"They can deal without me for a while." Elijah said. A few beats went by. "I'm going for a walk."
Cassidy grabbed his arm. He stopped sharply and looked at her. "You mind me having my arm?"
"Leave her alone. Leave them alone." Cassidy said sternly. "They don't need to be messed around with."
"What makes you think I'm going to mess with them?" Elijah said shrugging off her grip.
Elijah blinked for about a minute. "Soon." He said slowly.
Micky turned and carried Cassidy back into the dance hall. Elijah ruffled his hair with the palm of his hand. He then turned and walked off into the direction he saw Valerie and Mike went.
"Ah man." Mike said as they arrived at the small fair. There wasnt many people around. "It looks like they may be closing soon."
"Rats." Valerie said. "So what now, we go back to the hall?"
Mike shook his head. He then walked over to a woman in a ticket booth. "Ma'am, we're in town for a concert."
"Oh?" The elderly lady asked. "Who are you seeing?"
"We're playing the concert." Mike said. "I was wondering how long you were going to stay open.
"Another half an hour." She said. "You two can go on in for free." She winked at Mike. "You seem like such nice people."
"Thanks." Mike said. When the lady wasnt looking he stuck five dollars into her collection jar. Valerie looked at him with a raised eyebrow as they moved away from the table.
"Its a charity, why take advantage of a nice old lady?" Mike reasoned.
"Oh you are sooo nice." Valerie smirked. "Are we going to help people across the street when we get back? Maybe sell cookies?"
"I think you got boy scouts and girl scouts confused there." Mike said as they approached a little car ride.
"They were both boring." Valerie said. Mike looked at her. "Where Chris and I grew up they didnt have enough money for two different scout groups so they combined the two. It made for a confusing year."
Mike and Valerie stood in line behind a man and his son. They climbed into a model t that seemed to be pulled long on a small track. Their car moved up a little bit. It seemed to be a low rent roller coaster. A red roadster was the next car up.
Mike opened the door for her. "Ma'am?"
"I don't get into cars with strange men." Valerie said in a labored southern accent.
"What about with me?" Mike asked.
"Well thats different." Valerie responded. She got into the car and sat in the passenger side. Mike popped into the drivers side. The door was closed for him. They rolled along very slowly on the track. It went for half a mile, and had very few twists and turns.
"Uh, whee?" Valerie questioned. The ride suddenly stopped. Mike made a honking noise while hitting the center of the steering wheel. They had then seen what had stopped the ride. The man with the child in the car ahead was getting out of the car. He was visibly queasy, and the boy visibly embarressed to be seen with him. The ride slowly rumbled back to life and slowly made its one lap around the track.
"Well that was something I'll never forget." Mike said as he got out of the car. He helped Valerie out of the roadster. "But I can sure try."
"So that ate up like five minutes." Valerie smiled. "Where now?"
Miek looked around. "The hall of mirrors." He grabbed her hand and ran off, with Valerie barely keeping pace with him. "At least you can't get queasy on this thing."
"I think that guy had way too many ranchos nacheros." Valerie commented.
Mike went inside the door. He could see her for a few seconds reflected on the glass surfaces on the mirrors but then she completely vanished. Ten seconds having gone by, he took off after her.
"You!" She said stammering. "What the hell are you doing here?" She demanded. "I could almost ask the same thing of you." Valerie heard a second voice and looked over and saw Mike standing at the entrance to the fun house mirror section of the maze.
"What, wait, this isnt want it looks like!" Valerie said pushing Elijah off of her.
"I sure know what it looks like." Mike said his voice rising angrily.
"Well I sure know what it feels like." Elijah said wiping off his face. Valerie moved to slap him but he caught her hand in mid-flight. "You are far too predictable doll."
"Get away from me." Valerie said her voice growling and her eyes flashing. She turned to look at Mike but he was already gone. Several unplesant swear words went through her mind. She followed Mike out of the hall of mirrors.
"Mike?!" Valerie called after him. He ignored her. "Michael!" She called out again. "You don't know what happened!"
"I do know what happened. I sure as hell know that somehow you've always managed to find yourself around or with Elijah. At the dance hall, at the diner. Hell even at the first club gig. You say you can't stand him but she sure manage to be around him alot. If you want to go back with him, tell me now."
"I don't." Valerie said with tears in her eyes. "I only want you."
Mike shook his head. "Not after that kiss I just saw." Mike turned around. "I find it impossible to believe you still don't have feelings for him at all." He quickly walked away. Valerie tried to keep pace with him but gave up, as he was too fast to keep up with. Elijah walked up to her side.
"So does this mean you're free?" He asked mock hopefully.
Valerie gave him a look of disdain. "Why don't you go play in traffic?" She then spun around and went after Mike. There had to be a way to talk to him. A way for him to listen. She just had to try.
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