Mismatched Compatibility (20)

I think the song's perfect for this chapter! I totally recommend it to be played while reading this! :)

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Dana:

I laughed out loud, remembering Nigel's joke during dinner. He was quite a humorous person.

“It wasn't even that funny.”

I quickly looked at Ethan who was walking beside me.

“Yes, it was,” I said.

“How come you never laugh at my jokes like that?”

I gasped. “You make jokes?”

“I'm not surprised you didn't get them,” he shrugged, mocking pity.

“I wonder if anyone got them at all,” I muttered.

“Hey. I come up with the best lines, you know.”

Oh, don't I know it.

“Are you afraid of heights?” he suddenly asked.

“No,” I answered thoughtfully.

“Good, because I wanna try out the roller coaster first,” he stated, increasing his footsteps as he entered the large arched entrance of the carnival.

“But we just ate!” I protested, following close behind him.

“That's half the challenge,” he grinned.

I opened my mouth to say something but I stopped as I took in where we were. There were lights everywhere I looked. We were inside the carnival at last! It was everything I had imagined it would be at night.

“Wow,” I mumbled, as I took in my surroundings.

“What, never been to a carnival before?” chuckled Ethan.

“Not really,” I admitted.

He stopped laughing.

“You serious?”

“Yes.”

He gawked at me, causing me to roll my eyes.

“I've been to Disneyland once,” I told him. My eyes wandered around the booths and rides from afar. I added, as if I caught my breath, “But it wasn't anything like this.”

I liked this so much more, to be honest. I felt like I was in one of those chick flicks I loved watching. I already getting giddy just thinking about it.

“So I'm like, your first?” concluded Ethan slowly.

I winced and looked at him immediately. He was smirking. My cheeks flushed in embarrassment.

“Don't put it like that.”

He laughed. “I tell it how I see it, babe.”

“You see sexual innuendos everywhere,” I scoffed.

“I'm a sexual person. I can't help it.”

I sighed, my eyes wandering around the place once more. I blinked as I saw something that caught my eye.

“I want to shoot a gun,” I murmured.

“At me?” asked Ethan, surprised.

“No,” I replied, shaking my head. I pointed towards a booth not too far away from us. “There! I want to try that first before we go to the roller coaster.”

He considered it. “Deal.”

We went to the booth and waited for the other couple to finish. The man won the woman he was with a little toy. She kissed him giddily as they walked away.

Awe, how cute.

“Do you know how to aim?” Ethan asked me, bringing my attention back to him.

I flashed him a sheepish smile as I shook my head in answer. He nodded and signaled the bored staff to come closer. The gangly teenage boy looked like he'd rather be anywhere than working here.

“Mechanics?”

The staff boy gestured towards the targets, which were a stack of cans, as he explained, “Shoot one, small toy. Shoot two, medium sized toy. Shoot three, you get the big giraffe.”

Looked easy enough.

“Alright,” I said seriously. “Let me have a go.”

“You heard the lady,” Ethan told the staff boy, in a voice that sounded like he was trying to keep himself from laughing.

I ignored him and received the toy shotgun from the staff boy.

“I just shoot the target?” I inquired, making sure.

“Yep.”

“Take your time aiming,” advised Ethan. Then, he continued in a playful voice, “Don't be pressured trying to impress me.”

If truth be told, I was disappointed. I was sort of expecting Ethan to teach me like the guys in the movies did to the girls. But then I remembered, he probably didn't have a romantic bone in his body. He was seductive, yes. But not quite the romantic type.

“Breathe,” he whispered in my ear.

I had to stop the urge to jump in startle because he was suddenly very close to me. I hoped to all that was mighty that he didn't notice the goosebumps he caused on my arm.

I took a deep breath, following his advice. I made sure that I was on point before I pressed the trigger. However, I missed.

I pouted, while Ethan laughed out loud.

“Let me at 'em,” he said, taking the shotgun from me. He looked so confident as he aimed and shot at the target.

He missed, as well.

I laughed this time. “Were you trying to impress me?”

He grinned at my joke and shook his head in amusement. He didn't answer me, though. He tried shooting again, but failed. And again.

Finally, he sighed and gave up.

“Fuck, I suck at this,” he grunted, giving back the toy shotgun to the staff boy.

I, on the other hand, couldn't stop myself from laughing. I thought that since he was a basketball player, he would be quite good at aiming.

“Come on,” I said, grabbing his arm and pulling him away from the booth before he decided to have another go at it. “We've already proven how much we don't have a chance of winning any prizes from there. Let's just ride the roller coaster.”

