The Winter Solstice Festival was one Riku looked forward to every year. The Winter Carnival came into town, and the wind smelled like popcorn and funnel cake for a solid week. The town always strung white lights everywhere, creating a bokeh of magic and wonderment, ever since he was a child.
Every year his parents would give him some money, and he would bundle up in a puffy blue jacket, and he'd pick up Kairi from next door, then they'd walk the two blocks to Sora's house, and the three of them would stay at the festival until they got sick with colds. It was a tradition that, even into their teen years, they upheld with such a childlike glee.
But this year was different. Sora and Kairi had started dating at some point since the Halloween party a few months back, and while Riku loved his friends dearly, he knew he would be a third wheel. Sora, however, had begged and begged him to come, so there he found himself, walking down the frosty sidewalk next to Sora and Kairi, who were pretty absorbed in themselves.
Riku debated turning back and going home, but his parents were out of town for a party, and he really didn't feel like spending the evening alone, and also he was really craving some festival hot cocoa. He made a mental note to make more back-up friends. Or to get a dog.
Soon, the faire music began to echo around them, and the smell of caramel and deep fryer grease tickled his nose, and his mouth began to water. The chatter and clamor of a crowd rose over the music, and Riku felt his spirits lift instantly.
The three crossed behind a row of shop tents, then cut through behind one of the vendors and entered into a completely different world. "Let's ride all the rides!" Sora cheered, reverting back to his childhood, pointing at all the rickety rides that had been hastily assembled a few days before.
Riku felt his head swirl with excitement, and he looked over at Sora, "So, which one should we ride first?"
"I'm not ready to ride yet." Kairi said, "I want some popcorn first." And Sora shrugged, so Riku sighed and followed them to a concessions stand. And then to a ring toss game. Then a catch-your-own-goldfish tent. Then a darts game, another concessions stand for cotton candy, a basketball shoot-out game, and a strength tester.
By the time Kairi was done dominating the game stands, Sora was buried under stuffed animals and other prizes. And it was starting to get late, and cold. And Riku was getting irritated. "I'm going to take a break and sit down." The girl decided, "You boys go have fun!" Kairi nestled down at a picnic table with all of her winnings and smiled, releasing Sora from his servitude.
And they immediately raced over to the "Ring of Fire" - the infamous coaster track loop ride that broke down every year with out fail. The line wasn't terribly long. Riku figured most people with kids were starting to leave now that it was passed 8, and it was getting colder. Sora went over the rides itinerary he had just come up with while they waited - First this, then they would hit up the Scrambler, and the Tea-cups, where Sora would spin them until he puked, then the Pirate Ship - and Sora was going to make him stand up when the ship reached its highest point - and then onto the Ali-Ba-Ba, through the House of Mirrors, and finally, the Ferris Wheel.
"Maybe if we ask them, they'll stop us at the top on the Ferris Wheel!" Sora wished as they were called up into the cart on the Ring of Fire. Their bench sat three, so the attendant called for single riders.
"But isn't Kairi scared of heights?" Riku asked, and Sora frowned.
"Single Riders! I need one Single Rider!" The usher shouted.
"Well, yeah. I guess she is. Maybe she'll sit that one out?" Sora asked, looking over at the silver haired boy. "She doesn't much like rides, anyway. And she seemed partied out. I'll ask her when we land."
"Single rider, right here!"
Riku sighed, ready for the ride to start. He really didn't want someone beside him, but he hoped it wasn't some large, sweaty guy.
"Right here, Miss." Riku looked up as the attendant sat the single rider, and nearly laughed from disbelief.
"Drea?" The redheaded girl from the halloween party stood beside him on the docking platform. She realized who she was paired up with and began to laugh as she sat next to him. "What are you doing here?" Riku asked as she strapped herself in.
"Oh you know me, just getting lost, as usual." She giggled as the ride began to lurch. "Oh my gosh, I'm scared!" She chirped, the lights from the ride dancing in her eyes, "I've never ridden this before. Doesn't it break every year?"
Riku laughed nervously. He had forgotten that temporarily. Yeah, it did break down every year... He looked over at Sora as the rollercoaster train began to click forward on the loop shaped track. The airbreak hydraulics groaned and sighed as they moved.
The ride clicked up to the top, ready to release them down the other half of the loop. "Hey, Riku." Drea grinned slyly. He looked over at her, his heart starting to race with adrenaline. From her sleeve, she produced a hefty looking bolt, then put a finger to her lips, and made a shush noise. His heart plummeted the same time the coaster did.
The cart shot around the ring several times, and he gripped his lapbar furiously, mentally chanting "Oh crap, oh crap, oh crap." Sora whooped beside him, throwing his arms in the air, and Drea laughed almost manically as the train kept looping and looping and looping. Four, five, six, seven times it completed the loop. And then, at the apex of the ring, the cart lurched to a violent stop.
Riku panicked slightly, but then he remembered: Oh yeah, the ride changes direction half way through it. So he took a second to collect his breath and wits, and prepped himself for the next half of the ride, when the hydraulic brakes sighed again.
There was the sound of creaking metal, like when the titanic sank, and all the lights on the ride turned red.
"What's going on?" A sudden fear raced through everyone on the ride, and the passengers exploded into a chatter. "Did we break?" "Are we the lucky ones?" "Oh god, I want off this ride now!" and even a cheer from some other teenager, "YES! FINALLY! I GOT THE BROKEN ONE!"
Riku looked over at Drea. "What did you do!?" He asked and she paled.
The redhead began to shake her head furiously, her ponytail dancing like flames, "No, no, no, it was a joke!" She held up the bolt again, "I bought this at Cid's hardware store! I was gonna prank who ever I sat next to!"
