"We're here!" Liam walker grins, following the three as they finally make it to the entrance of the convention.
They walked about a mile after getting off of the bus, which wasn't so bad.
The building was bigger than any normal store or club around the area and it held a big party sign with blue and red triangle flags hanging off the ends that read; "Storytelling Fair!"
Ethan looks around in awe, the weather was perfect for this too. The grass was its beautiful green and there was about two hundred fifty people lined up, a lot for such a convention.
"I think that's the queue, over there!" Ethan gleams, pointing at the lined up people who mazed between metal bars. There weren't too many people lined up, it looked bearable at least.
The sounds of people chatting and walking around sounded like music to Ethan's ears, such conversations around books and the collectiveness was the one thing he loved about getting together over a common intreset of a topic.
The three— Liam joining— the four made their way onto the line, Irene in the back.
"I am excited, will they be reading Poe or Shakespeare in the joined reading? Or maybe Grimm?" Ethan hums, trying to look excitedly past the line. Irene looks up at him before keeping her gaze trained onto the ground.
"Pinwick, we speak the same. I wish for Poe, his raven is such a beauty." Liam walker grins, his perfect white teeth contrasting his brown skin.
"I agree, but I favor Grimm's fairy tales. Always a classic and favorite." Priscilla pipes in, joining the discussion.
The lined moved steadily and soon, they were due for admission.
"Twenty each, please." The man behind the ticket booth said in a bored tone as he readied four ticket wristbands, counting the kid's heads.
Ethan reached into his khaki pocket and pulled out a twenty his father splitted and handing it to the man.
"Thank you, here's your ticket and schedule."
The man leans over the booth and helps attach the yellow golden, paper wristband to his right wrist. Ethan stared at it for a second before taking a small schedule pamphlet and moving aside and letting his friends pay for entry.
As they walked in, Ethan looked around in such happiness. The booths of books to buy, people chatting, stalls of showcasing and the artificial light made it all the better.
"Priscilla, want to check out the Grimm books with me?" Liam Walker proposes, walking in and writing in his notepad. Priscilla bites her lip, looking between the back of Ethan's head and her beloved Grimm books.
"Fine, let us not stall." She gives a sigh of defeat, following Liam Walker off somewhere into the venue.
Ethan looks behind him to see that Priscilla and Liam were off somewhere, leaving him with a grumpy brown haired girl. This was his chance to make friends with her! Oh, and he was going to use it.
"Hey, Irene. What kind of literature fancies you?" He asks with a smile, turning to look back at her. Her scowl from earlier was gone and she looked nice when she wasn't glaring at him.
"…Nonfiction." She mumbles, almost unheard by him as she stares down at her feet.
"So, like biographies or history perhaps?" Ethan questions as they walk through the building.
"Perhaps." She huffs softly, turning her head away from him. "I enjoy fiction sometimes as well."
"Really? Oh, want to go over and see what's happening at that stall?" He points out a stand where they're selling nonfiction and fiction books.
Irene allows herself to be dragged over to the booth and she inspects the books. "But, I don't have enough money. My mother only gave me enough for the bus and entry." She explains under her breath, her dull brown eyes scanning over the books.
Ethan turns to her, contemplating what he could do. "So, do you see any book you want?" He asks, watching the girl pick up and inspect a nonfiction book about valcanos.
"Yes, I do like this one about agriculture." She was holding a book with a white cover and title read; "Agricultures Beauties" alas, she set it down before shrugging. "Can not buy it though, doesn' matter." She turns on her heel, preparing to walk the other direction.
"Oh, wait. I'll buy it for you. My father gave me money to use during my time here at the fair." Ethan explains as he hastily rummages in his front pocket.
Irene looks over her shoulder before her eyebrows scrunch up in a scowl. "Don't bother, I don't want it anymore then." She said before briskily walking away.
He sighs and looks up at the saleswoman. "How much is this book?" He questions, taking out his money and unfolding it.
"twelve dollars and ninety-four cents." The woman says, taking the book and putting it in a paper bag, putting it beside him on the red tablecloth.
Ethan hands over his money and takes the bag, looking around for Irene who had walked away.
Where was she?
"Hey, Ethan." He flinches and looks beside him to Priscilla Greenfield who was looking up at him with an innocent smile. Ethan returns the smile.
"Oh, where were you?" He tilts his head a bit before going back and trying to look through the various people to find Irene. Priscilla hums and walks with him, she held a paper bag in her hand.
"I went to the Grimm stand where they talked about the history of the Grimm brothers. Oh, and I bought a book there!" She smiles, holding up the bag for him to see.
Priscilla watched as his focus was looking around the people who were walking and chatting.
"Ethan?" Ethan snaps out of his focus and blinks, turning his head over to look at her.
"Yes? Did you say something?"
Priscilla sighs quietly before looking down at the ground, "nothing." She murmurs.
"I heard it so, guys! I heard it so!" Liam chimes in, joining them in walking past the various stands and stalls.
"Hm? Heard what?" Priscilla looks over to him, watching him write in his notepad.
"They're having a reading of Dr. Suess in the hall down the left corridor in about twenty minutes." He says matter of factly, reciting words from his notepad.
"Hey, have you seen Irene?" Ethan asks, frowning slightly as he finds he can't find Irene at all. Liam shakes his head, "last time I've seen her she was here with you."
"You shouldn't worry about where she is. I mean— what if she wanted to get away from us?" Priscilla mumbles, biting on her thumb nail.
Ethan raises an eyebrow at her words befor going back to looking around. "Perhaps, but I want her to go the reading event."
Both Liam's and Ethan's head turns to Priscilla once they hear her let out a big sigh.
"Forget I questioned then, Ethan." She grumbled before walking down the hall and away from the two boys.
Liam raised an eyebrow as well at her attitude as Priscilla never was one to act salty or even semi-rude.
"Did you do something to her, Ethan?" Liam asks as they walk through the building to go find Irene, or maybe even Priscilla who wondered off just now.
"No, I don't recall doing anything to her." Ethan sighs sadly, now his green eyes stayed trained to the floor, not daring to look up and see an angry or disappointed Priscilla. The boy did not enjoy making his friends feel bad.
They spent some time looking at books and maybe even buying some merchandise from the various stalls. Ethan had loved it, he even saw a mime telling a story with their body language and he must admit to himself that he found it quite amusing.
"Oh, there's Irene and… Priscilla?" Liam points out, causing Ethan to look in whatever direction he was. No mistaking it, they were chatting together.
But it didn't look exactly friendly by Priscilla's body movements and Irene's usual scowl. As they walked over, Priscilla turned to him and smiled.
"Hey, I found her for you. Now, wouldn't want to miss that Dr. Seuss reading." She says innocently, twirling a blonde curl.
Ethan stares at her for a moment before smiling. "Right. Come on Irene, Priscilla." Ethan didn't question what they were talking about. He isn't so dense to not know it was not a friendly conversation but he didn't pry in their private business.
Off they went to enjoy the Dr. Seuss reading and the rest of their trip.