They'd stuck him on the waltzers.
It must have been the Jones' idea of payback for the hook a duck incident. How was he supposed to know he couldn't give out extra prizes to pretty girls?
Now he was left the darkness, where the only pleasure was sadistically pushing the cars around really fast.
He eyed Fangs sourly, he'd been given his favourite stall between the burger stand and Sizzler. Not the he would begrudge his best friend the opportunity, but he was not as good a salesman. There was something about Sweet Pea's intimidating stature that made any guy who turned up at his shooting stall want to go out of their way to shoot all the targets with those crooked rifles and win big.
He'd managed to make the fair a lot of money. They should be grateful.
Fangs spotted him and cheerful flipped him off.
"Fuck you" He mouthed, knowing that Fangs could read lips.
The response was a shit eating grin, nothing more, nothing less.
Sweet Pea slunk back into the darkness, awaiting his next victims. It had been a slow day.
The Serpent's Nest, a fair that arrived to much uproar to the Southside of Riverdale twice a year. To the owners, any publicity was good publicity.
The father and son team, F.P. Jones 2 and 3 ran a tight operation, only recruiting from the Serpents up and down the country. A legitimate business for a regular modest income, better than petty theft and drug dealing.
Little Jones had a girl in town, Betty something. He disappeared for most of the time to a house on the Northside and tried to pretend he was a regular 25 year old, but everyone knew he wasn't.
Topaz and Blossom ran the side shows, a formidable team that no-one wanted to cross. It was said that there was a guy after Topaz one night and Blossom bit his ear off. It could just be a rumour of course, but he didn't want to find out from first hand experience if Blossom was capable of something like that.
Tallboy ran the thrill rides, the ones that had you upside down or hanging 90 degrees.
Sweet Pea liked to stay on the ground, and not be spun around at ridiculous speeds. He liked the target stalls that required precision accuracy. He'd worked on Topaz for months to get that gig, then he fucked up and he was demoted to spinning people.
The next day was grey and miserable, at least he was under cover when it started pissing it down. It was that cold needle like rain, which almost made him feel sorry for Fangs under that pathetic tarpaulin and no surrounding sides.
Almost.
Out of that rain came a flash of blonde like lightening, a woman in a long green coat with her hood up, the fur damp from the down pour, holding hands with a little girl. They looked up at the waltzers, the woman leaning down slightly to whisper into the girls ear.
The girl giggled and pulled the woman toward the ride. Up close he could finally see her face, and her pale green eyes as she lowered her hood down.
Her eyes made him heart beat faster. They were full of pain, yet so determined.
"How much is it?"
"A dollar a go. One dollar Wednesday." he said with a grin, indicating to the flyer in her hand.
"So it is.' She replied with a smirk "Two please"
As they were the only two people who had shown interest, he personally escorted them to one of the cars and pulled up the barrier to let them sit down. The little girl looked about eight, not that he was any good with ages. She would be ok, not sure about her mother? though.
"You're lucky I love you" She whispered loudly to the little girl, so she could be heard over the music.
"Don't you like the Waltzers Mummy? came the innocent reply that Sweet Pea judged was sarcastic.
"Mummy dislikes the Waltzers very much"
Sweet Pea glanced at the woman and suddenly felt extremely guilty about having to do his job.
Two minutes later, he pulled back to the barrier for the pair and helped the woman in the green coat out of the car. She looked very pale and leant against is arm, forcing him to hold her up straight. He hood was down, her blonde ponytail as limp and bedraggled as she was.
He lowered her to the steps and sat her down on the metal to watch the rain. She lowered her head to her knees for a second, then looked up at him with sad eyes
"Sorry, never have been too good on these things."
"That's ok. Never have been a fan either" He confided.
"Isn't it a bit strange that you work on this ride?"
"I don't go on it. I just like the pushing part."
She laughed as the remark, lips curving upwards, looking a lot better than she had a few minutes ago.
His heart twitched.
He watched her sway away, pulled away by her little girl towards the candy floss and sugar related happiness. The next riders appeared in his vision and he had to look away, he had a job to do after all.
Three days later, he blinked in the bright sunlight, internally cursing Fangs for the night before and his colossal headache.
He spotted her again, this time with no child, but he was sure that it was her.
