Aves wasn't exactly sure what he expected when Isabelle pointed out to him that their first date would be taking place at an amusement park, but…
This?
Perhaps a little back-story might help us understand what Aves was actually feeling at the moment. Going back in time, to the time when Aves was still a child, around six or seven years old; the day he and his parents decided to head to the town fare.
There was a warm breeze in the air, not quite unlike today's weather, but even that was unable to ruffle a certain young boy's black hair. That young boy, standing there next to his humble yet vibrant parents, gawking around at the various colourful eye candies like any country bumpkin would, was Aves Glotterman.
He was wearing a blue and white striped shirt that had a long strip of buttons, starting from his collar, and went all the way down to the bottom of his shirt. It would've looked nice had there not been obvious signs of wear and tear marking the seams all over his shirt, though. His pants were brown — dark — so any signs of long usage were hard to determine, but the fact that they went all the way down beyond his shoes made it clear that they were hand-me-downs.
And yet, despite all the misfortune that he and his family seemed to be going through, there he was, on his face a smile so wide that his baby teeth were slightly showing. And with every turn of his head, it only seemed to go wider.
It wasn't limited to Aves only though, as even his parents seemed to be taking in the sights around them with as much enthusiasm as the child beside them.
And how could they not be enthusiastic?
The loud chatter of the town folk all around them, the distant music coming from the various rides featuring colourful lights, and the smell of freshly made food and snacks wafting out of the many randomly placed stalls hither and thither. It all made for an exciting harmony of life. A life where… troubles were nowhere to be found. A life where people didn't have to worry about paying taxes, loans… debts.
It was the first time in Aves' life that he had visited a town fare, or any fare for that matter, and it was also the first time in his life that he had ever been truly happy.
"Come on! We don't have all day!" Unfortunately, they were standing near the entrance, so that precious moment of wonder and amazement was sadly interrupted by the annoyed urgings of the crowd behind them to get a move on.
Fast forwarding a little more than ten years into the future, the image of the young Aves overlapped with current day Aves, showing exactly how much he had matured through the years. His hair was longer, long enough to cover his forehead and almost touch his eyes, yet that also meant that it was quite the chore to keep it anything less than messy, especially when the slightest breeze could easily ruffle it. And speaking of his eyes, Aves was reminded of the 'vision' incident whenever he happened to look into a mirror, as ever since that day, instead of being the usual brown on black colour — black being his pupils and brown his irises — his eyes had become a mixture of black, brown and dull — almost argent — silver. It was very weird to have a pair of eyes that consisted of three different colours to say the least, but the silver lining in the matter was that nobody seemed to have noticed that change due to how small it actually was.
Suffice to say, Aves had already called and booked an appointment to see a doctor at the nearest possible date, but even then, it would still take a few days for that day to arrive. So, until then, he had to act as if that oddity wasn't even there.
Now, where were we?
Oh, yes.
Aves' changes were obviously not limited to just his face, as his entire body saw itself grow to a height that Aves unfortunately dubbed as 'not quite satisfactory'. He wasn't that short, but he would've liked to at least have grown a few more inches before his growth spurt completely stopped, but alas... His clothes followed the same style as when he was younger, but they looked much more neat and presentable. They weren't worn out, nor did they look like they belonged to that one dude that ate too much pizza; they fit him just nicely. Considering his family's circumstances, the only reason that he was able to afford to wear such nice clothes was because, a few years back, he had landed himself quite a fortunate part-time job that paid handsomely for a little while. He ended up using the money to help his family out of certain tough circumstances, and since he was just starting to get ready for college at that time, he also used some of that money to buy himself some nice clothes. Though, looking back, he dearly wished that he hadn't rushed into buying those new clothes and waited a little, for it became quite clear to him after the first day of college that his sense of fashion pre-dated the '90s.
Anyway, the overlapping pictures of both the young and the old Aves would've made for a sentimental view, had the latter version not looked he had just seen something awe-inspiring yet completely horrifying at the same time.
A little less than an hour ago…
Going into his first date with Isabelle, Aves wasn't in the right state of mind that a young person with a concerning amount of love for his girlfriend should be in, so he figured that he would get there extra early, and see why everyone liked this amusement park so much, hoping that it could maybe help take his mind off of the argument that he'd had with his parents the night before. That way, he could give Isabelle his one hundred percent attention. He didn't want to mess up his first date after all.
