Our summer break comes around all too quickly and neither Sam nor I are complaining. The good weather seems to have everyone, including Sam, in a better mood.

It depresses me.

"Come on, Elias! I'm only asking for today!" Sam whines from behind my barricaded door. I throw a distasteful glance towards his disembodied voice.

"You said that last week, and on Thursday, and yesterday!" I retort. He exhales in defeat and a wry smile plays on my lips as I know I have him beat.

"It's a carnival! It'll be really fun." He tries to say convincingly. I scoff to myself, shaking my head adamantly. I return my attention to my book, trying to ignore the thought of my pouting boyfriend who is presumably slouching just outside my room.

"Please, Elias. I want to be outside. I want....to be where the people are, I want to see, want to see 'em dancing!" He sings, giggling under his breath. I exhale deeply, frowning deeply at my reflection in the mirror.

What did I do to deserve this?

I tap my fingers against the desk in agitation, scowling to myself all the while. I hear Sam slump against the wall, his head knocking against it in utter defeat. I think about Sam, and all his pent up energy and all of this friends so eager to spend time with him and realise that despite all of this, he wants to spend time with me.

I smooth out the frown from my face and push back my desk chair. I wander over to the door and softly move my things from the door. I crack open the door and peek out, watching Sam as he whips round to look at me in amazement.

A rare animal emerging from its cave dwelling.

"Let's go then, what are you waiting for?" I say, my tone a little more impatient than I intended but Sam doesn't seem to notice.

He fumbles around, rushing to his feet and shoving his phone into his mouth whilst he tugs his shoes on. I'm disconcerted at how much of his phone he can fit in his mouth, and also the fact that his phone is in his mouth in the first place.

I pull on a light jacket and follow him out the door. He bounds down the street like an over-excited puppy, his hand tugging me along with him.

The carnival is an annual thing that they hold every summer in a big, grassy field just a few minutes outside of town. The atmosphere as we draw closer is buzzing, the air full of laughter and the smell of sweet treats.

The carnival itself is more of a giant fun-fair, with hired rides filling the grass as well as tents filled with activities and games for everyone to take part in. Vendors sell ice-creams, donuts and every other delicious diabetes-inducing thing you could crave. And Sam wants them all it seems.

"I just love stuff like this, all the people and the buzz of summer-time- Oh look! Hook a duck! We gotta play!" Sam yelps, tugging me in the direction of a series of stalls.

We hook ducks, shoot basketballs and knock down clowns, all for cheesy prizes that aren't worth the money, but I have to admit it, the experience is fun. My family never really had time for family fun days when I was younger and I like them.

I spot Alana and her girlfriend in the distance and I nudge Sam, pointing them out to him. He calls them over cheerfully and they wander over, happy to see Sam.

"Hi Sam! And Eli, hi we didn't think this was your kind of event?" Alana says curiously and I shake my head.

"It's not normally, but Sam insisted and I'm having a good time." I explain. Sam catches up with them, chatting merrily until something catches his eye.

"Ooh no way! Fortune telling?! Come on Elias, I want to see our futures!" Sam yelps, waving goodbye to Alana and skipping towards the tacky looking tent.

Alana looks at my pained face and laughs, patting me lightly on the arm in sympathy.

"I love him, God knows I love him." I remind myself, trailing after him as Alana's laughter follows me.

I bend beneath the draping purple cloths that conceal the inside of the tent and peer around, looking for my MIA boyfriend.

The inside of the tent is far more cozy than I anticipated, full of plush cushions of rich colours and little golden trinkets. Exotic incense burns in the corner of the tent, filling the air with far-away fragrances.

Sam is already perched on a cushioned stool, and sat opposite him is an older woman, whose face shows more wisdom than her years. Her hair is greying but her features are soft and beautiful. Her clothes are billowing and intricate, deep purple contrasted by rich gold embroidery.

She stops speaking when she spots me, and her eyes dart quickly between the two of us in almost disbelief. I frown, stepping forwards slightly as she lurches forwards over the table.

"Do you know this man?" She asks Sam quietly, her eyes flicking back to rest on me.

Sam looks back and laughs freely, nodding his head.

"This is Elias, he's been my best friend for years. I know he looks scary and standoffish sometimes but he's harmless." Sam reassures but the woman shakes her head vigourously. She stands up quickly and pulls over another stool, ushering me to sit in it. I glance at Sam, who nods encouraging. I sink into the stool, which is far too low and causes my knees to bend in awkward directions.

The woman comes back to sit in her little throne opposite us with an expression of pure joy and excitement. I shift in my seat uncomfortably.

She leans forwards, her hair falling from her messy bun to frame her face and in that moment she looks more crazed than human.

"Do you believe in soulmates?" She asks huskily, her eyes glancing between the two of us.

I nod at the same time as Sam scoffs. We look over at each other, both of us frowning.

"You still believe in soul mates?" Sam asks.

"You don't?" I retort, my eyebrows arched in disbelief.

"A red thread. Folk-law dictates that a red thread of fate ties two people who are destined to be together, regardless of time, distance or circumstance. Everyone in this world is interconnected in an intricate web." She interjects, nodding vehemently.

Sam is entranced. The woman across from us smiles. Her smile isn't one I've ever seen before, it's small but nostalgic. It's full of an ancient kind of happiness that I don't know. And then it's gone.

"People are joined together in more ways than we can see and sometimes we don't meet the people that we're meant to love for a very long time. Sometimes the world is cruel and people don't get the time that they deserve. And sometimes the world is kind, and people have their entire lives to love another. Sometimes we lose the people we are destined for, but we always find them again. The string ensures it." She says elegantly, her eyes gazing upon something that I seemingly can't see.

I glance towards my feet, not noticing anything unusual.

"You two are tied together more intricately than anyone I've ever known," She admits, her eyes darting towards me with a knowing gaze.

"But you already knew that, didn't you." She says, her eyes burning into mine.

The connection I have with Sam runs deep, I've known that for years and it certainly didn't go away when his pain did. In fact, it has only grown and I know with everything in me that it'll only get stronger. Maybe we all have a person that fits us like a custom puzzle piece. Maybe we all have multiple people, maybe our friends are those people. And maybe, just maybe we're tied together with a red string of fate.

I don't need to see a string to know that Sam and I are meant to be together. It won't be easy, but nothing worth having is ever easy.

So hear it is, my confession, my addiction, my commitment.

Samuel Victor Rivera, will you marry me?