“No way,” refused Ethan firmly. “I'm not gonna let you think I'm a shitty date that can't win you a stuffed toy.”

My goodness, the butterflies are going wild in my stomach. I think they're quickly making their way to my heart.

I couldn't help but smile. Ethan was being so adorably sweet and he didn't have a clue about it. Perhaps my judgment was getting tangled up. But during these past couple of days, I've come to know him immensely.

His way of saying it might come off as a little bit rude. But his intentions were nothing but thoughtful. His language was growing on me.

“You won a basketball game not a couple of hours ago,” I reminded him.

It was as though a light bulb flicked on in his mind, for he immediately grinned and held my hand to drag me with him.

“Where are we going?” I asked curiously. He looked awfully excited.

“To a place where I can win something for sure.”

After several seconds, we made it to a basketball booth. My facial expression grew into understanding on what he was planning to do.

Ethan turned to the person manning the booth, who seemed about our age and somewhat a bit awkward looking. Ethan opened his mouth to say something but the male staff interrupted him.

“Oh, no!” he groaned. “No, no, no.”

“What?” demanded Ethan.

“You can't play,” the male staff told him. “We only have one biggest prize left. Give others a chance.”

Wow, he believed Ethan was that good. I glanced at the wall of prizes. I assumed that he meant the big stuffed unicorn.

“I'm a paying customer,” smirked Ethan.

“It's like cheating if you play.”

“How am I cheating? I'm putting my talents to good use.”

“But –”

“Shut up and give me the fucking ball, Tommy.”

I blinked in surprise, staring at Ethan.

“You know him?” I asked, a little dumbfounded.

Ethan shrugged. “He used to do my homework for me back in high school,” he answered nonchalantly.

I frowned.

I really shouldn't be surprised that he was one of those bullies that were such jerks to people who they thought were below them. I was disappointed, to be honest. I hated those kind of people.

Ethan saw the expression on my face. As if he read my mind, he sighed and his shoulders slouched.

“It was all business,” he said defensively.

I looked at him skeptically. “What did he get out of it?”

“Free pass to all the house parties,” he replied, as though it was the most obvious thing in the world.

“Those parties are open to everyone.”

At least, that's what I know.

Ethan tilted his head, pressing his lips together.

“Not exactly.”

“Protection, too,” someone piped up.

Ethan and I turned our heads to the person who spoke. It was Tommy. When he saw that he got our attention, he shrugged.

“The bullies in my year stopped coming after me when they saw I was under Ethan's wing,” he went on, looking away shyly. “He also taught me a couple of pick up lines here and there. I actually got laid be –”

“Okay, too much information now,” I quickly said before he got any further.

“Oh, sorry.”

“I seriously don't remember any of the latter,” Ethan told Tommy.

Tommy hesitated. “You were kind of drunk that time.”

Ah, that explained it. From what everyone told me, Ethan turned into quite the man whenever he had a drink of an alcohol.

Then I realized, it wasn't fair to Ethan because I was judging him for being the person he used to be. He might have the foulest mouth in the state, but I knew for a fact that he was quite the nice guy when he wanted to be. After all, he showed kindness to me even when he didn't like me.

Granted, he didn't pay for my meal the other day. I also had to talk him into letting me stay at his house for a few days. Still, he let me stay, didn't he? He went along with my silliness at the airport even though he owed me nothing at all.

Then, I found out how he could be such an incredible friend to have. Despite his childish antics, his way of life was something worth learning from.

“Whatever, give me the ball.”

“Three shots. All in, you get the unicorn,” explained Tommy, handing the ball to Ethan. “At least attempt not to be good at it.”

“Not possible,” muttered Ethan, chuckling.

Sure enough, all the balls went in smoothly. Tommy begrudgingly gave the big stuffed animal to Ethan, then he gave it to me.

“Peace?” he offered, giving out the most adorable puppy dog look I had ever seen in my entire life. It was rather cuter than my childhood best friend Karl's, the one who had the most boyish face amongst everyone I knew!

I giggled like the giddy girl I was as I hugged the unicorn.

I am shameful.

“Thank you, Ethan.” I smiled warmly him.

I could swear that I saw him smile for real, with a soft look on his face. But it was gone before I could ponder more over it.

“Don't sweat it.” He suddenly grinned as though he remembered something. “Time for the roller coaster!”

