had been months since he had been able to even look at a girl his age. His desperation for female company was giving him crazy thoughts.

"Nowhere makes 'em quite as fine as Texas," Ricky said with a grin.

Over their heads, the music changed. Another song Squid didn't recognize.

"I love this song!"

The boys looked over at the attendant booth to see the two girls now swaying their heads to the music. When the words started, they both sang along, giggling.

"Movin' to the country, gonna eat a lot of peaches."

"Peaches?" Ricky's eyebrows furrowed as he looked at his friends for confirmation. "Did they just say peaches or am I going crazy?"

"Movin' to the country, gonna eat a lot of peaches."

"No, man, they definitely said peaches," José said.

The girls were now dancing, their hips swaying and bumping. The brunette laughed and brought her hands up to tousle her ponytail. Even in a uniform polo, she impressively seductive, drawing in the attention of all four boys.

"You think she'd say yes if I asked her to get a corndog with me?" Ricky asked.

"Hell no," Rex said. "She don't want no crazy, conspiracy theory geek. Girl like that wants a real man." He popped the collar of his shirt and stared down the girls, but they didn't notice him.

"Peaches come from a can, they were put there by a man…"

"Guess that rules you out, X," Squid said around his toothpick.

Ricky and José howled with laughter. Rex glared at them through thick lenses and flattened his collar again.

Squid glanced back at the girls. They had stopped and looked over when they heard the raucous that was Ricky and José's crazy laughter. His gaze met hers.

She smiled at him.

He smiled back.

She broke eye contact first, turning to the control board and putting an end to the ride.

"About damn time," Rex muttered, sliding down from the fence.

"Two tickets," the girl (Peach, read her name tag, funny enough) prompted when Squid reached the gate.

He lifted his hand and showed her his wristband, which signified unlimited tickets. She twisted it around to check it had the correct date.

"My, my… what do you plan on doing with all of those unlimited rides?"

Was she flirting? Squid had a hard time telling, especially with her rich Texas drawl. Even before Camp Green Lake, girls completely baffled him.

"Maybe I'll come back for another ride," he suggested cautiously, quiet enough for his friends to not hear.

She dropped her hand, letting her fingertips drag down his forearm. "That's a damn good idea," she whispered. "I'll be off around six."

After a meal and several more rides, Squid had realized the perfect escape route. It was an easy plan to execute. Faking an upset stomach wasn't difficult. Considering the food options, it wasn't unheard of.

He waved his friends away, humbly exclaiming that they shouldn't worry about him. When they were out of sight, he made a beeline for the Twister.

She had changed clothes since he had seen her last, and Squid almost didn't recognize her. Instead of the red polo and khakis, she wore a ratty, oversized t-shirt and denim cutoffs. Her hair was now down and spilled messily across her shoulders. Compared to Squid, she was tiny coming up just at his shoulders.

"Hey." She greeted him with a radiant smile.

"I had to fake sick to get away from my friends," Squid told her. "Bad onion rings."

"Very believable." She stuck out her hand suddenly. "I'm Peach."

"I'm Squid."

She cocked her head and stared up at him, as if she didn't believe him. "Nice to meet you, Squid. Wanna ride a Ferris Wheel?"

The pair started walking while they decided on what they wanted to do first. Peach had been stuck as an attendant since the fair opened at eleven, and was eager to do something other than stand at a gate.

"Hold on, Squid," she said when they neared a food booth. "I'm gonna get cotton candy. You want a coke or anything?"

"Naw," he said, shaking his head. "I'm fine." He knew it was supposed to be common curtesy for a man to pay for his date, but her wallet was already in her hand, and he had nothing to offer.

"Suit yourself."

Squid couldn't help but watch her as she walked to the booth. Her cutoffs were just long enough to cover her entire rear, but as she stretched her long legs so she could prop her arms on the counter, the smallest bit of curve peeked out at him.

He followed her to the counter while the man in the booth whisked away to get her cotton candy.

"You know your ass is hanging out a little?"

She laughed and shot him a mischievous look over her shoulder. Her eyes twinkled as she shook her butt just enough to force a little more bulge out.

Squid found himself laughing as she scrunched her face up and squirmed. "Yeah, goofy, you're gonna give yourself a wedgie," he said.

Peach retrieved her small cotton candy from the man at the booth and thanked him with an innocent smile.

The pair continued down the path, Squid's hand politely on the small of her back as they navigated through the crowd. She didn't seem to mind, her body drifting closer to his side as they wandered further.

