"I don't know. It's just... I never liked this ride. You and Chance go on since you like it so much. I'll go get us some candy floss, yeah?"

"Okay" I chirped, happily. Aaron smiled in return, kissing me on the cheek lightly

"Be right back" he whispered and with that he moved away from me, said a quick goodbye to Chance before heading towards the candy floss machine.

I yanked Chance by his upper arm and pushing him into the seat beside me. The ride started and, honestly, it was cooler than I had imagined, but that's not what I was thinking about. I started thinking of how much better it would be if Aaron was sitting in the seat beside me.

The ride ended shortly after with me blabbing to Chance about how cool the ride was. I was expecting Aaron to be standing there, smirking; some candy floss in his hand, but he wasn't there.

But that wasn't what broke my heart.

I looked over to the line of the ride to find that the 'ticket girl' was also nowhere in sight.

____________________________

"Come on! This way!" He could hear the sound of her excited voice, but it faded to a mere muffle as he stared at his phone. He couldn't seem to focus on even the blaring music, not when he didn't know how his mother was at home.

Yes, it was her that had told him to get out of the house. On common days, before he had known of her ailment, he would jump at the opportunity of being out, but now it was different. How could he even think of leaving her alone when he knew of her condition?

So, when Chance had come to visit her and his mother had suggested they go meet Lexi, Aaron had been more than reluctant. Despite his mother's and Chance's attempts at persuading him, there was a niggling sense of paranoia in the back of his mind that told him to stay by her side.

In the end, however, he had relented, knowing that his mother was stubborn as hell; she would most definitely not take no for an answer.

So, here he was, at the fair, alongside Chance and Lexi who were running a slight steps ahead of him. Even as he messaged his mother a several time, he could hear them bickering.

"Oh come on Alexis! You're dragging us everywhere and my feet hurt!" Chance cried in his typical whiny manner. Aaron had known him since they were children and he knew enough to know that Chance was not sporty in the slightest, save for playing water polo. It made him laugh as he though to the memory of Chance trying to join in to play American football with him, Danny and Justin. By the end of it, he was littered with bruises and Danny would not stop taunting him for his noodle arms.

"Suck it up, Benedict." Lexi muttered in a deadpan tone and it took him back slightly. When he had first laid eyes on her, the first thought that came to mind was how beautiful she was- yes- but the second thing most definitely had been that he had never seen her before in his life. He didn't doubt her words when she said she had been at his school the entire time, but it made him conclude that she must have been a recluse of some sort. How else could a beauty like her stay so hidden?

Yet, now, it seemed as though his conclusion was incorrect, giving the way she was talking to Chance.

"It's not Benedict. It's Chance. You make me sound like a bloody egg." Chance spoke, letting out a snort and Lexi turned around, merely eyeing him flatly before shrugging.

"Could've fooled me. You sure smell like one." She muttered, making Aaron laugh at her words. Indeed, she was different to what he had initially assumed. Even now, when she pointed to the distance, eyes alit with an excitement that he found to be oddly endearing.

"Come on! Let's get to the rollercoaster before the line queues up too much!" She shouted enthusiastically and before he could continue observing her like an eagle, his phone pinged and he looked down.

'Yes, for the tenth time, I am okay' ~ Mom

He knew he had asked many times since he left the house, but he could not help it. If he had relented to leaving the house, the least she could put up with was his paranoia.

'Just making sure.' ~ Aaron

He could see her typing to his response and he didn't look up as he followed the other two as they moved through a queue.

'If I get your Aunt to come over, will you stop texting me and at least try to have fun?' ~ Mom

Aaron thought about her words for a second. Of course, he trusted himself most with her, but his Aunt was a close second. She was only 3 years younger than his mother, so they had always been close. Perhaps, that's who she needed at this point- her sister; not him being so clingy. So, with a relenting sigh, he typed his last message.

'Call her quickly. Bye.' ~ Aaron

Those were his last words and then he put his phone in back pocket, looking up finally to see the unfamiliar surroundings.

"Which ride are we at?" He asked before looking towards Chance, who was on the ground, shoes off, rubbing his feet. He eyed his friend in disgust, albeit being used to his odd habits.

"Dude, do you really have to do that here?" He questioned, his nose crinkled slightly and his eyebrows furrowed. He thought it was disgusting, yes, but more so he was saying it for Lexi's sake.

Chance sniffed and continued rubbing his feet in response.

"It's not my fault I have sensitive feet, but you guys wouldn't know anything about that" He huffed. He then blew his hair out of his eyes.

