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At this point, it was practically the tradition of Palmetto. It started as some stupid event, some small person’s idea. The middle of town, at the start, had been morphed into a low-rated, small-budgeted, horror-movie-esque fair. It had the careful balance between too much and too little, which everyone supposed was why it ended up growing as large as it did.
After only a few years, it turned into the talk of the town, the real reason everyone looked forward to the summer season with all the heat it carried along on its back. It lasted a month, ranging from the end of June to the start of August. Palmetto wasn’t a particularly large city in any way, shape or form, but the ticket prices managed to remain low enough as long as one didn’t try to include the costs of cotton candy, hotdogs, or quick-to-melt tiger’s blood shaved ice.
Decorations started going up on the first day of June, which was ridiculous in Andrew’s opinion. They never quite seemed done putting them up until the start, despite the whole month of careful and precise planning. Andrew only knew that because he generally helped out with planning, dragged onto the team by Kevin, Nicky, and Aaron; Kevin because he had nothing better to do (and wanted to spend time with Wymack), Nicky because Erik always visited in the summer to attend with him, and Aaron because his pretty little blonde girlfriend was there, too.
Most of his time setting up consisted of chugging ice-cold water to stave off the heat that his black clothing absorbed, laying in the grass with a pair of stolen sunglasses over his eyes (really, he had just swiped them from Allison while she was looking, and had received no complaints), and ‘helping’ set up tents by not being in the way while Wymack yelled at him to ‘get his midget ass to work’.
Then there was the whole not listening to what he was told ordeal.
Andrew did not meet Neil Josten at the Palmetto Summer Festival, but rather weeks prior. It was easy to tell he was new in town from the way he looked at the gaudy orange and white decor littering the streets, cheery in color but painful to the eye. He looked confused, wary, and a bit like he was already considering skipping town.
Though he couldn’t entirely blame him (Andrew would readily do the same if in a similar position), it made the boy easy to pinpoint as a new-comer. He obviously wasn’t a tourist, and he wasn’t familiar with this town in specific.
Andrew’s favorite coffee shop was a small hole in the wall. They served just about anything the usual coffee shop was willing to serve. Tea, coffee, small treats. Andrew liked them because the workers weren’t afraid to give him more than the usual amount of whipped cream to top off his order.
That was where Andrew met Neil Josten.
Foxhole Coffee was one of those shops. The owner (Wymack) had a soft spot for all the stray dogs and cats that were kicked to the curb or abandoned in his front yard, which meant he usually ended up hiring those strapped for cash or down on their luck.
The newest cub to join the litter was Neil, who called his name for his order with more than enough disgust in his tone. He also wasn’t afraid to tell Andrew exactly what he thought of his choice in drink.
“You’re going to get diabetes,” he said, matter-of-fact. “Like, tomorrow. No human is fit for this amount of sugar consumption.”
Andrew held his gaze, staring into the pools of blue instead of at the scarring of his cheeks, and took a nice long sip from his straw.
“Sure.”
Despite Neil’s hatred for Andrew’s sugar intake, and Andrew’s hatred for Neil’s pretty (and badly damaged, yet still intriguing) face, they saw each other more often than not.
For someone new, he had enough friends that it became bothersome. Allison, who was dating Renee, who was Andrew’s best friend, had also taken to Neil Josten. She couldn’t help but love a pet project, someone to doll up and play with.
Andrew thought it was something that came with being an only child.
That aside, Neil’s connection to Allison meant that Neil went with Allison when she went to help set up. Allison’s connection to Renee meant that Neil followed Allison to meet Renee. And, unfortunately, Renee’s connection to Andrew meant that they all went to him.
To make matters worse, Renee and Allison ended up running off together, which left Andrew with Neil.
“This town likes orange too much,” Neil observed unhelpfully while Andrew did absolutely nothing (unless one were to consider observing others doing the work he was there to do something).
“You complain too much,” Andrew responded, pointedly not looking at the red-haired boy with pretty blue eyes and scars that subtracted nothing. He instead watched people drag in more tents, more tables, more balloons.
“Whatever,” Neil said, waving a hand just as one of the balloons began its steady ascent into the sky, out of reach from the ones who were supposed to be watching and holding them. Andrew watched it until he no longer could. “You like it.”
“I hate you,” Andrew corrected. He wished he were a balloon, free to fly up, up, up into the stratosphere and out of view of the people on ground level.
Neil slotted himself into Andrew’s life easier than Andrew could’ve expected, which was unnerving to him. In usual circumstances, most the people who helped set up for the fair came into his life in brief flashes, then faded out after a few fun nights of carnival rides and stupid, money-stealing games.
Neil wasn’t like that.
He was at Andrew’s favorite store (and likely would be for a while, considering he worked there), he was spotted jogging outside Andrew’s apartment complex every morning like clockwork, despite the summer heat, and he was friends with all of Andrew’s favorite acquaintances.
Even if he wanted to, Andrew couldn’t escape him.
It was only at Allison’s pre-Palmetto Summer Festival party that they really got a chance to talk. Everywhere else there were interruptions: people moving around, orders to take, tents to set up and orange streamers to hang up.
At Allison’s pre-PSF party, there were shots and various kinds of alcohol, and water, and soda, and other things Andrew didn’t particularly care about. A whole month of dodging around conversations and annoying people, and there they were. Alone, with the others too drunk to bother them.
