CHAPTER TEN

THE CARNIVAL

A couple days had gone by since Viola and Duke decided to end things before they had even really began. Sebastian had been watching Duke around the room and noticed that his whole attitude had changed since things happened with Viola and through conversations with Viola he knew how much she was hurting. This emotions almost surprised him because the two of them had only known each other for a few days but were acting as if they had known each other forever.

Through a conversation Sebastian had asked Viola why she gave up so quickly on things with Duke if she really cared as much about him as she seemed to. All she could say was that she thought she was doing what was best for the both of them, because in the end they would both end up getting hurt. Plus the fact that she never thought people's reactions would being so strong against them. Plus the fact that Duke didn't seem to fight to stay together so she figured that he agreed with the reality of the situation.

When questioning Duke about the whole situation he pretty much said that when she said that things should end between them that, that was what she wanted and that he should respect that. That was why he didn't fight the whole situation though he really did like her. After that he didn't say anything else because he found this whole conversation which revolved around Sebastian's sister kinda weird to be talking to him about.

Sebastian decided he would talk to Olivia about it because he was at a lose to what to do about it. He figured being Olivia being a girl and all would give her a better chance at ideas of how to work out this problem.

After picking Olivia up at her room they headed down to the bleachers after getting something to eat and sat down and watched the soccer practice.

After he outlined what was going on Olivia said, "You really care about your sister don't you?"

Sebastian shrugged and said, "She's my sister and I hate when I see her this miserable. I'm not one to set her up or be happy about her dating jocks but I hate seeing her this depressed."

"Not to mention Duke in this whole situation." Olivia added.

"Well I don't know him all that well, and things in his attitude haven't changed all the much, except the fact that every time the phone rings he jumps and always watches me out of the corner of his eye to see if it is Viola." Sebastian said.

"Well I've known Duke for a couple years now and he has never really dated, I've never seen him like the way with your sister. I hate to say it but he has really fallen for your sister." Olivia added.

"So what do we do?" Sebastian asked.

"We?" Olivia asked laughing.

"Come on, you know you want to help me." Sebastian said laughing.

"And what do I get out of this?" Olivia asked Sebastian jokingly. She thought it was really sweat that he cared so much about his sister and was putting her happiness before himself.

"I was think after the Carnival tomorrow I would take you out for dinner." Sebastian said.

"Well I guess that is a start." Olivia said with a smile, she had a thing for Sebastian and was glad that he returned those feelings. "So do you have any ideas or do I have to come up with the entire plan myself."

"Well I know you and her are suppose to working the kissing booth, I think we can get it so they have to kiss." Sebastian said with a wink.

Olivia just laughed and said, "Yeah I guess that will work. So you think that they will kiss and they will magically fall in love again."

"Well actually I don't think they fell out of love they just let their schools make the decision for them." Sebastian said, "Though its really not like Viola to let people control her life like that."

"Well sometimes it just happens." Olivia said. "So do you really think that this weird not very well planned out plan is going to work?"

"Of course it will." Sebastian said really confidently.

"Ok." Olivia said, although she thought the plan was weird and not very well thought threw but couldn't wait to see if it worked.

Viola got ready at home and planned to meet up with Sebastian at the fair grounds. Kia, Yvonne and Paul would be showing up later on so Viola was going with her mother. Looking at herself in the mirror she really wished she could just go in her jeans and t-shirt but instead she was wearing her knee length red spaghetti dress and her white flip flops.

Walking down stairs her mother clapped her hands together and said exclaimed, "You look like such a lady."

"I know mom it's a miracle." Viola said rolling her eyes.

"Well we had better hurry up sweetheart or we are going to be late." her mother said picking up her purse and fixing her hat in the mirror.

"Fine lets go mom." Viola said heading out the door not even looking to see if her mother was behind her and got into the cab that was waiting outside.

It was only a short ride to the fair grounds and after talking to her mother for a little while and finding out she was the replacement at the kissing booth in half an hour she set off to walk around the fair grounds.

As she was walking around she spotted Sebastian walking around and was about to head towards him and wasn't completely watching where she was going when she bumped into someone who caught her when she started to fall backwards.

"We got to stop meeting like this." Duke said laughing.