Below them, the ride attendant spoke through a megaphone, telling everyone to stay calm, repair staff was on the way.
Riku swallowed the lump in his throat, trying to ignore the blood rushing to his head as they sat upside down in their seats. Sora was hyperventilating. Riku felt his heartbeat in his ears, behind his eyes. He felt Drea reach over and take his hand.
He looked at the girl, her eyes were closed. He tightened his grip on her, and she opened a single eye and looked at him thankfully. And then the cart lurched, and she squeaked. Then, it began to move slowly, and brought them back to the station. The lap bars released them, and one by one, they quickly filed out of the ride and on to solid ground.
Kairi was waiting for them by the exit gate, looking like she was almost in tears. "Sora, Riku! Are you okay?!" She threw herself around Sora's neck, hugging him tightly. The poor boy looked green around the gills. Though, Riku figured, he didn't look much better.
"Yeah, Kairi, I'm okay." Sora gasped, looking like he was going to vomit. "But I think I'm ready to call it a night." He admitted, "How about you, Riku?"
Riku looked to Drea, who shrugged. "I was gonna stay a while." She murmured, then Riku decided that he was going to stay, too. Sora and Kairi seemed to understand, so they bade the two goodnight, gathered Kairi's loot, and set off for their homes.
It seemed like a good bit of the park had the same idea, too, because when Riku actually looked around, he noticed the crowds had thinned considerably. Drea slipped her hand into his, and smiled, bobbing her head towards the hot chocolate stand, and he decided that a cup of cocoa was a really good idea.
They walked around the fair for a while like that, just sipping their drinks and holding hands, and Riku just enjoyed soaking it all in. She bought them some nachos, and they sat together and munched on them, and talked about what ever came to mind.
Eventually, they found themselves in line for the Ferris wheel. She huddled close to him for warmth, her thin hoodie offering little protection from the frosty air that began to roll in. Riku offered her his coat, but she refused it, so he instead put his arm around her shoulders and pulled her close. He decided he liked this idea a lot better, and from the way she nestled against him, he figured she did too.
She smelled like roasted marshmallows, probably from a perfume. Her hair was soft against his neck, and it tickled him slightly as she shivered, and he thought this wasn't so bad. He could definitely get used to this feeling. He looked down at her hands, much smaller in comparison to his own, and he held them tightly.
Before he knew it, it was time for them to board their cart on the wheel, and he helped her step from the platform and into the carriage, her brown boots echoing off the metal flooring. She slid in the seat to give him room, and when he sat next to her, he found the booth smaller than he'd thought. Their legs and hips pressed against each other, and he blushed as the lap bar was lowered and locked into place.
She seemed oblivious that her skirt had hiked up on her leg as she sat, and to the fact that when she took his hand in hers, and let it rest on her leg, that his hand was against the top of her thigh. Drea sighed softly, dreamily, as the ferris wheel began to move. "I'm probably going to get grounded again when I get home." She said softly.
"Why's that?" Riku asked her, "Did you sneak out?" She laughed.
"Yeah." The girl admitted, "My foster brother is covering for me, but my foster parents will know."
"You're a foster kid?" Riku asked. She reached up with her free hand and brushed her hair from her face. She nodded softly, then shrugged.
"It's what ever. It happened years ago.." She looked away, almost reflexively. "I mean, I was like, 8."
Riku remembered Halloween, when they stopped at her old house, her brother's hand-print in the concrete. A rush of misplaced guilt and drowning pity engulfed him, and he leaned over and hugged her. She gasped in surprise, but didn't try to pull away.
She relaxed against him as their carriage reached the top. He wanted the wheel to stop, and for them to just stay up there forever. But his dreams were destined to never come true, as they began to descend. As they neared the bottom, she pulled away and smiled sadly at him, wiping her eyes.
"You know, Riku, this is the second time we've met, and already you're like my best friend." She admitted, then shifted so her back was against the seat, and she leaned on him. He readjusted and slung his arm over her shoulders, pulling her closer. The Ferris wheel started going back up.
From the top, they could see a large part of town. He watched Drea as she leaned on her elbows, resting against the lap bar. "It's like an ocean of stars." She sighed. The street lights glimmered in the darkness of the town, dancing and glistening like gemstones. "Isn't it beautiful?" She turned to him.
He began to tremble slightly, noticing how serene and perfect she looked, the red and gold faire lights bouncing off her hair. Above them, the stars glittered in the night sky. A smile crept across her pink lips.
Riku kissed her.
Soft, and tender, like she was glass and he could shatter her, he cradled her face as they came down to earth again. He broke away near the ground, and she buried her face in his neck, hiding a blush.
And when the ride stopped, and it was time for them to get off, he held her hand as they disembarked. They huddled together, soaking up each others happiness, and Riku felt like he was on cloud nine.
"Hey, Riku.." She said softly. He hummed a response, and she continued, "I should.. probably go. It's getting late." She toyed with his fingers in her hands, running her tips down his palms and feeling the grooves of his knuckles. He never wanted her to let go, but it was, indeed, starting to grow late, and he was pretty sure his ears and nose were numb. She seemed to choose her next words carefully, letting their hands fall to their sides together. "But, when I'm no longer grounded, let's.. do this again sometime, okay?"
He smirked softly. "Yeah, I'd like that."
She fidgeted as she stepped away, twisting her body back and forth slightly, cutely. He smiled and reached out, tucking her hair behind her ear. They stared at each other a moment longer, before Drea bit her lip and, with a small wave, turned away. He watched as she retreated, rounded some tents, and disappeared into the darkness.
He sighed.