ADDA, HURRY up, Travis and his mother are at the door!
I'm coming!
She yelled from the small white bathroom, her unwrinkled shirt half buttoned. She brushed her long and creased ginger hair harshly, hurrying to make It look decent. Once the nods were subtle enough to be imperceptible to the eye and a superficial hand flicker, she rushed to her assigned drawer and took the deodorant in one hand, spraying It bluffly around her. Then, barely touching the slippery floor, she exited through the door that carried mold in the lower corners, closing It behind her with a click that warned her mother she was ready to go. It didn't take too much time before mother and daughter crossed a glance in the living room.
Ugh, Adda!
With two thin arms invading her space, Adda was prevented from reaching the front door. She turned around and backed a few steps away from her mother, who was trying to touch her messy hair.
This is... Ugh, you cannot go around like this, look at your hair! And with those clothes?!
Mom! You are making It worse, stop touching my hair!
Delicately, the girl repealed successfully her mother's attempts to groom her.
They are waiting. I'm gone, bye.
Before her mother could object, Adda had disappeared, and the three were heading to Grace's red Mercedes.
Hello Miss Grace, sorry for the tair!
Those memorized words came out of Adda's awkward smile as smoothly as the water then ran through the stream decently close to the place they were heading. Travis made the feint of hugging her, but quickly refrained himself as he realized the cold and sharp glim in his mother's wide eyes as she contemplated the scene from a few steps away. Instead, he offered her a friendly handshake with an expectant expression stuck in his bony face. The mid-aged woman walked away, turning too fast for the two teenagers to see her expression.
Nice to see you, Adda, ready to have fun?
His polite and formal words, extraterrestrial in Adda's ears, shocked her enough to steal her voice for a few moments, ages for that fabricated scene. Then, she reacted, a swift handshake and a crescent walking speed, almost a race to the shiny car.
Soon, they were all on the road and close to their destination. During the way to the fair, there was no conversation started, only a guttural silence mashed down with a mouthful of complaints and huffings derived from the struggles of the driver to recall the directions she had to follow to meet their stop.
Once they were free to breathe fresh air and see the clear sky, the adult in charge made an incision to the relief they felt. Although, for the pale girl, It first seemed like a break from the harshness of her house, like a comic relief.
'kay boys, we're gonna set some rules, because we all know that sometimes you can get too excited. Especially you Adda.
Her long nailed finger pointed at the puzzled young girl. Adda seemed to find somewhat of a glimpse of fun in the woman's exaggerated gestures and caricaturesque tone.
Yes, you.
She took a breath, before charging against the teenager.
With that thing, I can tell how much disgrace you cause your mother. I hope you learn soon how to dress like a lady for my son, but for now, you will obey the rules, got It???
The two friends exchanged an astonished glance, the tall guy had his long mouth contorted in a strange position, his yellowed by coffee teeth slightly showing.
Rule number one: you'll be ALWAYS with me, never alone. Rule number two: you will behave properly. Rule number three: you're only going to allowed places, I don't want to see you in any sinful attraction. And do not disobey me, okaaaay???
Yes, mom- mother.
Synchronously to him, Adda nodded in agreement.
Again, the old-fashioned clothed woman turned her back and started walking, clacking at every brief step with her red heels. As they walked, barely behind her, Travis bended slightly and, close to her ear, he whispered an apology. She shrugged It off, with a sympathetic look on her green eyes.
When they thought silence would be accompanying them through the annual fair, an annoying voice played, and, far from being ethereal, It remained for three hours, following the two friends everywhere and disrupting any pleasant conversation, which were scarce, since Travis' mother endless questions and judgments lead the theme of most of the meaningless conversations she relentlessly started.
Over the course of the day, Adda began to develop a headache that pulsed like her brain wished to leave that place and wander somewhere else more entertaining or calmer. On the other hand, Travis started to arch his back and pull his shoulders backwards as a routine, trying, and failing, to prevent his back from hurting after all day sloped and dragging his feet on the floor. The blonde woman didn't seem to notice, moreso due to her being too embellished in her chit-chattery than as a result of the lack of eyes in her back.
As if the day only did but to get worse, Travis' mother got caught up in a fight with a ticket-selling employer who was stuck in the claustrophobic cube that formed the cabin. The young employee seemed to secretly ask for help, as he deviated his eyes constantly, agitated and scared. Meanwhile, the woman berated and yelled at him harder and louder, making herself a fair attraction in the process, and looking at the notion of everything and anything around her while she fell into a spiral of madness.
Adda had her hand placed over her face, trying to zoom out of the shouts that came from the center of the crow formed around their adult supervisor, when, suddenly, a warm touch reached her hands. She uncovered her deep eyes as she gazed up to the boy she had come with. To Adda's confusion, he had a smile on his face, and gently he placed his big hand in front of her while announcing:
Let's go!
His head pointed somewhere far away from all the drama and embarrassment, which was everything his friend needed to know. They took off until the screams faded in the distance with the wind and the mumbles around. Then a doubt reached the surface.
Wait! Won't she get mad? She told us to not move from where she left us!
The boy scoffed It off without dropping her hand.
Don't worry, girl, she's gonna be busy for quite a while. Trust me, It's always the same. But we got time to have fun before she knows!
For once, the teenager let herself go, guided by an impulse, and his friend's hand. Without previous warning, Travis veered abruptly, shifting directions and making Adda loose balance almost enough to make her fall to the dusty ground. Then, they flashed into a large tent so quick Adda couldn't process It at first. It was dark, and light and noises called them from somewhere ahead. Travis' walk had become firm and eager, his mouth shut, and, quickly, Adda understood why.
Hey! This is the backstage, we're not supposed to be here!!!
Shhhh, don't scream!
I'm not screaming, I'm whispering!
You are doing like you’re whispering but it's loud!
Before Adda could reply, they were already at the edge of the stage, between curtains, and then Travis left his friend's hand, just in time as he jumped to the ground as silently as he could. Adda didn't think of It much before doing the same, and then, they were immersed into the dark, full of cheering and laughing spectators, embellished with the tricks and prowess of the spotlight.
Quickly, the girl was mesmerized by all the colorful dresses and the strange looks the performers presented. She tried lifting herself up, standing on tiptoes, to surpass the line of people in front of them.
Wow, this is so cool!
Yeah, it's good. Had you ever seen It before?
Nop, never. Have you?
There was no response and Adda didn't dare to take her eyes off the stage in fear she would lose even the tiniest detail of the spectacle, until she noticed a weight placed on her shoulder: the boy's hand. And it was starting to slip down.
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