Viola looked up at him and once he let go of her said, "I swear I'm not usually that clumsy, I think it's the dress."

Duke laughed and asked, "So how have things been for you?"

"Good, things have pretty much gone back to normal I guess. My team is really coming along. Which is a good thing for all the college scouts." Viola said.

"I'm sure you'll do great." Duke said and he really meant that. He knew she seemed to be clumsy in a dress but from what he saw on the field he knew how good she was.

"How are things for you?" Viola asked.

"The same I guess, without all the ragging I guess." Duke said.

Just then Sebastian walked up to them and said, "How's things going guys."

"Fine." Viola said.

"OK." Duke said.

"So how are things going Vi?" Sebastian asked.

"Besides being forced into wearing a dress and doing the whole kissing booth thing, great." Viola said sarcastically.

Sebastian just laughed, and said, "Speaking of which we should head over there, Olivia is getting off in a couple minutes."

"Which means I'm up and therefore have to kiss have the male population." Viola said with some disgust in her voice.

Sebastian just laughed and patted Viola on the back.

The three of them headed over to the kissing booth and Viola and Duke kept stealing glances at each other.

When they got there Sebastian bought a ticket and went up and kissed Olivia.

They kissed quite passionately and got an applause from the audience. Olivia looked a bit embarrassed but was smiling just the same.

When Viola went up there Olivia passed her a warning about the old guy in the line and then got off the stage with Sebastian.

When Sebastian came up beside Duke he handed him a ticket.

"What's this for?" Duke asked looking down at the ticket in his hand.

"Well we figure that Viola deserves at least one good kiss, so come on man." Sebastian said then added, "You know you want to."

Olivia added, "Come on Duke, you have no idea what its like to up there having all these creepy guys kiss you, the only thing that made it bearable was the kiss from this guy," Olivia said grabbing Sebastian's hand, "and making me forget all those horrible ones."

Duke looked between their faces and realized that neither of them would give up so he got in line. Sebastian and Olivia didn't stick around, Duke figured it was one thing to convince Duke to kiss his sister but it was another to actually watch it.

Duke was following the creepy guy that Olivia had warned Viola about. The look on Viola's face when the guy finally left was of pure disgust but when she saw that it was Duke next in line relief washed over her face.

"Thank God its you, I don't think I could handle another kiss from a guy like that." Viola said shifting her eyes toward the guy that was still walking off the stage.

Duke laughed and said, "Well I figured you deserved at least one good kiss."

"And who told you that you were a good kisser?" Viola teased as Duke took a seat.

"Well if you would prefer I can just leave." Duke teased back.

"But then you would be giving up the chance to kiss me again." Viola said laughing.

"And you to kiss me." Duke said right back.

Then one of the kids in the crowd said, "Would you two shut up and kiss already, some of us have paid good money for this."

Viola shot the kid a dirty look and looked back at Duke, "Maybe we should just kiss before we start an uproar of people who are dying to kiss me."

Duke laughed and leaned in for the kiss, it started it out as a gentle kiss, though Viola was putting more into it then with all her other kisses but after a few seconds they really got into and where soon making out on the stage for the whole carnival to see. Viola went to bring her hand up to the side of Duke's face when someone grabbed wrist and pulled her away from Duke roughly.

Viola turned to see who pulled her away and saw Justin standing there. "What the hell do you thing your doing Justin?"

"I should ask you the same question Viola? What are you doing kissing this loser." Justin said angrily, still not letting go of Viola wrist.

"Let me answer this in words you'll understand, this is a kissing booth, people buy tickets to kiss the girl in the booth, me being the girl in booth is the one being kiss, Duke here bought a ticket there for gets a kiss. Understand? Now if you wouldn't mind letting go of me." Viola said trying to pull her arm free from his tight grasps.

Not letting go of Viola, Justin turned to Duke and said, "Where do you get off kissing my girlfriend?"

Before Duke could say anything Viola said, "Ex-girlfriend."

And Duke added, "And I do believe she told you to let go of her Drayton."

"What are you going to do about it?" Justin said using his free arm to shove Duke.

"Do you really want me to make you cry again in front of all these people." Duke said laughing.

"There was something in my eye, I was not crying." Justin said in a hushed voice.

