Disclaimer : I only own Melissa. I wish Stephen Brill would trade me for one of the Ducks, but he's stopped answering my calls

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The Ducks could hear noises from the carnival and see the glow of the lights as they left their dorms. Julie, Connie and Melissa met the guys outside, and they all piled onto the bus, along with lots of other Eden Hall students. It was so full the girls all ended up on people's laps – Connie got pushed towards Guy, with neither of them complaining, Melissa made Dwayne's ears go red by depositing herself on his knee, and poor Julie ended up on Portman's lap and spent the whole ride slapping his hands away.

As soon as they left the bus people split up and headed off in groups. Julie and Goldberg grabbed Connie and Guy, Portman, Fulton and Luis headed for the nearest girls, Averman and Dwayne ran off whooping with Russ and Kenny following at a more sedate pace, and Linda pulled Charlie away. Melissa and Adam wandered around, soaking up the atmosphere.

"I love fairs," Melissa told him as they sat on a bench eating donuts. "All the people, and the rides, and the atmosphere...there's a huge fair in Nottingham every October, and I love it."

"I've been coming to this one since I was a little kid," Adam told her. "My dad used to bring me and Darren, he'd let us have $10 each to spend on rides." He smiled fondly at the memory. "We'd always buy cotton candy at the end and eat it walking home."

"Have you seen your dad recently?" she asked softly.

"We had a family meal on Wednesday, and he took me out for dinner last night. It was weird – we've never talked that much before."

"See?"

"Yeah, I know, you were right. But don't let it go to your head."

"Would I." She smiled angelically and he laughed.

"You don't fool me. But for such a daft kid, I must admit you're kinda wise."

"It's an English thing, dahhh-ling." She adopted an overly posh English accent, making him laugh.

"Mel! Banksy!" Dwayne and Averman were running towards them.

"Come on the Waltzers with us Mel." Dwayne grabbed her hands and pulled her to her feet.

"Am I not invited?" Adam pouted. Melissa just grabbed his hand and dragged him with her.

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"I can't see!" Melissa staggered sideways into Adam and he held her up. "My head's spinning!"

"That's kind of the idea," he teased gently.

"Again?" Averman asked, bouncing up and down energetically.

"Sure thing." Dwayne adjusted his cowboy hat. "Y'all coming?"

"No thanks Cowboy, I think we'd better sit this one out." He shrugged and the two disappeared into the crowd. Adam half-carried Melissa to a patch of grass and sat her down. She put her head between her knees until it cleared.

"Ugh." She straightened up and leant against Adam. "I feel so ill."

"And you thought I'D be sick?"

"Be quiet, cake eater. Come on." She got to her feet and pulled him to his. "I'm not going to sit in a corner feeling sorry for myself, and I'm NOT missing the fireworks." The fireworks display at 11 o'clock each night of the fair was a highlight. They started to walk again, passing Luis chatting up a girl and Ken throwing up.

"You want to ride the Ferris wheel?" he asked her. She looked at him, one eyebrow raised.

"Are you trying to be funny?"

"Oh. Right. Sorry!" They continued in silence for a few minutes. "How about that?" He pointed, and she looked round to see the 'Tunnel of Love' where small carts made their way around an inside track to cheesy music, with hearts shimmering on pink walls.

"I'm hoping you're joking. It looks so lame! I think you should have a go on that." There was a stall with a wooden cut-out of a hockey goalie. There were five holes in it, one between the legs, and one above and below each arm.

"Come and have a go at Shootout!" the stallholder was yelling. "Take five shots, score three and win a prize!"

"Go on Ads." She nudged him forward. He paid his $3 and took the stick. His first shot went between the goalie's legs. Melissa cheered. "Go on Adam!" she called in encouragement. He missed his next shot by an inch, but made the next three in quick succession. She gave him a congratulatory hug as the stallholder got him a prize.

"I thought you'd like this. For your girlfriend." He handed Adam a stuffed animal before turning to his next customer. It was a brown teddy bear, holding a red heart.

"Um – here." He handed it to Melissa.

"You don't have to give it to me because of what he said," she told him quietly.

"No, I want to," he replied, almost as softly. She smiled and took it.

"Thanks Ads." She linked arms with him. "Cotton candy?" They went to the nearest stall and got a bag to share. Their path took them back past the 'Tunnel of Love'. As they passed it Luis walked up and flashed Melissa a smile.

"Hey, Mel, fancy riding this with me?" He gestured towards the ride, giving her another trademark Mendoza grin. Adam snorted, expecting Melissa, after her earlier comments, to do the same. He certainly didn't anticipate her turning red with pleasure and shoving her bear and the cotton candy at Adam, before taking the hand Luis offered and jogging to the entrance to the ride.

Adam couldn't believe she'd just run off with him like that. She'd been with him, and she'd just left him. He felt a sudden wrench at his heart, and almost dropped the bear in surprise at feeling it. Why did he feel like that? She was just a friend after all; she owed him nothing, not her time or undivided attention.

This time he almost fell over at another wrench, and a flash of realisation. He didn't want her to be just a friend. He wanted her to owe him her time, her attention – her love.

He loved her.

He gulped as he said the words to himself. "I love her." He spoke aloud, surprised at how strong his voice was as he announced it clearly to the world. 'Now I've just got to tell her that,' he thought to himself with a sigh.

"Rose?" It was a woman speaking, one of several who were circling the fair, selling red roses for people to buy for their loved ones. Without thinking he bought one and turned his attention back to Melissa, almost bouncing on the spot with his nervous energy. He was going to tell her, as soon as she stepped off that ride he was going to walk up to her and hand her the rose and kiss her and tell her he loved her.

He checked his watch. 10:58. Perfect. He'd be able to tell her as the fireworks exploded around them, it'd be just like a scene from the movies as she told him she returned his feelings and they kissed. He could almost feel her lips on his as he waited.

There was a place where the carts emerged into the open for a few seconds before disappearing back inside. Adam watched the carts pass absentmindedly, one eye on the slow ticking of the second hand on his watch.

"Get a room," he muttered with impatience as one couple emerged into the cool night air, making out. He tore off a piece of cotton candy and popped it in his mouth, then choked on it as he realised the couple in question was Luis and Melissa.

He stared at them until they disappeared back inside, and even afterwards was frozen to the spot. He couldn't move his eyes away, his legs seemed to have turned to stone, and he was entirely numb. Finally he forced himself to turn away and, as fireworks exploded in the sky above him, sending cascades of blue, red and green sparks showering through the air, their light casting shadows over his face, he walked away, pausing only to drop the bear and the rose in a trashcan.

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Author's Note : See why I said to feel sorry for him? sob it upset me writing it! Tehee! Poor Wombat...

Anne918 - I'm glad you're enjoying it! I love doing the Averman facts, I found a fab website full of them! The "bedroom scene" was so much fun to write too!

CakeEater'sGirly99 - Of course I reviewed your fic! It was great! I hope your Science test went OK! I was soooo happy when I saw the Vinnie-alike! My friend's surname is Banks so I always call her Bansky or Cake Eater, she's used to it now but it used to really bug her! Hehe.

Thanks to everyone else who reviewed too :D much love to you all!