Carnival Love

By Romanian Bookworm

I know I should be working on my other stories for NLOCK but I just couldn't resist. I've had this story in my head since I saw the promo for the season finale of NLOCK. Enjoy and let me know what you think! I'm sorry I haven't uloaded recently but I will as soon as possible. Enjoy!

Chloe POV

"That geometry quiz was horrible! Why anyone likes geometry is beyond me." I exclaim, settling back into my chair at the café next to my work. I take a sip of my coffee and look over the table at Amy and Paul.

Amy laughs. "Come on Chloe, it wasn't that bad!"

"Yea, I thought it was pretty easy," Paul agrees.

"Maybe for math geniuses like you two but for people who hate math like me, we have trouble." I explain. They nod in understanding and Amy is about to say something when Alek walks up with Jasmine in tow.

"What's all this rubbish about math?" Alek asks, sitting down next to me and taking a big bite from my chocolate chip muffin. Jasmine takes a seat next to Amy across from Alek.

"Hey!" I exclaim. "That's mine!" He smirks at me, taking another bite. Shaking my head I explain, "We were talking about the pop quiz Mr. Lain gave us in geometry."

"You're not a big fan of geometry are you Chloe?" Jasmine asks me.

Shaking my head I tell her, "No. I hate math in general, not just geometry." She laughs at me.

"Do you want some tutoring Chloe? I'm pretty good at geometry," Alek comments.

I consider his proposition and agree. "Thanks Alek! That would be great. My mom will especially be happy. Maybe now she won't think of you as just bed boy anymore." I joke. I laugh at the expression on Alek's face.

"Bed boy?" Amy asks amused.

"I'll tell you later," I promise.

"Anyway, have you guys heard there's a carnival in town for the weekend?" Jasmine asks.

We all shake our heads at her and she continues to tell us, "Well there is and Zane and I are going tonight. Do you guys want to come?" She asks hopefully.

I smile at her, knowing she's nervous about going on a date alone with Zane and agree, saying, "I would love to go! What do you think Alek? You can win me a prize."

Alek looks thoughtful for a minute before agreeing. "Anything to ensure you don't get in any more trouble," He explains. As an afterthought he adds, "Plus I plan on beating Paul at every game and winning you that prize."

Paul looks indignant at this and tell him, "Oh yea? Well you got yourself a challenge. Wanna go and see you're boyfriend win and beat a British guy?" He asks Amy.

She laughs and says, "Sure! Sound like fun!"

After agreeing to meet at the fair ground at 6, Amy and Paul leave to go study together, Jasmine leaves to see Zane and I start walking home with Alek.

For once, we have a normal conversation with the occasional banter mixed in. Alek seems to be trying more and more to win my affections and I have to admit its working. Sure he's gorgeous, I've always thought so, but now I'm beginning realize just how sweet he can be. Last week he volunteered to help me at work when Lana wasn't around and carried my books home for me. And just this morning while walking to school, he surprised me by handing me a hot cup of coffee, just the way I like it.

"Chloe?"

My thoughts are interrupted by a hand waving in front of my face. I notice we're standing outside my house now. I follow the arm belonging to the hand upward to Alek's face. I look into his twinkling eyes and can't help but smile at how happy and content he looks.

"Oh sorry!" I apologize. "I was just thinking."

The smile leaves his face. "About you're human?"

I shake my head. "No Alek, I wasn't thinking about Brian. I was thinking about…" I trail off, not knowing whether or not to admit I was thinking about him.

"About?" He persists.

"Its not important. So should I meet you at the fair ground or are you going to pick me up?" I ask, changing the subject.

Thankfully for me, he takes the bait. "I'll pick you up at…5:30?" He asks. "That way we'll have enough time to walk there at a comfortable rate. And when I mean comfortable, I mean not at Mai speed."

Laughing I agree and walk up to my front door, giving him a small wave before walking inside.

Remembering that my mom won't be home for another day or so because of her business trip, I walk up stairs to my room. 'I should have enough time to finish the majority of my homework for this weekend, whip up some Mac and Cheese for a quick dinner and get ready for my date with Alek.' I pause on my way up the stairs. 'Are we really going on a date?' I wonder. I think for a minute before deciding, 'Yes, this is most definitely a date. I just hope he considers it one too.'