"Yeah you keep tell yourself that." Viola said under her breath then added, "Unless you feel like testing Duke out there, I would suggest you letting go of me Justin."

Justin looking at the growing crowd that was surrounding the kissing booth realized that this was neither the time or the place to be doing this no matter home much he want to hit Duke at that moment. Letting go of Viola's wrist he walked off the stage and away with no words spoken but a extremely angry look at Viola.

Viola's mother was also among the growing crowd and ran up to Viola and asked, "What is going on Viola dear?"

"Nothing mother, all these guys dying to kiss me couldn't wait their turns." Viola said sweetly.

Her mother just shock her head and said, "Your replacement is here so you can go enjoy the rest of the carnival. I expect you and your brother at dinner tomorrow night, he is staying over the night, or so he says."

"See you later mother." Viola said and quickly exited the stage before her mother could con her into any other jobs.

Duke followed her off the stage and Viola led them to a quiet place on the corner of the carnival grounds.

"Drayton sure looks angry." Duke said laughing.

"He can't stand to look bad in front of the rest of the team, and believe me you kissing me is something that makes him look bad." Viola said then added, "Imagine if your girlfriends started to date the him, how bad that would look to your friends."

"So I guess that is where your school is coming from when they saw us together the other day." Duke said starting to catch a glimpse of what it was like for Viola at school.

"Yeah, but I really shouldn't have let them get to me the way I did." Viola said.

"You know your brother really thinks we would be perfect together." Duke said laughing, "He is the one that bought me the ticket for the kissing booth."

"And here I was thinking that you bought the ticket because you were dying to kiss me again." Viola said trying to pretend that she was hurt.

"Well I would have if I thought that was what you wanted." Duke said.

"And why wouldn't I have wanted it?" Viola asked mischievously.

"Well you were the one that kinda ended things between us." Duke said.

"Well I figured that's what you wanted." Viola said. "You didn't do anything to stop me from ending things?"

"Because I wanted to respect your decision to end things before anything really happened." Duke said.

"So you didn't want things to end?" Viola asked, hoping that he said that he didn't want things to end because she sure didn't want them to end and maybe this was their second chance at the beginning.

"No I didn't." Duke said deciding not to beat around the bush, "Things are so different with you, I like being around you."

Viola smiled and jumped up and wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed his passionately.

When they finally broke the kiss Viola who was still in his arms rested her forehead against Dukes.

Duke said "So what does this mean?"

"It means what ever we want it to mean." Viola said then added, "Though I think for the sake of not repeating what happened last time maybe we keep our relationship on the down low as least until soccer is over for the season."

"I think your right." Duke said kissing the tip her nose. "I think your brother is going to be happy."

"Sebastian's happy when ever he gets his own way. He'll probably figure out some way to get out of this dinner tomorrow night with mom." Viola said laughing.

"So what do you want to do now." Duke said.

"Well seeing we are trying to keep this whole thing on the down low, I'm going to head home get out of this dress, maybe take a bath to wash off all those horrible guys that were kissing me and then give you a call and maybe make plans for a date?" Viola said.

"Sound ok to me, as long as you say I wasn't one of those horrible kissers." Duke said teasingly.

"Well you weren't horrible." Viola said laughing, "But I'm sure I'll teach you how to be better."

"I won't mind the practice." Duke said with a wink

Viola laughed and gave Duke a quick kiss.

"I'd better go before someone comes looking for me." Viola said laughing. "I'll talk to you later."

After one last kiss Viola headed back to the fair grounds and Duke watched her walked away. This time he swore to himself that he wouldn't let anything ruin their chances at being together.

AN: SORRY TO EVERYONE WHO WAS HOPING THAT DUKE AND JUSTIN WERE GOING TO FIGHT, BUT I'M SAVING THAT FOR ANOTHER CHAPTER. I KNOW IT WASN'T VERY EVENTFUL, BUT I HAVE LOTS PLANNED. EVERYONE WISH ME LUCK, TOMORROW BACK TO SCHOOL AND FULL TIME WORK! GONNA UPDATE EITHER TONIGHT OR BY FRIDAY! KEEP UP WITH ALL THE GREAT REVIEWS