"Want some?" she said after several minutes of silence, offering up the paper cone with a dwindling supply of pink fuzz.

Squid pinched off a small piece and caught it on his tongue. He realized that it had been years since he'd last had cotton candy; he had forgotten how much he liked it.

Peach giggled at the face he made and held up the cotton candy. "You can have more if you want."

As they finished off the last of the snack, Peach pointed ahead to the Ferris Wheel.

"Let's go on that," she said. "Nice and cliché and cute."

The line for this ride was only a few people longer than the Twister had been earlier, and it took no time for them to climb into one of the little carriages.

Squid tried to be a gentleman and leave a small gap between the two of them, but Peach scooted right up against him, pressing her knee into his thigh. Encouraged by this, he draped his arm around her shoulders and pulled her upper body closer.

"Tell me about yourself Squid," Peach said, smiling up at him.

Squid hesitated, unsure of what to say. Should he tell her that he's a juvenile delinquent? That he beat up a police officer? Or that he grew up with an alcoholic mother?

Peach recognized his discomfort immediately and placed a hand on his thigh. "It's okay. I can talk first." She left her hand there and her thumb began rubbing back and forth across his jeans.

"Boring stuff first: I'm a college freshman, chemistry major, biology minor. I did stock show since I was a kid until I graduated, and I barrel race."

"That explains a lot," Squid said, pinching her thigh muscles with his free hand. "The racing did a lot good for your legs."

She stretched out her legs in front of her, her toes brushing against the front panel of the carriage. "They were better when I was in cross country."

"I think they look nice as hell. Anyway, continue."

"Not much else to tell. I like Patrick Swayze movies and science fiction novels. I'm boring."

"Naw, you ain't," Squid said. "I liked barrel racing when I was a kid. My neighbor had this cousin out in the country, and he'd take me out and they taught me how to ride horses and stuff."

"Do you still ride any?"

Squid shook his head. He felt his hand start to sweat a little and removed it from Peach's leg. The time for him to come clean about his time at Camp Green Lake drew closer by the second.

"I haven't in years," he said. "I wish I could, but too much has happened in the last few years."

"Like what?"

He could feel her eyes on his face, searching for an answer in his expression. She slipped her hand across his lap and laced her fingers between his. For a second, he considered pull his hand away. It was strange to him how comfortable she was with physical affection when she didn't even know him. But as he began to shift his grip, a weight fell into the pit of his stomach and he realized just how much he liked holding her hand.

"I feel like you wouldn't like me much if I told you," he said finally.

"So then kiss me before I decide I hate you," she said. Prying her fingers away, she slid her hand up his arm and came to a rest on his chest.

He couldn't stop himself. As scared as he was of telling her the truth, he really did want to kiss her. His hands in her hair, he leaned down and kissed her.

And then Camp Green Lake was gone, driven from his mind with the intimacy of the moment. Months of bitterness and exhaustion vanished as the barrel racer named Peach kissed him senseless on the Ferris Wheel. Nothing mattered more than the sweetness of cotton candy on her tongue, or the sunflower perfume that clung to her shirt, or her fingertips tickling down his abdomen…

But almost immediately, guilt settled in his chest. She didn't know him, or what he had done. He pulled away while he still had a clear head.

"Peach," he murmured, his thumbs brushing over her cheekbones.

She followed his face, landing a sweet peck on his lips. "Hmm?"

"Peach, I'm a delinquent," he said in-between kisses. "I was committed to a juvenile detention facility."

That didn't stop her. She kept coming for more and after playfully biting Squid's bottom lip, she said, "When I was in high school, I slashed the tires on my principal's truck and put chickens in his office."

"What did he do?"

"He sexually assaulted my best friend. She told the police, and they didn't do anything."

"What did they do to you?"

"Nothin'. They never knew it was me. They tried to pin it on Kayla, but they had put her in ISS for 'lying'. No way she coulda done it." Peach shook her head, dark hair making a mess on her shoulders. "What did you do?"

"I assaulted a police officer," he told her. It seemed so dumb now. He rubbed the back of his neck as he flushed dark red. "My mom and me… we'd been fighting. I ran out, I was so pissed, and I was out with my friends past dark. The cop showed up, thinking we were drinking. He took my coke bottle and I just lost it."

Peach's face was unreadable for a moment. "Well, you could've done worse."

Squid gaped at her, completely bewildered. With the exception of group D at Camp, no one had ever taken his admission so casually.