There was no big coat this time and he could make out her form in the skinny jeans, t-shirt and converse, enveloped in black leather jacket.
She walked straight up to him and grinned.
"One please"
"You appear to be alone today" He said smoothly, trying to not make out how much he'd noticed a few days before and obviously failing miserably as she smiled in response.
"I am here to conquer the Waltzers. They will not defeat me!" she said dramatically
Sweet Pea took her money, happy to oblige. He directed her to a car and pulled the barrier down.
"Are you sure about this?"
"Are you worried about me?"
"I just don't want to have to clean the car after you throw up."
She glared at the response and sat back in silence as she waited for the ride to start.
"Whats your name? She asked him
He frowned, not something you usually get asked at a fair
"It's so I know who's name to curse when I get off this thing"
He smiled
"Not cursing me lady."
"It's Lyra"
"Not cursing me, Lyra."
He liked how her name rolled off his tongue.
"Now you know my name, I would consider it impolite if you didn't tell me yours."
"Sweet Pea"
"Well then, Sweet Pea, don't go easy on me. I have a new technique today"
He let some other people on the ride, but only concentrated on her, intrigued as to what this technique was.
The music started and he walked the boards, pushing the cars in turn; finally getting to Lyra's, he stopped and waited. She had her eyes closed, head back again the car, hands gently resting one the barrier.
She looked peaceful.
How can you look peaceful on a fairground ride?
He grabbed her car and gave it a sharp spin, watching as it shot off into the distance.
Two minutes later, the ride stopped and he let her out of the car. Wary of what would happen next.
She literally floated off the ride.
"Did it work?" Surprise evident in his voice
"Perfectly" She bestowed him with a beaming, but self satisfied grin.
"I am not getting cursed today then"
"Not today, Sweet Pea"
She walked down the steps and into the crowd. He looked out for her beyond the queue, but she had disappeared.
As he was closing up that night, securing the cars, Sweet Pea looked up to find Fangs in his face, expression demanding an explanation.
"What?"
"I have never see you escort anyone on and off the ride before"
"I thought she might throw up"
"Looked like something else from where I was standing."
"Everything looks like something else to you Fangs, you have a one track mind"
"Has it steered me wrong before?
Sweet Pea pulled a face
"Broccoli"
"Ok, don't answer that"
Everyone knew the story behind the broccoli incident. It had turned into a Serpent urban legend.
"What are you going to do if she comes back?"
"Her name is Lyra and I'll probably never see her again"
"Did she ask your name?"
"Yes"
"She'll be back"
Fangs must have superpowers. The next day she was waiting in the queue.
"One please"
"Back to conquer the waltzers?"
"Just wanted to check that yesterday wasn't a fluke."
He helped her onto the ride, she took his hand, her delicate hand in his own. It felt unreal.
As he took pleasure in spinning the cars, he watched her looking peaceful, getting close to her as he spun her car with the same force as all the others, but staying with the car longer than he should.
The ride stopped, he bent over to release the barrier.
"How was it this time? Did it work?"
"Today's experiment was inconclusive. I'll have to come back tomorrow" she said quietly
Was she flirting with him?
"Maybe I need another test subject" she pondered out loud
His mouth opened and words came out before he could stop them.
"Come back at 9.00 tonight and I can help you"
"I thought you hated the waltzers"
"How could I not help in a ground breaking experiment like this." His voice pseudo serious.
"You're a great man Sweet Pea. Sacrificing yourself for science." Her hand placed over her heart, grin threatening to escape past her mirrored expression.
He couldn't help that he found her intriguing, a mystery. He liked her determination. It could be a big mistake.
She smiled and kissed him on the cheek before leaving the ride and once again disappearing into the crowd.
Sweet Pea sauntered to the ticket booth feel slightly nauseous, but pleased with himself. Looking out over the crowd for new riders, he spotted Fangs marching up the steps. His best friends' Spidey senses must have been tingling or he had been watching and waiting for the conversation to end.
"I need you to run the ride tonight" Sweet Pea demanded, when Fangs was lounging against the booth next to him.
"Why?"
