“If you were lucky, you might meet someone who was exactly right for you. Not because he was perfect, or because you were, but because your combined flaws were arranged in a way that allowed two separate beings to hinge together.

- Blue-eyed devil

“Let’s ride on the ferris wheel.” I tug on Oliver’s wrist. Oliver says nothing in reply. We start towards the ferris wheel, and I swing our joined hands as we walk.

Oliver slows down as we get closer to the ride. I have to drag him. “What’s your problem? It’s a ferris wheel, come on!”

“That’s exactly the problem,” I hear him mumble underneath his breath.

I roll my eyes at him.

“I remember the first time we came to the carnival. I was really little, maybe four or five. We were about to ride on the ferris wheel, and Sam was trying to scare the heck out of me,” I say.

“I was shaking when Dad was trying to get me in the seat. I refused and cried,” I say. “I got into the seat, with my eyes closed, my heart on my throat, and hiding my face in my dad’s chest. Sam was smirking.”

“That sounds like something my brother would do,” Oliver mumbles in a low voice.

“As the wheel went up, I peered outside, and I was not really scared anymore. I really liked watching the sunset, being in the sky. Ever since, the ferris wheel has been my favourite.”

I glance back at Oliver and find him gazing at my face. He slowly looks away.

“Come on,” I say and wrap my fingers around his. Silently, Oliver follows me.

As we show our tickets, a cart stops in front of us. I open the cart door and pull Oliver in with me.

Oliver takes the seat opposite of mine. I offer him a smile. He looks at me like he’s accusing me of murder.

Why do I like this guy?

Soon the wheel starts to move. The cart gradually goes up. My heart flutters a bit as I see the ground beneath us.

Oliver is sitting there looking down at his feet like he is anticipating something terrible to happen.

“Why are you looking down? Look out,” I say. I lean back in my seat and feel the gentle brush of the wind on my skin.

Oliver doesn’t look comfortable. His face is hard and his hands are tight in fists. I raise one of my eyebrows. Oliver looks up at me.

“Is something wrong?” I ask, leaning forward and our cart rocks a little.

Oliver’s eyes go wide, “Can I sit with you?” Before I can reply to him, he almost jumps from his seat to mine.

“Okay, I guess,” I say. “What’s wrong?”

Oliver takes a deep breath in and says, “Nothing.”

“Okay. I believe you,” I say and shake my head.

I look outside and realize we are almost two stories high. I feel Oliver squeeze my knee.

I turn to him and see his eyes are closed. “Oliver?”

“Is it over?” he asks, opening one eye a little bit.

As I realize what’s wrong, I burst out laughing. “You are afraid of heights!”

Oliver opens both of his eyes and glares at me. “Who said that?”

“You are shaking. You have your eyes closed,” I say laughing. “If you’re so scared, you could’ve just told me.”

Oliver stays silent.

“Come on, it’s not that bad. Is it?” I say. The world seems far away from here. The sky is closer. The clouds are closer. “I wish it went higher.”

“It is going higher,” Oliver says as a fact. His voice cracks a little.

I chuckle. “It’s okay. You’re not going to fall down from here.”

Oliver looks a little vulnerable. “And you’re helping so much.”

I laugh. “Do you honestly expect me to? If anything, I will make it harder for you.”

An idea strikes me.

“No. Whatever you’re thinking, no,” Oliver says as a warning.

“Aha,” I try to stand up. Oliver leans forwards to grab me. I grasp the handle bar and try to rock the cart.

“Oh, dear God,” Oliver says. “Gwen!”

Despite his fear, Oliver dives towards me and grabs me by the waist. “Sit down.”

I am laughing so hard that I can’t reply.

“We are at the top,” I hear Oliver say a moment later as I calm down. He sounds like he’s panicked.

“Hey, don’t be afraid, the wheel is going around. We are going to go down soon,” I say.

The whole carnival can be seen from here. I can see the horizon and the setting sun.

Oliver is sweating a little.

“Look at the beautiful sunset and the sky. It’s got all the colors,” I point at the warm sunset with lilac clouds. “It’s really pretty, isn’t it?”

Oliver doesn’t reply instantly, but after a moment I hear him mumble, “Yeah, it is really pretty.”

“Not so afraid anymore, are you?”

His face in the golden light of the setting sun is something I will plant in my memory forever.

“No,” Oliver says, staring at my eyes.

We stare at the horizon as the ferris wheel goes down slowly. Soon I hear the sound of the cart reaching the end. I frown a little. The ride is over.

“Come on,” Oliver says.

As we walk around, I try to find another ride that might be fun and won’t be scary for Oliver.

“We can’t get on that,” I say, looking up at the roller coaster tracks over our head.

“You can,” Oliver says.