After getting dropped off by the taxi that he had called, at a distance that was not too far from the main gate, Aves could tell that based on the amount of people loitering near the parking lot, and the even higher number queuing up to enter the amusement park, there would be a lot more people there than he initially expected. So much so, in fact, that he got slightly worried that the place would be overcrowded. He had never liked overcrowded areas, and with the recent events concerning his vision, it was safe to say that he liked them even less now.
Regardless, he was already there, and he certainly wasn't going to back out now, not after paying what he considered to be an exorbitant sum for a single ticket. So, just like any law abiding citizen would, he went all the way to the back of the line that had happened to have stopped near a shawarma restaurant that constantly let out a tantalising aroma, and waited there. It was pure torture for Aves to try and withstand that smell on an empty stomach, so he worked hard to distract himself by listening in to people's conversations to try and glean any information about the amusement park. He was also secretly on the lookout for any odd signs that might tell him that he might fall into that odd state, that he dubbed as 'vision' for simplicity's sake, again. He wasn't sure if being in overcrowded areas acted as a trigger or not, but it was better to be safe than sorry. Besides, he had been doing this sort of thing for the past couple of days already, so it had almost become a routine for him.
Eventually though, he got tired of trying to listen in to specific people's conversations over the loud ruckus that was the crowd's collective voice, so he spent the next thirty minutes either worrying about how his date would go, or being ready for any sudden signs of the vision until he finally reached the counter.
There, he showed the till manager his ticket, and after a thorough inspection for any weapons, he was finally allowed inside the amusement park.
His first and immediate impression of the park was how impossibly far the amusement park itself seemed to stretch. He had initially gone into this with the expectation that it would be reasonably bigger than the fare he had gone to as a child, but… this much bigger? The contrast was humongous! Nevertheless, not once did his feet stop moving as he kept looking around for any obvious points of interest that he could stop by to meet with Isabelle later on.
After looking around for a bit, he eventually found a ride that he deemed to be perfect for his needs: the ferris wheel. It was easy enough for Isabelle to find due to its size, and Aves knew for a fact that couples always loved visiting the ferris wheel because of how romantic it was, so he figured it was a great choice if he wanted this relationship to progress smoothly. That's what he thought based on the amount of romantic movies he'd seen anyway. What he wasn't sure of was whether it was a good idea to have the ferris wheel be their first ride or not, since he normally saw couples ride it during the sunset or when it was completely dark out. For reference, it wasn't even noon yet at the moment. After giving the matter some thought, he decided he'd ask Isabelle for her opinion on what she wanted to ride first and he would just go along with her decision.
What's that? No, it's not called being a henpecked boyfriend, it's called being a gentleman…
Anyway, having decided where he wanted to go, Aves' footsteps sped up slightly in the Ferris wheel's direction.
Now, you see… this is where things get really interesting.
As time went by, and the seconds bled into minutes, Aves' footsteps started getting slower and slower. It wasn't that he was getting tired or anything, but it was because he was starting to realise something funny. The ferris wheel was actually much, much farther away from his position than he thought at first.
And here's the funny part.
If that was true, and the ferris wheel really was that far, how big must something be for it to be seen from a distance of at least a few miles?
Aves' was a smart fellow, but it seemed that his body reacted to the situation much faster than his brain did, seeing as to how weak his legs had gotten even before the sudden realisation that he might be screwed dawned upon him.
With hands that were a little sweaty, and legs that were more than just shaky, Aves trekked through the last couple of miles with all the courage that he could possibly muster. Oh, and if being courageous actually meant looking down at the ground beneath him all the time and not looking up no matter what, then yes, Aves was very courageous.
Unfortunately though, the good times were bound to end at some point, and end they did, thanks to the looming shadow that Aves quickly noticed appearing by his feet, marking his destined arrival at the ferris wheel's base.
Aves was aware that he couldn't just stand there all day, and that he had to look at the size of the ungodly thing at some point, but it still took a few deep breaths for him to muster the courage to raise his head and gaze at… at —
'Holy shit!'
This simple phrase right here can clearly answer our earlier question: how was Aves feeling at this particular moment in time?
There you go.
Simple words wouldn't be able to describe the complexity of Aves' thoughts at the moment. In fact, so complex were his thoughts, his brain was actually already trying to calculate the odds of being able to hide the ferris wheel's existence from Isabelle when she arrived there.
'I suppose it isn't legal — or even possible — for me to put a cover on top of this thing, huh?' Aves thought in dismay as he stared hopelessly at the ferris wheel.