“So,” Neil said, his throat bobbing as he took a rather large drink of his coke. The conversation stagnated there, his unfinished sentence dangling for Andrew to take.
“So,” Andrew echoed. There wasn’t much to say now since they we’re alone, together. Andrew’s mind didn’t allow him to forget the short distance and the minimal distractions. “Tomorrow’s the festival.”
Neil hummed around his straw, and Andrew had to look away. Fuck Neil.
“Any plans?” Andrew asked, his tone clipped and uninterested.
“I work most the day tomorrow, since business apparently ‘booms’ during the festival hours,” Neil said, stirring his drink slowly. He wasn’t staring at Andrew. Yet. Andrew threw back a shot and swallowed it down to escape the burgeoning disappointment. “But, if I remember correctly, the festival’s an all night thing.”
Andrew glanced at him from the corner of his eye. Neil was looking now, and he had a smirk fixed on his face.
“So, Andrew,” he started, tongue flicking out from between his lips. “Any plans?”
It was always jarring to see the fruit of their (everyone else’s) labor during the festival. What was even more shocking was being there with someone else—someone who hadn’t even been around a year ago.
“Alright,” Andrew started while pulling his wallet from his back pocket. Him and Neil were planted in line for one of the many game booths. The one they were at was some sort of aiming game; a handful of cash for a couple of darts so they could pop balloons and maybe—maybe—get a prize. “For every game I win, I get to ask you a question and you have to answer honestly. That goes the other way around, too.
“Sounds fair enough to me,” Neil shrugged in response, stepping up to the booth. He nodded his head in the direction of the balloons with one fluid motion, sending his auburn bangs moving with it. Andrew swallowed and looked away. “You can go first.”
Andrew didn’t bother responding, opting to instead just shove three dollars in the direction of the man running the stand in return for three darts. He made the first two shots just fine, but fumbled the third. He merely shrugged it off and looked to Neil again.
And maybe he regretted it, with the way Neil’s auburn hair looked in the neon lights of the festival. Coming at night was a bad idea, he realized belatedly. Very belatedly.
Neil just smiled, “My turn.” He then proceeded to kick Andrew’s ass, receive a stuffed shark that he immediately handed over to Andrew, and contemplate his question.
Fuck Neil, Andrew thought again.
“Y’know, during the whole set-up of this thing, I didn’t see you do anything to help out really,” Neil said after a moment of walking, of browsing the booths set up. There was enough time between the darts and Neil’s question that Andrew had been able to grab a funnel cake. “Why go if you’re not even interested in helping?”
Andrew shoveled another bite of the sweet treat into his mouth while contemplating how to answered. “Kevin, Aaron, and Nicky like to help out,” he opted to go with between bites. “I just watch.”
Neil nodded as if it made sense to him and didn’t ask any further. They moved on to the next game.
It was during a very intense basketball hoop game that Andrew finally asked. It had been decided before they started that each point they got was equivalent to one question asked.
So, when Andrew scored his final point, he went for it.
“How long do you plan on staying?”
It had been nagging at him, the question. Somewhere between games, Neil had mentioned bouncing around from place to place. He had only come to Palmetto because it wasn’t too close, nor too far, from where he’d last lived. He didn’t let on about why he moved around, other than a comment about his mother dying and being tired of feeling like he was taking advantage of his rich uncle.
“I don’t know,” Neil said, and only a look from Andrew had him continuing. “I didn’t plan on staying long when I came here, but…” he bit his lip, turning his gaze away. Andrew found himself looking away, too. “I don’t know, I like it here. It’s not bad.”
“And the other places were?”
“No,” Neil said, huffing out a breath. “it’s just better.”
Andrew managed to safely avoid the ferris wheel until midnight, when Neil finally dragged him off to join the steadily slowing line. Andrew had tried to talk him out of it, but all it took was a bit of pleading and a bit of a doe-eyed look and Andrew was melting like the slushie Neil had bought him just minutes before.
Thanks to the time, it didn’t take long for them to be seated. Andrew would’ve rather waited than immediately get on, but he knew he would’ve stood there and stewed in his anxiety the whole time.
This was better, he told himself. That, and fuck Neil.
He squished the toy shark tightly with one arm and used his free hand to hold the bar. Neil looked relaxed and happy next to him, painted in the neon, flashing lights on the wheel itself.
Fuck him, Andrew thought again as the ride started to move, their small carriage swinging slightly and forcing Andrew to hold on even tighter.
“Relax,” Neil advised quietly, nudging closer after a moment. His hand hovered over Andrew’s own until Andrew was steady enough to grab onto him instead. He was warm and comforting, which he never would’ve thought prior to this moment.
It was fine and dandy, minus Andrew’s anxious quivering, until they grew closer to the top. Andrew could see everything, the entirety of the decked out, orange and white festival grounds. If not for Neil, he thought he might’ve been sick.
Neil nudged him, distracting him from the fact that they were almost, almost, almost at the top.
Andrew looked at him. They were close enough that he could feel Neil’s hot breath when he asked, “Can I kiss you?”
Andrew blinked owlishly at him as his brain processed the question. Three rabbit quick heartbeats passed before he bridged the gap, pressing their lips together.
They didn’t separate until the ride ceased in its movements and Andrew could breathe comfortably again.
“Yeah,” Neil muttered quietly, his eyes slowly blinking open. His pupils were wide and blown, his lips swollen. “I think I’m staying for a while.”