june 07 6:00pm

tatum watched the girl beside him with a content expression on his face. the two were sat next to each other on a wooden bench in the food area of the fair grounds, and tatum felt as though he had never been so content with such a simple activity in his life.

lydia finally took the chance to glance up at the boy, not before sipping down on her lemonade he had gotten her whilst examining her surrounds first, though. she was met with the face of tatum, as he sent a sweet smile her way after studying her for the few minutes that he was able to. lydia had kept their hands together the entire time that they had taken to gather each others drinks. she was used to this, however, tatum was not. he had never held someone's hand before, not even his own mothers hand as he grew up. the feeling was new to him but he did not take long to get used to it whatsoever.

"why are you alone, little?" the boy asked politely, rubbing his thumb against her frail hand in the process. he knew it comforted her by the expression she held on her face. and to say the least, tatum was happy that he could cause her comfort already being the short period that they had known one another.

"my mom was busy with work, and i really wanted to come here. i decided to go on my own, and i'm glad i did, because i made a new friend" she sweetly replied, sending another sweet smile his way.

the boy began to feel a churning feeling in the pit of his stomach. oh lydia, we are not friends.

he didn't like being referred to as a friend of hers, but he knew that there was nothing else he could expect of the girl being that she had only become aware of his presence less than 2 hours ago. however, he made a mental note in his head that she was not meeting anyone here. he liked that, and he would remember that.

"are you alone, tatum?" she asked.

"no." he replied shortly.

this confused lydia, and she became quite curious of the boy and his needing to be here. yes she had a hard time acting her age, but she was not clueless to social cues. she could tell by the short answer that he did not want her to pry. but she was curious, and she was good at prying.

"then why are you with me?" she asked sweetly.

tatum did not respond, he only looked away from her gaze as she continued to stare up at him.

"tate?" she asked, taking her hand out from his.

this caused him to quickly look over at her once again, as he did not like the fact that she pulled herself away from him.

"i'm picking up my dad." tatum stated, grabbing her hand and placing it back in his own. lydia was taken aback but decided it would be best to not upset him by placing her hand somewhere else.

"he came to the fair alone?" she pressed.

"no. he works here." he answered.

tatum did not like his dad. his father was strung out his whole life, and he wished nothing but the worst for him due to the trauma he passed onto him and his mother as he grew up. he took a job opportunity at the fair as a way to save up. for what? who knows, but everyone knew it wasn't for tatum. his dad had humiliated him his entire life with his pathetic ways, and with all the hatred he had for the man, he rarely spoke to him.

"oh, cool! i bet it's so fun to work here, there's so much to do, and so many people to see. do you think he's ever had to clean up puke from rides-" lydia was cut off.

"enough lydia, no more questions." tatum said firmly.

the small girl looked down at the ground, now feeling a bit sad. tatum seemed to get annoyed with her a bit easy, atleast that's what she thought. on the other hand, tatum wanted nothing more than for lydia to ask him questions as he loved hearing her speak. but his dad was a sensitive topic to him, and he simply would rather not talk about him. tatum always had a problem communicating his feelings without coming off as violent or ill-willed.

"it's okay, lydia. i would just like to talk about him another time." the boy softly said, trying to re gain her content expression that once held itself on her face. tatum knew he was going too fast, and he knew he was starting to make her nervous. he needed to control his emotions right now, and he needed to put his sweet facade on for his little.

however, lydia did not respond. she continued to look at the ground, occasionally peaking up through her lashes to analyze the people that passed. she wasn't upset with tatum, no, but she knew she was slightly pushing it with him already and decided silence would be the most beneficial response for the two of them. she soon learned that tatum thought differently, though.

the boy squeezed lydias hand slightly tighter, causing lydia to look up at him. she didn't really know what to say, but she could tell he was yearning for a response from her.

"why not now?" she quietly asked.

"because i don't like him." tatum simply stated.

this caused lydias eyes to slightly widen. he doesn't like his dad? the idea seemed foreign to her. how could you not like someone who gave you life? who provided for you through thick and thin? maybe tatum is not a good person, then.

both the girl and the boy's attention quickly turned to her phone, as it dinged in the pocket of her small skirt. lydia brought her phone to the front of her so she could read the notification. but not without tatum getting angered by the sound, irritated that she had a cell phone that he was unaware of. he wanted her to himself, with absolutely no contact with the outside of the world. no friends, no family, just tatum. he watched over her shoulder as she read the text.

: it is time to come home lydia, we are going to visit a friend and we would like you to come as we don't want you home alone for too long.

lydia looked up at tatum before responding. they looked into each other's eyes for a moment, and lydia began to feel a new feeling in the pit of her stomach. she didn't want to leave him. she liked him, from the small time that she had knew him.

"i'll walk you to your car, little" he said before she could speak.

as the two walked together hand in hand, tatum couldn't help but feel his mood get torn down at all the stares his lydia was receiving. there was nothing he could do about it physically, yet. although he sure did get his point across by the dearth glares he sent everyone's way. as they had arrived at lydias car, she looked back at him. tatum was not happy she was leaving him, but he knew this wouldn't be the last time he saw her.

he gently took lydias phone from her hands, putting his number into the phone and setting his name as an awfully normal "tatum". lydia did not fight him taking her phone as she did not want to upset him. when he had handed her back her device, she placed herself in the drivers seat of her car rolling her window down shortly after. tatum leaned into the window, causing her stomach to feel the unfamiliar feeling once again.

"i will see you soon, my sweet lydia."