"Primitive apes" he muttered sourly, under his breath, but Aaron heard and he merely raised an eyebrow at his friend's strange behaviour before turning towards Lexi to give her the 'whats up with him' look. Even now, he found himself transfixed by her beauty as she shrugged in answer, turning away from him.

He was about to ask if she would sit next to him on the ride, but she was concentrating towards the front. He gave her one last look before turning away.

"How's Aunt Sam holding up?" Chance asked softly, glancing up from where he was sat and Aaron smiled at the concern in his tone. Despite not actually being related, Chance held a deep care for his mother.

"Good if you don't count her annoyance at my constant texting." He mused, trying to make light of the heavy question and, luckily, Chance went along with it, smiling casually.

"I don't blame her; you can be very annoying." He joked, making Aaron laugh. He was about to speak, but a voice interrupted him.

"That would be 3 tickets, please."

He turned around, eyes meeting a tall olive-skinned brunette, who was extending her arm towards him for a ticket. He couldn't help it then as his lips quirked up at the familiar stance.

Distraction.

It was all he could, specifically when the thought of his plagued his mind like a dark shroud. He knew he shouldn't give in; every time that he did, he was just like his father. But, there was no better way to suppress the sorrow; no better way to forget.

So, he just watched as she put her hand on her hip and thrust her chest subtly to let him know she wanted him. He only smiled as she neared him, the smell of strong perfume wafting to him. He suppressed the cough as she smiled at him.

"I don't think this ride will be to your taste." Her voice was deliberate and foreign. He knew what she was hinting at but he only raised an eyebrow innocently, the thought of his pain sinking away into the depths of his mind.

"Excuse me. I've been waiting for ages to go on this ride. Can you quicken it up?" Lexi's voice broke him back into reality and he turned to see her familiar petite form, the very sight putting him into stunned silence.

It was with one look at her that he finally realised his surroundings, but he found he didn't like it. He didn't like that, with one look at her, he was thrust back into the reality where his mother was ill and he would truly be left alone. He hated it with a fervour he couldn't explain.

"Sure." The girl took the tickets from Lexi who turned around to give one to Chance. It was at that moment the girl nudged him in the arm, eyes only on him.

"Want to get out of here?" She whispered just to him but, before he could say anything, Lexi turned to him, handing him the ticket.

He could only look at the ticket. In actuality, it was just her extending a hand with a mere piece of paper for a ride, but to him it felt like more. It was though she was extending her hand out to pull him out of the sinking hole he had burrowed himself in. She was to be his salvation, bringing him back into the world that God had so miserably fated for him. It didn't take too much thought for him to shake his head, refusing her offer and she raised an eyebrow in question.

"What's wrong, Aaron?" She asked and he faltered at her tone, wanting to give into her, if not for the momentary bliss that she provides. But, he knew what he'd have to face if he accepted, so he spoke, looking at the rollercoaster.

"I don't know. It's just... I never liked this ride.

You and Chance go on since you like it so much. I'll go get us some candy floss, yeah?" He excused himself with that because he couldn't find it in him to tell her the true reason. If she minded, she didn't show him and just nodded happily.

"Okay" She chirped, happily and it tugged at something within him. He knew, leaving with this girl, he'd be giving up the doe-eyed beauty in front of him and it made him waver. Leaning forward, he kissed her cheek lightly.

"Be right back" he lied before moving away from her. A girl like her would do too much to his heart and he knew it would be too much to take.

So, he didn't look back once as he walked away because it would make him falter yet again. He could hear the footsteps of the ticket girl following him and he clenched his hands by side to strengthen his resolve.

It was either to distract from the pain or to drown in it entirely.

And he had made his choice.

_________________________________________

"I don't know. It's just... I never liked this ride. You and Chance go on since you like it so much. I'll go get us some candy floss, yeah?"

"Okay" I chirped, happily. Aaron smiled in return, kissing me on the cheek lightly

"Be right back" he whispered and with that he moved away from me, said a quick goodbye to Chance before heading towards the candy floss machine.

I yanked Chance by his upper arm and pushing him into the seat beside me. The ride started and, honestly, it was cooler than I had imagined, but that's not what I was thinking about. I started thinking of how much better it would be if Aaron was sitting in the seat beside me.

The ride ended shortly after with me blabbing to Chance about how cool the ride was. I was expecting Aaron to be standing there, smirking; some candy floss in his hand, but he wasn't there.

But that wasn't what broke my heart.

I looked over to the line of the ride to find that the 'ticket girl' was also nowhere in sight.