Seeing his face, she shook her head. "I'm not gonna judge you for your past, Squid. We all do messed up shit. Especially when we've been hurt. I've done stuff. You've done stuff. And I still like you."

He kissed her again.

After the Ferris Wheel, they moved onto the next ride. Their bracelets inspected, they slid into the last row on the pirate ship, holding hands.

Peach tilted her head back on the headrest, enjoying the breeze that blew her hair back and forth. She smiled and told him that when she was a kid she would swing until she was as high as the pole. Once winter morning, she jumped from the swing, flew for three seconds, and promptly felt onto a patch of ice and broke her arm.

He kissed her again.

While Peach played (and won) at the ring toss, Squid spotted Hector. He made eye contact with the boy from across the fair ground. Hector gave him a questioning look. Squid pointed at Peach, and then put his finger to his lips. Hector understood, and nodded before drawing the other boys' attention to something in the opposite direction.

Peach turned to him with the most ridiculous thing on her head. She'd picked out a vibrant, orange squid hat as her prize. He laughed so hard that people started to stare, but he didn't care. They didn't get why it was funny, they could piss off.

Pushing the tentacles away from her face, he kissed her again.

They wound up on the Ferris Wheel again, Peach curled against Squid's side, her legs across his lap and cheek on his chest. He told her about Camp Green Lake and the holes. He told her about the friends he had made there, and how Hector and Stanley completely dismantled the establishment.

He told her about how much he hated it there, and how he would rather have been in jail. He told her that even though he had his friends from group D, he still felt alone and couldn't tell anyone. He told her he had cried himself to sleep on nights when he missed home.

She stroked his hair and kissed his cheek.

They got straight back into line for the Ferris Wheel.

She talked about stock show. When she was younger, her whole life revolved around it. But in high school, she found that she was good at balancing formulas and decided she wanted to blow things up for a living. Four long years of her parents arguing about her college major led her to move out right after she graduated. The money she had won from showing paid for her tuition and an apartment.

He kissed her again. And again. And again. And again.

He kissed her until he heard someone clear their throat.

Pulling away, he realized that the ride had stopped and they were at the bottom. The attendant looked embarrassed and annoyed. Past him, a group of boys catcalled and whistled from the line.

After he helped Peach off of the ride, he realized that he knew the boys in line. The Tent D boys got out of line and met the couple outside the gate.

"We've been looking for you, man," Rex said, a grin on his face. "Should've just told us you had a date. Why're you keeping secrets from us?"

"He probably thought we'd try to follow him," Ricky said.

"Would you have?" Squid asked, raising an eyebrow. He was relieved that, for the most part, his friends didn't seem angry with him.

"Definitely," Theodore said. The boys howled with laughter. Even Peach cracked a shy smile.

"So, what's your name, girl?" Rex asked.

Squid knew Rex well. He could tell when he was trying to be rude, and when he was sincere. This was one of those moments where X was trying to be polite, but could have been taken the wrong way. Peach didn't seem deterred, however.

"Peach," she replied with a smile, shaking the hand he extended towards her.

One by one, the boys introduced themselves. Ricky took to her quickly, going straight into a dialogue about secret cameras the government set up everywhere.

"Okay, Rick," Rex said finally. "That's enough. We should leave them to their date."

Ricky looked a little disappointed, but Peach patted his arm fondly.

"It's okay, Ricky," she said. "Maybe another time."

Squid didn't realize he was staring at their retreating figures until Peach slid her arms around his waist. He glanced down her. She was smiling up at him, but he couldn't tell why.

"Sorry," he said, leaning down to kiss her forehead. "My friends are a little weird."

"I like them," she replied. "Maybe I should introduce my friend Lisa to Ricky. She really likes all that conspiracy theory stuff. They might get along well."

Squid held her face between his palms and kissed her slowly, the way one might kiss the love of their life.

"What was that about?" she asked when he pulled away.

"You keep on surprising me, Peach," Squid told her.

It was the truth. He couldn't understand how she could accept his past without a second thought. In the few months he had been searching for a job, everyone had been so quick to judge him… But Peach didn't even care.

"Is that good or bad?"

"Good. Better than good. It's amazing."

"You deserve it, Squid."

He kissed her again.

They went on the Ferris Wheel.

Hey there! Thanks for reading my new story. It's crazy to me how long this story ended up being! I was going for one chapter at about 4,000 words, but it ended up over 9,000, so I've split it into three separate chapters. Please review - I would really like to know what you think of Peach!