Carnival

an excerpt

“We could go to jail for this!”

I hiss, arms crossing as I watch my best friend climb over the barbed railing to enter the grounds of Whitewater’s iconic carnival.

Lila lands, not so gracefully, but at least on her two feet. She untangles a piece of her t-shirt stuck to the metal railing. She has the audacity to shrug, sneaking a glance ahead to her not-so- great boyfriend, Tanny, and his two friends.

“C’mon Rina, we’ll be fine.”

That does little to convince me. Especially since Lila keeps scratching her elbow, a habit she does whenever she’s nervous.

“This is trespassing,” I stomp my feet but only earn a groan.

Lila takes a deep breath, but I swear I hear a twinge of uncertainty in her voice, “Well, I’m going ahead with the rest of them. Either wait here or tag along.”

I frown, watching as she turns around and rushes to Tanny. I mutter a string of curses under my breath as I begin climbing over the railing, careful not to nick myself.

Stupid Tanny.

When Lila told me she had a fun and adventurous Saturday evening planned, I thought she meant something that was more legal. But instead, here I am, breaking into a carnival in the wee hours of the night.