“I was looking forward to seeing your reaction while you rode on that. What’s the fun now?” I say.

Oliver narrows his eyes at me. What did he expect?

I find the bumper cars next, and Oliver makes a face. I point to the tea ride. He has already refused to ride on it. It looks like the rides are either too childish for him or too scary. I glare at Oliver, and he doesn't even pay attention.

We come around the game booths again. I glance at the teddy bear that I’m never going to win. Oliver catches me looking at it.

“Let me check if anybody broke my high score,” I say hurriedly.

Oliver grabs my hand and starts towards the BB gun booth, instead.

“I have had enough of this,” I start as we get near.

Oliver discusses something with the guy there while I stay behind. Then I see him coming at me with a gun in his hand. Oliver stands in front of the target in position, aiming to shoot.

“What are you-” I say as Oliver takes his first shot, tearing off the head of the star. I stare at it open mouthed.

Then Oliver starts firing like a professional. He shoots out the star inch by inch until there is nothing left of it on the cloth.

Then he walks to the prize stand. He is talking to the guy while I am still staring at the shot out cloth hung in front of me.

Oliver comes back, still with the gun in his hand. I raise my eyebrows.

“There’s nothing left of the star,” I inform him.

“But I still have bullets,” Oliver says.

The guy from the booth walks over to the cloth and starts changing it. He tears off the ruined one and pins a new one on the frame.

“But why-”

“Two stars for one prize,” Oliver informs me. He checks his magazine.

I’m not going to deny he looks scary with a gun in his hand like that. Let it be BB guns, he still looks dangerous. Dangerously handsome.

As if he knows I’m staring, Oliver looks up at me. I don’t look away.

Oliver doesn’t comment on it. Instead, he takes his stance, aims at the star again.

“Go,” the guy says.

Oliver takes down half of the star with several shots.

Then he misses one.

“No!” I say.

Oliver looks at me. We might not win the teddy bear. Then something hits me.

He is doing this for me. Me. What else he would do with a teddy bear? As I stare at him with my sudden realization, Oliver keeps firing. I glance back at the star. Only a centimeter of it is left on the cloth.

Oliver checks his gun.

“I only have one bullet.” Oliver states.

“You won’t get the prize if there’s any of it left,” the booth guy says.

“Fine,” Oliver replies.

He takes his time, aiming at the little red cloth, again checking his aim. Then he looks at me.

“It doesn’t matter,” I say. “You took down two stars, Oliver.”

Oliver looks away, aims, exhales, and shoots.

“Yesss!” I say, throwing my fist up in the air. The red star is gone.

Oliver glances at me. Then he holds up his palm. I high five him smiling broadly.

The guy picks up the teddy bear, which is almost five feet, and walks over to us.

“Here’s your prize,” he says.

Oliver takes the teddy, turns to me, and takes my hand.

Oliver looks ridiculous holding a teddy under his arm. He shrugs but makes no move of handing it to me. He keeps walking.

“You look really nice holding a teddy,” I say, jokingly.

Oliver looks at me, then he narrows his eyes as if something behind me caught his eye.

“Unicorn poop,” he says.

“Wh-what?!” I jump in shock hearing the words coming from his mouth.

Oliver snaps his head at me and blinks. “I, uhm...”

I turn around and see a cotton candy stand.

“Did you just call cotton candies ‘unicorn poop’?” I turn to him. I can’t stop the grin forming in my lips.

Oliver doesn’t meet my eyes and says, “I think you need some.”

He stalks towards the cotton candy—no, unicorn poop—stand.

“Can we have one unico- ahem cotton candy, please?” Oliver says to the salesman. I grin harder.

Oliver seems to have trouble taking his wallet out holding a five foot teddy. As I am about to pay, he says, “Hold this.”

He shoves it at me. I grab it with both of my hands, taking a few steps back.

Oliver buys the cotton candy, then hands it to me. I take the cotton candy, aka unicorn poop. I may look really ridiculous because Oliver looks like he’s having trouble supressing his smile. That doesn’t happen very often.

“Take a picture of me, will you?” I say.

The problem is, I can’t get my phone out of my backpack. I don’t have three hands.

I look at Oliver and see him taking out his own phone. I don’t think twice before I pose, keeping the ferris wheel as my background. I stick my tongue out.

“Are those the love birds?!” I hear a familiar voice. I turn around and find Jason standing there, with a chicken fry in one hand and diet coke in the other.

“Heyo!” he greets.

“Hey!” I say. I don’t see Valerie anywhere.

“Where’s your girlfriend?” I ask. Oliver stands by me silently.

“Feeling scared to sleep alone?” Jason ask, laughing.

“Shut up,” I say.

“You didn’t say where your girlfriend is,” Oliver states.