Alek POV

Walking into the front door of the apartment I share with Valentina and Jasmine, I hear Jasmine frantically calling my name from her room.

"ALEK! I desperately need your help!" She yells.

Running towards her room, a hundred different scenarios are running through my mind.

'Is Chloe ok? Was she hurt between the time I dropped her off at home and I got home? Maybe she was and Jasmine need my help patching her up.' Whatever it was I was ready to help Chloe in anyway possible, but when I entered Jasmine's room I received a massive shock.

Jasmine's once neat and orderly room was covered in clothes. There were clothes on the bed, the floor, and the dresser, even the lamp. "Jasmine?" I call out hesitantly.

Hearing my voice, Jasmine runs out of the closet holding several articles of clothing. "Oh good, you're here. I need you're help." She holds up two outfits and asks, "Which one?"

To say I was dumbfounded would be an understatement. Here I was, standing in front of the usual calm and cool Jasmine who is now in the process of freaking out over what outfit to wear. "Jasmine, are you ok?" I ask.

She looks at me like I have two heads and replies, "Of course I'm ok, why wouldn't I be?"

"Its just, I've never seen you like this before." I tell her.

"Look Alek, I'm becoming more comfortable in my skin and actually feeling normal for once in my life. And its all thanks to Chloe," She explains.

"Jasmine, you are NOT normal, you're MAI." I point out to her but she doesn't seem to hear me.

"Are you going to help me or not Alek?" She asks. I can tell she's starting to get annoyed.

"Alright, alright I'll help." I say. I pull out my phone and start dialing a number that has become familiar to me over the past few weeks. "What are you doing? You're supposed to be helping me!" Jasmine reprimands me.

"I am helping you, I'm calling Chloe. She'll know how to solve this ah…situation of yours correctly." I explain. Jasmine looks relieved. "Oh, Thanks."

Dialing the number, I wait for Chloe to pick up. After the first two rings I hear her answer. "Hello?"

"Hey Chloe, it me. Jasmine needs help on picking out an outfit for tonight and needs your help. Can you come over? I really don't want to have to give fashion advice and Jasmine wasn't smart enough to ask you herself." I explain, dodging the pillow Jasmine throws at my head. I stick my tongue out at her.

"Yea I would love to! I'll be right over." Chloe says.

"Alright, see you in a few." I reply. "She's on her way," I tell Jasmine, hanging up. She breathes a sigh of relief and mumbles, "Thank you Bastet."

I laugh and leave the room, heading to the couch to watch a basketball game.

Five minutes later, the doorbell rings. Grateful it's a commercial I get up to answer the door, revealing Chloe.

"Hey Chloe. Jasmine's in her room."

"Thanks!" She smiles and walks towards the direction I pointed.

Chloe POV

Walking into Jasmine's room, I expected to see a neat and orderly room, anything but what I saw. It was a mess! And right in the middle of it all stood Jasmine, with a very confused look on her face, looking around at the clothes strewn about the room.

"Need help?" I ask amused.

She gives a little laugh and nods her head.

"I don't know why I'm so nervous. I mean it's not the first time I've hung out with him and we won't be alone so why does my stomach have so many butterflies in it?" She wonders.

I laugh and ask, "Its because you really like him, don't you?"

She sheepishly nods her head. "So…can you help me?" She asks.

"Of course," I reply.

Over the course of an hour, together we manage to find the perfect outfit for Jasmine to wear and surprisingly, one for me as well. Jasmine's outfit is a cute beaded white tank top with an orange cardigan. The jeans are simple light colored jeans that hug her in all the right places. We top it off with a brown cross-body purse and brown flats. My outfit consists of dark wash jeans, a navy blue and purple floral tank top and a matching navy blue cardigan. I top it off with a couple of necklaces, a black cross-body bag and black flats.