Before going to the roller coaster, we made a detour to the parking lot so I could put the unicorn there. That way, I wouldn't have to carry it around with me all night long. I thought that was quite thoughtful of him.

Eventually, we made it to the roller coaster. Before I knew what was happening, we were on our seats and getting ready for take off. We sat right in front because Ethan insisted on it. I shouldn't have let him talk me into it.

This is my first time. I think I'm regretting going along with Ethan without even telling him that I haven't ridden a roller coaster before. At least, not ones that I'll have to be upside down on.

Oh my goodness, we're moving!

This is it. I don't think I'm ready for this. Shall I tell them to stop? Can they stop this thing so I could get off? Oh, my. Oh, my.

I squeezed my eyes shut and prayed.

“Relax,” said Ethan, reaching for my hand and holding it soothingly.

I gulped. “Ethan, I don't think I ca – AAAAAAAHHH!”

AAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!!!

Good heaveeeeeeens!

What did I get myself intooooooooo?!

I screamed at the top of my lungs! Even in my mind, I was still screaming! The drop was so unexpected that I really did felt like I was free falling to my death.

I wasn't sure, but I thought I heard Ethan laughing beside me.

At some point, I couldn't take it anymore so I closed my eyes until the ride was finally over. When it was, I panted heavily. I just came to the realization of how much I enjoyed it – the wind against my face, the speed, everything!

“That was such a thrill!” I told Ethan excitedly, as we were walking to the exit.

He snorted. “You had your eyes closed the whole time.”

“I let my skin feel the rush,” I replied defensively. I didn't want to tell him that I was scared out of my wits.

“It'd be better if you saw it with your own eyes, too,” he said, winking at me.

I rolled my eyes. “All right, Dumbledore. Now where to next?”

“The pies,” he answered, grinning wickedly.

Ethan and I walked side by side as he led us to the booth where we could throw a paper plate full of what looked like whip cream to the wall of heads. Yes, real live heads of people as targets.

“It's tradition for the high school teachers to do this,” Ethan informed me.

I smiled, nodding in answer. I was so giddy inside. I've only seen these kind of stuff in films. I couldn't believe that it was happening right now in front of me.

After Ethan got his fun throwing pies, he let me try it. I was hesitant at first because I was throwing it at a person, but they all encouraged me. When they assured me it didn't hurt them, I finally did it.

We couldn't stop laughing.

We went to the Ferris Wheel next, because I wanted to go. I noticed Ethan got slightly bored while we on there, so I asked him to point out the fascinating places around town while we were up top. He turned lively after that.

It was quite clear that no matter how he liked to appear indifferent about this sort of thing, he really liked it here.

We tried out more booths because there weren't much to ride anymore, for the only ones left were kiddie rides. Nonetheless, we still had fun.

We kept laughing throughout the night, sometimes when one of us make a witty remark at petty things that we observed. We went in the House of Mirrors, and we laughed some more at the dopy faces we made.

It was strange how much we didn't get along at first. Of course, we still had our differences. But putting all those aside, we could really hit it off.

At around ten o'clock in the evening, fireworks erupted. We were sitting at one of the benches, almost done with our ice creams.

“The perfect way to end such a wonderful day,” I murmured, smiling as I gazed up at the fireworks.

“I had fun, too.”

I glanced at Ethan. “'Fun' is a major understatement.”

He grinned. “True.”

“Thanks for today, Ethan,” I told him, as I flashed him my warmest smile. I was quite grateful to him for this beautiful day.

He didn't answer, only staring me. I went back to admiring the fireworks. All of a sudden, I felt soft lips on my cheek. I froze in shock.

“Stop being cute,” whispered Ethan to my ear. “I'm the one who's supposed to be irresistible here.”

I blinked. My heart was beating so hard at what he did and said. I forced myself to recover and tried to calm my uncontrollably beating heart. I put my free hand on his shoulder and leaned closer so I could also whisper in his ear.

“Who said you weren't?” I said in what I hoped to be my most seductive voice.

I've flirted with Ethan before. Why not flirt back now? I'm done being a good two shoes. I'm done being the perfect role model. It's time to go with the flow and not overthink about stuff that may or may not happen.

It was all right not to care anymore. Because I knew that there was someone who've seen all sides of me and didn't give a care about my flaws. He didn't frown upon it. In fact, he didn't just accept it. He understood it.

Who on earth wouldn't fall for that?

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Do you think it's going too fast? What do you think of Ethan kissing Dana like that on the cheek, uncharacteristically cheesy or just right? :)