Chapter Three

Children laughed as they jumped in water puddles. The music from the fair could be heard in the distance. The smell of cotton candy and hot dogs filled the air. Still, it felt still and silent to Sora.

"I swear I had no idea it was you," Matt stated as they walked down the street. Sora looked up at him as he looked at her.

"And what is that supposed to mean?" She asked. Matt shrugged.

"I dunno. I would've come here to hang out anyway. You're cool, Sora. Get over it. People here like you. Girls want to be you. Guys already want you. Hell, one day and it's like that Jennifer Lopez walked in the door," He said. Sora blushed and looked away.

He leaned over and pushed her playfully as they walked. She glanced at him and pushed him with both of her hands, making him stumble a little bit. Matt laughed and picked her up in his arms. He spun around, holding her tightly. Sora's hair flew in her face as he did this. She laughed loudly.

"Matt…" She giggled. "…Stop, stop, stop!" Matt stopped, but began jogging down the street, her in his arms. He finally laughed and put her down. She smiled at him.

"You're so vulnerable, my dear," He joked. Sora's mouth dropped open. She rolled her eyes and pushed him again. "Watch it, Miss Priss."

"I am not vulnerable. I'm actually very…very…er…not vulnerable." Matt let out a snicker as she grinned at her dumb sounding sentence. He leaned forward, she could feel his heart beating.

"You are so…vulnerable…"He spoke. Sora smiled at him.

And they headed towards the fair.

***

The line for the Ferris Wheel was extremely long. Sora switched from one foot to the other and rolled her eyes. She didn't have patience. She had zero tolerance for a line that was full of lip sucking couples.

Matt looked down at the petite girl and smiled. She turned her head and eyed other stations. She was trying not to focus on her aching feet. He shook his head and smiled.

"What is your problem? Do you or do you not want to get on this thing?" He asked putting his hands in his coat pocket. Sora glanced up at him.

"I do," She spoke. Matt grabbed her hand in his and smiled. Sora smiled back, her heart racing. Why did he just do that?

"Don't freak out, Sora. It's eight o'clock. The couples get ahead in line. You know the weird thing they do. Cassidy and I do this all the time," He informed her. Her heart sank. Right, Cassidy.

"This line is nothing but couples," Sora stated.

"You'd be surprised," He said. Sora smiled as the operator led the two up to the front and seated them in a small seat together. They were so close and she began to remind herself not to freak out like he said.

Then, he put his arm around her. Or at least on the back of the seat they were in. Sora smiled and he smiled at her as they began to move. She grasped the metal bar in front of her, afraid of heights. Matt placed his hand over hers and leaned closer.

"Just relax," He whispered. Sora nodded, and then mentally slapped herself for thinking things that her friend, Cassidy wouldn't want her to think.

"Just relax," She repeated. Then she thought: How can I relax?

~*~

The next day was a complete bore for Sora. She was alone and Cassidy was busy with her cheerleading competition. Basically, Sora had nothing left to do but sit around all day, tired from the six hour date or "friendly outing" she had with Matt the night before.

As Sora was flipping back and forth from The Real World and Making The Video, the telephone rang. Sora sighed and picked up the cordless phone that sat next to her on the couch. It was probably one of her father's friends or even her mother's sister.

"Hello?" She greeted.

"Hey, Sora, it's Matt," Came the voice of a young man from the other side of the line. Sora blushed and closed her eyes. It was Matt Ishida. "It's weird that I'm calling, but I just wanted to tell you that I had a great time last night," He spoke.

Sora nodded. "Me too."

"And tonight Cassidy is staying at her sister's house. So, do you wanna hang out again? I mean, as friends because I have a girlfriend," He rambled. Sora nodded.

"Right, sure. Why not? I can just be your girl…friend. So, where are we going? I have no idea of any place in this town," Sora informed the boy.

"How about we just go with the flow. I'll pick you up and we can just go wherever we feel like going, cool?" He asked. Sora nodded.

"Cool." She replied, feeling like a complete idiot. He would think she was an idiot because of the sentence that she spoke last night about being venerable.

"Alright, I'll pick you up around…" Sora interrupted him.

"In an hour. I'm bored, please…" She begged. Matt laughed and she knew he smiled from wherever he was.

"Alright. I'll pick you up at one. See ya, Sora." Sora smiled brightly and told him goodbye.

Kyra walked in just as Sora hung up. Sora tried to contain the smile and the giggles but she couldn't. Still, she made Kyra more interested in what her daughter was hiding from her.

"Sora, who was that?" Kyra asked, concern in her voice.

"Matt. He's picking me up in an hour. I have to get ready," Sora spoke, ecstatically. Kyra nodded and grinned.

"You do know he has a girlfriend, Sora." Sora turned around and looked at her mother. She smiled and nodded.

"I know, but he asked me. It's just tonight…nothing life changing is going to happen tonight. I promise…" She said. Kyra sat down as her daughter ran up the stairs.

"That's what worries me…"

~*~