Bright lights

and corny rides

filled with laughter

and anxious cries

of tiny children

and frustrated sighs

of parents who can't win

the giant stuffed toy.

The Cliche Ferris wheel

known as a romantic getaway

for horny teens

and drama queens

Once night time comes

the stars loom overhead

who knew this night would give light

to such a fight

of fearless kisses

and a flow of tears

now I know what I feel

only it was too good to be real.

So as people leave this fun filled scene

all I have is an upset stomach

from too much junk

and a sickened heart

who felt too much.

***        

Austin's lips touch mine and my eyes widen. Instantly, I feel him stiffen and pull away. I swallow, millions of thoughts going through my head as I stare at Austin. He stares back, and then glances away.

"Austin-" I start to say something, I'm not sure what but Austin cuts me off.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have done that. It was a mistake."

The Ferris wheel starts moving forward and Austin and I don't say anything. I don't know what to do, what to say.

When the ride finally hits the ground, the attendant let us loose and Austin starts walking away. Instead of stopping him, instead of making him tell me why he kissed me or most importantly, telling him how I feel, I let him leave.

Slowly I follow behind him to the entrance of the carnival, unable to clearly think.

How could he just kiss me and do that?

As I walk by the canteen area, I see Austin and Carla. Austin is up against the back of the burger bus and Carla is pressing up against him.

My heart starts to sink as I witness Carla kiss him. Suddenly, as if Austin could sense that someone there, he look up and our eyes connect. Carla looks up and sees me standing there too smirking as she waves to me. Then she reaches up and kisses Austin on the lips once more.

The same lips Austin just kissed me with. I feel a hand on my shoulder and turn to see Andrea standing behind me.

The look on her face says she knows everything before I can even tell her.

"Are you alright?" Andrea asks and I shrug and nod at the same time.

"Come on, your brothers are waiting by their cars." I walk along side my best friend as she talks away, jabbering on about everything and anything.

As we came to the entrance, lots of people and their families are also starting to leave.

"So, don't tell my brothers, about you know, Austin?" I ask and Andrea smiles.

"They won't hear anything from me. Best friend amnesty." Andrea then offers her pinky finger as we make a pinky promise.

"So where did you and Henry go?" I wiggle my eyebrows and Andrea giggles, then clamps a hand over her mouth.

"We just went around and talked. Nothing more." She smile, but I don't believe her.

"Hey guys!" Joey waves as we near him and the rest of my brothers. Aidan and Ben stand with Henry, Henry smiling at Andrea.

"Hey little man." I bend down and ruffle my little brothers hair. Joey swats my hand away and glares.

"You ready to go? Hey Andrea, you staying the night?" Jude asks, and Andrea laughs.

"That's a stupid question. Of course I am!" I laugh as Andrea roles her eyes at my brother.

"Alright, you guys can go with Aidan and Ben. Henry and Austin are coming to stay the night. Logan and Quinn coming with us."

At the mention of Austin staying the night, my heart drops. He is the last person I want to see. I notice Quinn standing with his arms crossed as he leaned against the back of Jude's jeep. Andrea eyes me, giving me a knowing look but doesn't say anything.

"All aboard!"Ben says and hops into the drivers side, with Aidan in the passengers seat. Andrea and I get in the back of the car and I realize there won't be enough room for everyone.

Henry climbs in beside Andrea, shoving me over to the door behind the passengers seat. I give him a playful glare but he just shrugs and smirks.

"Can we just put Austin in the trunk?" Andrea asks with a serious face and I hear Austin scoff from outside the car.

"Why it's where he belongs." I hear Andrea mutter after Ben says Austin isn't going in the trunk. I wonder if he will feel differently if he knew what Austin did.

"Here, just sit on my knee and then Emma can move over and Austin can sit beside her." Austin climbs in the backseat once Andrea is on Henry knee. I'm practically squished against the car, making the entire ride uncomfortable, never mind the fact Austin and I don't talk the whole way there.

Though with two of my brothers in ears shot of us, we wouldn't dare discuss what happened.

When we finally arrive at home, pulling up behind the rest of my brothers, Austin jumps out of the car. Jude unlocks the front door as Logan carries a sleeping Joey into the house.

Mom and Dad are still away at their meeting and won't home until tomorrow sometime. Andrea and I leave my brothers and their friends to there own devices, going inside and up to my bedroom. Andrea tries to keep me company by watching movies with me but I know she really wants to be downstairs with the boys.

But, hey at least she isn't stuck up on Mr. Newt, because that is just disturbing.

"Are you sure? I don't want to leave my best friend alone. Boys are stupid anyway, I'll just stay here." Andrea is halfway out of my room before turning back and coming back in. I roll my eyes at her.

"Says the girl who would rather be sitting next to her new obsession, so close she might as well be humping him." Andrea narrows her eyes but laughs. "Go have fun." I push her away and she stands up.

Eventually, I convince her to head downstairs. After she leaves, I lay back on my bed and close my eyes. And I see Austins face, his green eyes and smile. I member how it felt when he kissed me.

It felt good and I liked it.

Then I remember how he pulled away and what he said. Did he not like it? Did he decide I'm not good enough? is Carla a better kisser than I am?

