A while back, Enola gave me the idea for a summer carnival team-up. Since we're now at a carnival, we might as well. It's in the next chapter.

I took a break from writing this arc but then my literature class over the summer made us study Red Riding Hood variations … so I got in a mood for this story that quickly faded. It took getting inspiration from some YA romance books to help get the mood back.

Also, to Olive who left me some reviews last night (and who will reach this chapter eventually), I'm so grateful that this story has brought joy into your life. Your reviews made my night.

Play It Cress-cendo: Part Five

Nobody was tired from the day at the beach and everyone's schedules were still clear so they had to seize the opportunity before summer hours and holiday wages hit them.

The carnival was on their schedule for today. No more swimsuits but casual summer clothes. Just long lines on rides, trippy funhouses, and anything and everything fried.

-o-

"I'm coming back here next weekend," Kai says to Cinder.

They walk hand-in-hand behind their friends, surrounded by other families or groups of teenagers like them checking out the game booths or food stations. There are already screams from the whirring rides or winning prizes, children screaming at the giant stuffed animals all encompassed with the everlasting scent of burnt sugar and fried … something.

"How come?" Cinder asks.

"Torin and Mallory are taking the twins," Kai explains as he glances at a family that nearly resembles his current predicament. A teenage daughter with her parents and two younger brothers. He looks back at Cinder who didn't notice him gazing off at the other family. "I know they'll make me go on the rides with the girls. I should practise some games while I'm here because they'll be begging me to win them stuff. You know before I left this morning, they asked me to bring them back some prizes?"

Cinder grins, squeezing his hand for a second. "You're such an older brother."

Kai nudges her. "Don't call me that."

"What? It's true. You've picked them up from school, babysat them-"

"It's free childcare since I live in their house rent-free."

Cinder doesn't bother arguing since she knows that he knows. She kisses his cheek. "Okay, Kai, okay. Call it what you will."

-o-

Scarlet and Wolf aren't sure where the others went (or so they say. For the record, everyone else wandered and they didn't bother to text and ask where they went). They wounded up at the Ferris wheel, happy that they got their own car because they were almost shoved on with a family. It's no exaggeration when Scarlet and Wolf would say they'd rather jump out at the top if that was their ride.

"You have to sit there," Scarlet says as she sits across from Wolf.

"Seriously?" Wolf questions, slouching back with his arms open to invite her in his embrace.

"We're not tipping over. They told us at the bottom we had to distribute weight evenly."

"Aces, Scarlet…" he mutters with a grin as he stares at her. She sits with her back straight, red curls popping against the blue sky behind her. Maybe she should stay on the other side so he could have that sight for the whole ride.

"What?" Scarlet teases, leaning forwards towards him. "You thought that the ride would get stuck while we were at the top so then I could sit in your lap and we could make out till it was fixed?"

Maybe she should come over to his side.

"Well, now I am," he admits, praying to the stars it becomes reality.

-o-

The closest Cress will ever get to riding a unicorn was on the merry-go-round so she seized the opportunity. She didn't even care that a little girl wanted the rainbow one she claimed. There are other ones available! Without shame, Cress nearly ran over the child to claim the rainbow unicorn with the silver saddle. She climbed onto it with ease, smiling like she was on a real rainbow unicorn and not a plastic one.

Thorne wasn't sure how to process what he just witnessed. Cress nearly made a child cry and was more excited to be on that unicorn than any other kid present. Seeing her beam with such joy warms him up.

"Aces, Crescent Moon," Thorne says as he stands beside her and her rainbow unicorn. "I didn't think you could be so vicious."

"I wasn't that mean…" Cress mutters. "Was I?"

"Nah," he brushes off, "between us, you deserve this horse."

"Unicorn," Cress corrects, pointing at the horn.

"Right, my bad." He smiles as the ride starts and Cress's unicorn starts moving up and down in waves.

Thorne leaps onto the unicorn next to hers. It wasn't a rainbow-styled one, but various shades of pink like cotton candy. Admittedly, the rainbow one was cooler. He sits facing her so he could watch Cress enjoy herself. If he had to guess, she was picturing herself flying in the clouds.

-o-

Once they regrouped, they wounded up in a funhouse where every wall and ceiling was a distorted mirror. They could barely tell which way they were going, nearly crashed into their own reflection many times, and thought someone's reflection was the real person. It didn't help that the warped images kept moving, seeming endless … which made it perfect selfie territory.

The boys wanted no part in it, especially since Kai and Thorne were getting nauseous from the trippy reflections. Wolf had to hold and take them to the exit once he found it.

"Legs for days!" Cinder yells as she kicks out one of her legs in front of a mirror that elongated her limbs.

"I'm finally taller!" Cress responds, seeing her reflection grow larger than the other girls.

"I'd tap that," Winter laughs as she takes a picture of Scarlet's exaggerated hips in another mirror. Scarlet winks at her.

After a series of selfies, they walk out of the funhouse and the boys are nowhere in sight. Without wondering where they went, they walked into a nearby ice cream shop, the welcoming scent of toasted waffle cones making them salivate as they look at the stands for their flavour options. It definitely beats the lingering outdoor environment of the questionable fried scent.

The four of them nearly laugh at some of the selections, already making their choices.

"Scarlet Sorbet," Scarlet orders, looking at the bright red ice cream on the other side of the frost-tinted glass. It matches her hair.

"Winter Whimsey," Winter follows, pointing to the tub of white ice cream that has traces of blue and gold in it.

"Crescent Crunch," Cress adds. It's golden-brown ice cream with caramel ripples, wafer pieces, and various nuts.

"Crispy Cinder," Cinder says, looking at the tub of smooth pitch-black ice cream. She wasn't sure what made it black but she was so curious.

Once they have their namesake scoops in waffle cones and took the necessary photos with the striped pasted wallpaper, they walked back outside and the boys were still nowhere to be seen. It's not like the shop had any flavours with their names on it. At this point, they wonder if the boys even made it out of the funhouse or got lost in their reflections ... they'll be fine.

"This is exactly what I taste like," Cinder says as she samples her ice cream, her lips now a thin coat of black. She still isn't sure what makes it black but she doesn't care since it tastes good.

"Should I ask Kai to verify?" Scarlet jokes.

"Aces, Scarlet."

"It's a valid question."

Scarlet looks at Winter and Cress to back her up and they don't object.

Marissa Meyer posted a photo of an actual Scarlet Sorbet she saw at an ice-cream parlour. I made up the other flavours off the top of my head.