"She's coming back for 9. I said I'd ride with her"
"You did what?" Fangs voice was a little too loud "I know you usually have limited self -preservation skills, but you really hate that ride. Are you willing to sacrifice your dignity for a pretty face?"
Sweet Pea rolled his eyes at the response and ignoring Fangs's rightful reservations, grabbed his jacket out of the ticket booth.
"If you're sure, I'll do it." Fang's voice dubious, but seeing the determination on his friend's face, he pulled an evil smirk "You want me to spin you really fast?"
Sweet Pea growled at his best friend who backed away quickly.
At 9.00 that night, Sweet Pea found himself in a Waltzer car next to Lyra with a barrier over his legs and Fangs grinning sadistically over him.
"How does this work?" He asked the blonde who sat calmly next to him
"Lean back and close your eyes. When you feel the car spin, hold in your core and follow the spin in your mind"
"Sounds a lot like yoga to me."
Fangs was a fan of yoga, but not him, it was too slow. His face went pale and she took his hand and squeezed it then letting go.
"Thank you for doing this" she smiled gently.
"I hope your little girl appreciates it."
"She will. I will own this ride"
Her determination made his grin, then his heart sank a little, they were moving on tomorrow.
Would she remember him?
Suddenly they started moving, he could see the shape of Fangs in the distance, coming closer, way too fast. He knew the spinning bit was coming. He gripped onto the bar.
"Close your eyes and lean back" Lyra mouthed.
He resigned himself to the darkness, then felt her hand take his own. It was over in minutes.
Fangs grinned as he undid the barrier.
"You gonna blow chunks Pea? Should I get out the way?"
He swatted at Fangs who leapt backwards out of reach. Sweet Pea put his hand on the edge of the car and climbed out.
The world stayed still.
"Are you ok?" She asked, forehead furrowed with concern.
"Surprisingly, yes"
"Thank you for conquering the waltzers with me"
"Any time" he pulled his best wolfish grin
He held out his hand and she took it, walking down the steps and into the fair, which was graveyard quiet.
"Thank you" she smiled, eyes flashing with adrenaline from the ride.
In that split second he made a decision and ran his fingers down the side of her jaw, tilting her face towards his. She didn't back away, so he kissed her.
Lyra wrapped her hands around his waist. An indication that she didn't seem to mind.
The feeling of her lips on his, tiny little shocks.
They broke apart, grinning.
"I have to go."
"See you when I'm next in town?"
"Most definitely"
She kissed him on the cheek and waved good bye. He watched her walk over the hill and out of sight.
"I'll shut the ride then" he heard Fangs yell in his direction.
"You're the best" Sweet Pea yelled back, but inside it hurt.
He knew Fangs had flipped him the finger, but chose to ignore it.
6 months.
He would be back in 6 months.
6 months later
This time he had demanded to be on the waltzers. He'd yelled at the Jones' when they put him back on the rifle range between the Sizzler and the burger van.
The rest of the Serpents looked at him like he'd gone crazy.
Fangs patted his best friends shoulder and left it at that. Knowing full well why he was so belligerent about wanting to be in the dark.
It was raining on the second day when he spotted the green coat with the furry hood. She was holding hands with a little girl and they were making their way to the crowd to the ride.
She pulled down her hood once she was out of the rain.
"Two please" she said with a grin
"I thought you didn't like the waltzers, Mummy."
"You must be mistaken, Mummy likes the waltzers very much."
She smirked at Sweet Pea as he walked them over to one of the cars. Pushing the barrier down, he bent close to her ear
"I finish at 9"
9.00 rolled around and there she was in the middle of the field looking up at him, hood down, smiling.
There were still a few people scattered around, but they were mostly heading for home.
He sauntered down the steps, taking his time.
"I didn't think I would see you again." She stepped closer, letting him put his arms around her. "Did you impress your little girl?"
"She was very proud"
Sweet Pea suddenly felt eyes on him, he knew Fangs was there, but glancing left he could see Topaz and Blossom hiding behind a tent. It was starting to get crowded.
He took a deep breath
"Do you want to get out of here?"
"Lets find a bar." She smiled "I'm pretty sure I owe you a drink"
"I know just the place"
He slung his arm over her shoulders and guided her out of the fair, away from all the nosy fuckers who were supposed to be his family.
They could tease him about it in the morning.