"Em?" I look up at the familiar voice and see Austin standing in the door of my room. His hands are shoved in his short pockets and he look at me with apologetic eyes. I glare and him and don't say anything.

"I can explain, about what happened tonight..." Austin says after a few silent moments. I continue to stare, waiting for him to speak.

"I don't know what I was thinking...when I kissed you, I was inappropriate, I shouldn't have done it," I starte to cut him off but he kept going. "It was a mistake. So lets just forget about it alright?"

"So, wait a second. You spend days flirting with me, weeks even, leading me on and when you kiss me, you tell me to forget it? Are you really that much of an idiot?" I half whisper, half yell because I do not want anyone else involved.

"And then you go and kiss Carla, as if I wasn't enough for you, as if I am some toy you weren't satisfied with and threw it away? Do you know how that makes me feel?" Austin steps into my room, eyes wide.

"Emma, that's not..."

"Shut. Up." I glare, and stand up. "You know at first, I didn't like you, I figured you would just go away and leave me alone, and that was it. But then you seemed to be everywhere. And I found myself beginning to like you. So you know what? I like it when you flirt with me. I like it when you kissed me because Austin I like you but unfortunately you don't feel the same way."

Oh, man. I said it. I said I like Austin. To his face

Austin opens his mouth and closes it again. Like a fish

"Emma, I'm sorry..." I hold up my hand, making him stop in mid sentence.

"Just leave. Our feeling aren't mutual, I understand. So please, don't let the door hit you on your way out." I snap. Austin looks at me for a moment, letting my harsh words sink in before slowly backing out of my room.

I close my door and sigh in relieve, feeling like a weight has been lifted off of my shoulders. And it feels good even though Austin doesn't feel the same way, I put my big girl panties on and told him how I feel.

It's just one less problem for me.

I sigh, sit on my bed and pull out my notebook from underneath my pillow and open to a fresh page.

You say it was a mistake

walked away and let my heart ache

I try to forget

wipe you from my memory

no feeling left, no regrets

of leaving you behind and letting go

but when I can't help but think of you

it makes me feel so blue

because I realize my feelings for you are true.

The notebook is snatched from my grasp, and I look up to see Quinn. His eyes skim the words I've written, and he looks up, smirking.

"Trouble in paradise?" He asks, flipping through other pages of the book.

I jump off my bed and stand up to Quinn, reaching for my poetry. Quinn holds it over his head though, laughing.

"Give it back Quinn!" I yell, shoving him away. He stumbles but catches himself on the wall. "I'm not in the mood to deal with you," I say.

Quinn shrugs his shoulder. "I don't care." He says, in a hateful voice. "You know what I think would be fun? To show this to the rest of our brothers. I bet they would love to read your poetry!"

My eyes widen. If they read what I wrote in there, I'd never be able to see Austin again.

I narrow my eyes. "Just give me the book, Quinn," I say, taking a step forward.

Quinn grins, shaking his head. Before I can reach out and grab him, he spins and run out of my room, down the hall. I chase after him, down the stairs, fury soaring through me. We hit the bottom step and Quinn runs into the living room, still holding my book.

Sitting on the sofa is Jude and Logan, watching television.

"Give it back, you fucking prick!" I yell, and ball my fists into a ball. My words catch the attention of our older brothers.

"No," Quinn says, "you deserve everything you get."

"What's going on?" Jude asks, standing up.

I ignore him, turning back to Quinn. "Give it back."

Quinn smirks. "No. Hey Jude, do you want to read Emma's poetry?"

I lunge for Quinn, shoving him again. He stumbles and falls to the floor, the book falling out of his hands. Quinn grabs my foot, knocking me down before I can get it. I land on my side, pain bursting in my side.

Jude and Logan run over, standing over us.

"Stop fighting, now," I hear Logan say, his tone sharp.

Instead though, Quinn pushes me back to the floor and sits on my stomach. He pinches my arm, making me yell out.

"You fucking asshole, get the hell off of me!" I scream, my arm getting free and I hit my brother in the face. Quinn's head tips back, and clutches his nose.

"Bitch!" Quinn snarls, but before he can retaliate, he's lifted off of me by Logan. Logan holds Quinn my the arm, and Jude peers down at me, reaches down and hauls my off the floor by the arm.

"What the hell is going on?" He asks, and I narrow my eyes at Quinn.

I twist out of Jude's grip. "He started it," I say, nodding at Quinn.

"And I'm finishing it,"Jude says, eyeing the two of us. "Stop fighting, before you wake Joey up."

Quinn rips out of Logan's hold and rolls his eyes.

"Get out of here Quinn," Logan says, pushing him towards the stairs. Quinn goes up, glaring at me on the way by.

I reach down and grab my notebook, clutching it to my chest.

"What happened?" Jude asks, standing in front of me. His eyes are full of concern.

"Nothing," I say, stepping around him. "Goodnight."

My older brothers let my go without an explanation, and I head to my bedroom, wincing as I walk up the stairs because my side hurts.

I'll most definitely have a bruise in the morning.       

***

Why did Austin say that to Emma?

Thanks for reading!     

Vote and Comment!