The object in question was too big for Aves to even feel safe just by looking at it, so it would take one hell of a persuasion from Isabelle for him to actually get on it.
He then started slowly dragging his stiff body to the nearest bench while thinking about his next course of action.
'Maybe I should tell her that I'm not comfortable with this type of thing? No! I'd rather bring this whole thing down than tell her that. But, isn't that terrorism?' Aves forcefully snapped himself out of his delusion before his eyes could wander anymore on the search for any loose bolts that were holding the ferris wheel together.
Once he sat on the bench next to the line of people waiting to ride the ferris wheel, Aves finally realised how drenched in cold sweat his shirt actually was. His nervousness and anxiety definitely weren't fake, that's for sure.
'You really are pathetic, Aves Glotterman.' Aves scoffed in self-derision while he continued checking his condition.
'For once in your life, Aves, be a man! Come on! You can do this!' After taking a few minutes to calm himself down, Aves started mentally hyping himself up in order to hopefully survive this next ordeal.
After finally feeling that he was as ready as he could possibly be, he texted Isabelle to tell her where to meet him, and waited.
The next minutes passed by with Aves being utterly silent, the only indication that he hadn't blacked out from anxiety yet was the occasional glance he would take at the ferris wheel, followed by the nervous tapping of his feet on the ground.
Finally, after what Aves felt like was an eternity of waiting, he was startled into focus by a sudden voice calling out to him, "There you are!"
He turned his head to face the source of the voice who he knew for a fact was Isabelle. And there she was, slowly walking toward him, a small smile on her face as she waved her hand enthusiastically. Funnily enough, Aves noted that there wasn't an ounce of worry about their impending doom on her expression. Rather, it looked like she was looking forward to getting on the ferris wheel.
'I am so screwed.' Aves still responded to her with a smile of his own, though. He wasn't going to let his nervousness appear on his face.
"I didn't know you would come here so early! I kind of feel bad for making you wait here all by yourself." Isabelle pouted.
"Don't be. I needed that extra time by myself to clear my mind off of things." Aves responded in the same light tone Isabelle used.
He still wasn't sure on how to act around Isabelle exactly, since they hadn't actually spent that much time talking to each other, so he decided he would test the waters by acting like he would around anyone he was familiar with. Still, there was that tad bit of anxiousness within him anyway, considering that the one he was talking to was his first crush, girlfriend or not.
"Oh. Did it help? Clear your mind up, I mean." Isabelle asked.
"Oh, it sure did, haha." Aves chuckled awkwardly while secretly taking a glance at the ferris wheel behind them.
"You look beautiful by the way." Aves took this chance to complement her. "I-I mean you always do, but today, you look extra— hah, forget what I just said…"
Aves audibly sighed in defeat the moment he realised that he had let his nervousness get the best of him.
Isabelle didn't seem to mind his blunder, though, and giggled, "Thanks! I like the way you look too."
The fact that she responded in kind to Aves' complement did wonders in helping him relax and be less uptight around her.
"So… I take it that we will be going on the ferris wheel first?" Isabelle asked as she turned to look at the ferris wheel.
Aves did the same thing, but he didn't let his gaze linger on the giant behemoth of death for too long. "Yeah, I thought it would be nice to start off with it, unless… you want to go somewhere else?"
Aves tried his hardest to pass the question off as nonchalant, but he still wasn't sure if he had let any of his hopeful expectations seep into his voice.
Well, even if he had, Isabelle didn't seem to pick up on it as she turned around to face him once again with a twinkle in her eyes, "I think it's a great idea to start off with this one! You can't really see much during the night, so it's best we do it now while it's still sunny. That way, we can see much further into the distance! Who knows, we might be able to see both of our houses!"
Aves winced a little at the idea of being so high in the sky that he could actually see his house in the city from all the way out here, in the rural areas.
'She seems excited to say the least.' Aves had already given up on trying to weasel his way out of this situation, so he ended up just bracing himself for the upcoming adventure instead.
What he didn't brace himself for was Isabelle suddenly grabbing his hand and tugging on it while shouting excitedly, "Well, what are we waiting for? Let's go!"
Aves didn't struggle as she pulled him along to stand near the end of the queue. Aves' only saving grace was that the line was quite long, but he still wondered whether it would've been better to just get this over and done with quickly instead of prolonging his suffering.
