“I’d rather you go to the fair than to the movies,” Ms. Sharon said. “Fresh air, sunshine. Better than being alone in the dark.”
“I mean,” DeShaun began, “there will be other people in the theater.” “I’d really rather you took my daughter to the fair,” Ms. Sharon replied. “Yeah, let’s go to the fair,” chimed in Alissa. “It’ll be fun.”
***
“Thanks for being flexible,” said Alissa as DeShaun pulled onto a grassy parking lot. “I don’t think arguing with my mother would have made for an auspicious start.”
“It’s actually a nice day,” DeShaun commented as they approached the fairgrounds. “I was afraid it would rain. It still might.”
“That would be awful,” commented Alissa. “I don’t think these sandals could handle that. I just fixed my thong after it snapped this morning.”
“You what?” said DeShaun, eyebrows raised. ***
“Do you want to try one of these games? How about this?” DeShaun led Alissa over to a simple looking challenge: knock over a metal milk can pyramid with a softball.
“I think these are rigged,” answered Alissa.
DeShaun stepped right up and gave the attendant a dollar. Grasping the oversized softball, he wound up and threw. The bottle hit the middle of the stack before falling straight down.
“How is that — !“ DeShaun began. “You take physics, right?”
“Like I said, rigged,” replied Alissa. “Why don’t we try a ride instead?”
“Are you sure? You aren’t still recovering from my driving?”
“Are you kidding?” replied Alissa. “You drive like my grandma.”
She grabbed DeShaun’s hand, and as they walked past the ring toss, bounce house, and water gun target practice, Alissa yanked him toward herself.
“Hey!” exclaimed DeShaun.
“Look!” Alissa said, pointing to the ground.
Just to their left was a large pile of what DeShaun reckoned was horse excrement.
“Damn,” said DeShaun. “I almost stepped right in it.”
“You’re welcome,” said Alissa, smiling. “I think I like steering you.”
“Hmm,” DeShaun began. “You know right now the sun is shining just right to make your eyes look really, really blue.”
“And?”
“And you look really really pretty, too,” he added.
Alissa looked at his eyes, deep and brown. His face was freshly shaven, though he’d missed a couple of hairs on his cheek.
“Are you trying something right now?”
“Maybe.”
“…here?“ Alissa gestured at brown-green pile.
“I guess you’re right. Weren’t we going somewhere?” A thunderclap sounded nearby.
Alissa squeezed DeShaun’s hand and moved quickly. She told DeShaun to hurry as they scurried up the steps to the Gravitron. DeShaun and Alissa found two spots near the door just as it closed. The operator in the center explained that all they had to do was to stand with their backs against the wall and let gravity do the rest, just like in a real spaceship.
It might be scary, but it was perfectly safe. There were no tricks — just the laws of nature.
The operator flipped a switch. Darkness. A few glowing stars illuminated the room, but it was hard to see much at all.
Thunder rumbled outside the vessel as its engine began to hum. “Hey,” said Alissa, turning to DeShaun.
“Yeah?”
“Can you still see my eyes?”
DeShaun squinted. A few stars reflected in them.
“Yeah — “
Alissa leaned over the handrail between them and kissed him. “Don’t tell mom,” she said.
The room began to spin.