By the time we were finished, it was already 4:30 and since my outfit was already picked out, I decided to accept Jasmine's early dinner invitation and stay at the apartment until it was time to leave. I was searching through the kitchen cupboards looking for something decent to make when Alek snuck up behind me and whispered, "Boo!" in my ear. I was so surprised I ended up banging my head against the cabinet door. "Ouch," I mumbled.

"Oh shit Chloe! I'm so sorry!" He apologizes. He picks me up and places me on the kitchen counter. Holding my throbbing head, I watch as he takes an ice pack from the freezer, wraps it up in a towel and gently presses it to the small lump that is starting to form on the right side of my head. I take the time to admire what Alek is wearing; a deep brown v-neck t-shirt, a pair of jeans that hug him in all the right places and a pair of black converse. I hiss when the coldness touches my scalp, breaking my concentration, but I'm instantly relieved of pain, and not just from the ice pack. Looking into Alek's eyes as he presses the ice pack to my head again, I see a gentleness I've never seen before.

He's clearly worried about me but also beating himself up for causing the pain in the first place. I take his hand that isn't holding the ice pack and give it a gentle squeeze. "Alek, I'm ok. It's just a little bump. All I need is some Tylenol and I'll be as good as new."

"I know Chloe, I just hate seeing you in pain. Especially when I cause it." He explains. "You know I would never do anything to hurt you right?" He asks.

"I know," I tell him gently. I reach my hand up and lightly caress his face. He turns his face into the palm of my hand, nuzzling it. I giggle making him smile. We look into each other's eyes and I don't know whether he moved or I did or we both did, but pretty soon the space between our faces grows smaller. Just as we're about to kiss, we hear footsteps coming towards the kitchen. We instantly jump apart, Alek going back to the basketball game on T.V and me staying on the counter, nursing my head.

Alek POV

'Blast it all I was so close! And Jasmine just had to go and ruin it!' I think bitterly.

I can faintly hear over the T.V Jasmine and Chloe talking in the kitchen, discussing dinner. Together, the two of them start cooking and I go back to my game. Twenty minutes later dinner is ready so I turn off the T.V, stand up and walk to the dinner table. Looking at the delicious meal laid out, my stomach instantly grumbles and my mouth waters.

Laughing, Chloe urges me to sit down. Not wanting to disappoint her, I grab the seat next to her and start piling the vegetable lasagna onto my plate. Out of the corner of my eye, I notice Chloe staring at me in shock. I look over with my mouth full and mumble, "What?"

"I just never seen someone eat like you. Its like someone's going to steal all you're food so you shove it all down you're throat so you don't have to share." She exclaims.

I smile and agree, "Yep!"

Jasmine rolls her eyes at me and Chloe laughs. We make small talk over dinner, me commenting when my mouth isn't full. By the time we finish, the table is cleared and all the dishes are in the dishwasher, it already 5:20. I look at Chloe and Jasmine and ask, "Do you want to start heading over now? Its already 5:20." They both agree and head to Jasmine's room to change. Ten minutes later we're leaving the apartment, making sure it's locked behind us. We take the elevator down to the lobby and start walking to the fair. We arrive there with ten minutes to spare, seeing as we're closer to the fair grounds from the apartment building than from Chloe's house. Once Amy, Paul and Zane arrive, we all start walking through the park, waiting to see what catches our eye.

Chloe POV

"Ooohhh look! A photo booth!" Amy squeals. "Let's take some pictures. Please?" She begs.

"Alright," I agree, not wanting a dramatic Amy moment in the middle of the carnival.

Squealing again, Amy pushes me into the photo booth. I sit down and wait for Alek to place the money into the machine to start taking our pictures. Once that's done, Amy shoves him onto the seat next to him and the camera starts flashing.

I know it's a little short but what do you think so far? This will probably be a two-shot or something short. I promise I will get back to my other Chalek story just as soon as I finish all my summer projects for school. Thankfully there is only one left so if I'm not dead from the hurricane that's going to hit the East Coast Sunday night, I'll hopefully update by Monday. I might upload Sunday, depending on how scared I am for my life ;) You know what to do…Review!

Please and Thank You!

Romanian Bookworm