Fortunately or unfortunately, the queue ended up getting shorter at a much faster rate than what Aves had expected, so he only got to talk to Isabelle for a bit before it was eventually their turn to get on. From their short conversation, Isabelle had apparently already been there with her friends before, even though she hadn't been able to visit all the rides. It comforted Aves somewhat that she had indeed visited the ferris wheel and lived to tell the tale, as messed up as it may sound.
With that being said, his comfort vanished as quickly as it appeared as soon as he took his first step into the all-around, see-through pod. At that moment, Aves swore on his life that he would have a very lengthy conversation with whoever designed this abomination if he ever survived this mission.
The ferris wheel was always on the go, so Aves didn't have much time to regret his life choices as he was practically pushed into the pod by the overly-excited Isabelle right behind him.
"Haha, this isn't so bad." Aves nervously chuckled the moment he took a seat. The seats on both sides of the pod were the only things that weren't see-through; it would've been a complete nightmare for Aves otherwise.
"Just wait until we get to the very top, you will absolutely love it!" Isabelle chimed in as she also took a seat, right across from him.
Aves didn't respond, the only thing going through his mind was the constant reminder to not look down no matter what. He started looking at the view on both sides though, since he didn't want to waste this once-in-a-decade experience.
They hadn't gotten too far up, about a quarter of the way to the top, but it amazed Aves nonetheless how small everything looked already. And despite the height they were at, he was glad to have noticed that he wasn't feeling dizzy or anything of the sorts. He was actually having fun instead.
'This is nice.' Aves thought, finally relaxed.
When they were about half way to the top, Isabelle suddenly asked, "Aves, can I ask you a question?"
Aves was snapped out of his trance and into attention by Isabelle's seemingly random question, making him turn his head to face her.
"Sure, go ahead." Aves curtly replied upon noticing her curious expression.
"What is it that you like about me?" Isabelle asked out of the blue.
Taken aback by her sudden sensitive question, as evident by him tipping his head to the side a little, Aves did his best to gather his thoughts and think deeply on how to best reply to her.
The truth was, Aves himself didn't really know the reason he was so… fascinated by her. It was as if something about her attracted him at first sight. As a matter of fact, Aves had often pondered upon this question many times himself, but he was always left with one answer that left him satisfied.
After taking a deep breath, which Isabelle didn't seem to mind, Aves seriously said, "I guess it's the fact that… when you smile, I know you're happy. If you're frowning, I know you're sad. When I'm around you, you don't try to pretend to be someone you're not. I guess that quality of yours is refreshing in a world filled with fake people."
"Oh, that, and you being beautiful, of course." Aves added with a cheeky grin.
Aves had had his eyes locked with Isabelle's throughout his admission, so he could see her expression slowly turning from surprise, to that of pondering, and then to joy. The sudden but familiar fit of giggling that followed his words gave Aves the confirmation he needed.
"I'm guessing you're happy?" Aves leaned in closer, a half grin on his face.
"It's a bad habit of mine. It — hehe — only comes out when I'm with my family." She admitted amidst her laughter.
"No, it's fine." Aves chuckled light heartedly. "I guess it proves that you're not trying to be someone else when you're around me."
"So… how'd you like it? The reason why I like you, I mean."
"I liked it a lot." Isabelle replied the moment she stopped laughing. She then got back to looking at the scenery outside of the window to her side; only this time, there was a soft smile on her face.
'I can get used to this.' Aves was glad that they chose the ferris wheel as their first ride. It made things much smoother between them, and he even noticed that he stopped stuttering whenever he talked to her. He was subconsciously starting to treat her just like he would a family member, but obviously in a more romantic way. He couldn't have been more glad about that.
A few minutes of peaceful silence ensued until it was suddenly interrupted by Isabelle's urgings. "Ooh, Aves, we're nearing the top! Come look!"
Aves still had to muster some courage to stand up and walk to Isabelle's side of the pod in order to look at the view beyond the glass alongside her, but he realised that he was now much less scared of heights than he was at the start, so it wasn't long before he was standing right next to her.
'This really wasn't so bad after all.' With miles and miles of grassland and speck-like houses laid before his eyes in an amazing spectacle, and the girl of his dreams right by his side, Aves sighed at how wonderful life could be sometimes.
"I am glad I came here with you." Aves smiled without looking at Isabelle.
"Yeah, me too. I'm also glad that we got the least scary of the rides out of the way first." Isabelle said back.
That was the last thing he heard before his smile turned stiff and his eyesight grew slightly blurry with tears.