Jason snorts, then takes a sip from his diet coke. “She had to go. Something came up.”

I narrow my eyes. Jason takes a bite from his chicken fry. “What were guys up to?”

I take a deep breath. “I broke the high score on the whack a mole stand. Oliver is scared of the ferris wheel. He won a teddy bear. Also we brought unicorn poop. Oliver called it unicorn poop,” I say quickly.

Jason nods.

“Wanna have some unicorn poop?” I lend the cotton candy towards him.

Jason makes a face. “No, thank you. Eat your own poop.”

I roll my eyes. Jason’s phone rings and he picks it up. As he talks on his phone I shove some cotton candy in my mouth. The problem is, I have to tear from it to eat.

Oliver gives me a look. He shakes his head and takes the cotton candy from my hand. Then he tears a little bit. He looks at me.

I open my mouth and he feeds me, glancing at Jason. He tears off more cotton candy and continues to feed me, like he does it everyday.

“Yeah, Mom, I’ll be home soon. Fine.” Jason ends the call.

“I am going home. You guys are staying?” Jason asks.

The unicorn poop has vanished in my stomach. I turn to Oliver. “Wanna go home?”

Oliver shrugs, and all of us exit the carnival. I look back one last time, smiling at the good memories we made here.

Jason gets in his car. I was thinking of following him to investigate more about his ‘girlfriend’ but I feel Oliver’s hand on my own. Without giving me a chance, Oliver drags me towards his car. He opens the door for me. I get in and place the teddy in the backseat.

The drive back to my house is not very eventful, other than stealing glances at Oliver from time to time.

“What happened to Jason? Will he be okay?” I ask, getting out of the car.

“He will be fine,” Oliver says. He leans against the car.

“So, did you have fun?” I ask.

“Maybe.” Oliver shrugs.

“I’ll go then,” I say. “See ya later.”

“Wait.” I look back. Oliver opens the backdoor and brings out the teddy. He holds it in front of me.

I narrow my eyes at him. “Yes?”

Oliver doesn’t say anything. He lends the bear towards me.

“I don’t get what you are trying to do here,” I say, crossing my arms in front of me.

Oliver glares at me with the teddy in his hand.

It’s such a scene. Oliver Carlson standing in front of my house, offering me a teddy bear with no expression in his face. I can’t help but smile.

“What do you want me to do with your teddy bear?” I am having so much fun. “I have some advice for you. If you feel really scared at night, hold the teddy bear and go to sleep. It will make you feel better.”

Oliver gives me a look. He walks towards me, stands right in front of me, and shoves the teddy bear at my face.

So this is how he gives gifts to people. I didn’t expect anything less.

“Fine, fine,” I say, finally taking it. “But you worked really hard for it. Why did you shoot out two stars if you didn’t want the prize?”

Oliver stares at my face. “I have my prize.”

“Well, where is it?” I raise one of my eyebrows.

“Right where it’s supposed to be,” Oliver says.

I don’t get what he means. So I roll my eyes and turn around. I reach the front door. Then I remember something from earlier. I place the teddy bear and my backpack on the doorstep. Oliver is right where I left him.

I start walking towards him. Oliver stands up straight, looking at me with questions in his eyes. He has no clue about what I am going to do.

When I reach him I throw my arms around his shoulder and hug him.

I have never hugged him before. I don’t know why. I just thought I should.

Oliver turns into a statue with his hands limp by his side. I don’t think he’s breathing.

I lean back from him. His lips are slightly parted, obviously from shock. I smile a little and say, “First lesson: When someone hugs you, you hug them back. Like this.”

I grab his hands and wrap them around me. Oliver swallows.

Then I stand on my tiptoe and hug him again. “Now, hug me back. Properly this time.”

Oliver wraps one of his arms around my shoulder and other around my waist. “You think I don’t know how to hug?”

“Well, you aren’t doing a good job right now. If this was a test, you’ll fail.”

“You never gave me the chance.”

I don’t know how to reply to that. “You have the chance now.”

Suddenly, Oliver pulls me towards him, crushing the little distance between us, hugging me tight and knocking my breath out of my body. He buries his face in my hair and says, “Any better?”

I need to breathe to talk.

Instead, I take advantage of the situation and bask in the warmth of his body, enjoying the moment.

I confess: best hug ever. And not the kind of hug I would have with my friends. Or anyone, for that matter.

“So did I pass the test?” Oliver asks as we lean back. He still has his arms around my waist.

I clear my throat. “What test again?”

Oliver smiles a little. Then he brushes away a strand of my hair. “Go inside.”

I raise one of my eyebrows. “Or you can just drive away.”

Oliver shakes his head no.

I roll my eyes. Olive lets go of me. I look at him one last time before turning around.

*****