Intro

Welcome!

-F-E-R-R-I-S-

Zachary and Levi, two random strangers, get stuck on top of the ferris wheel. The two begin to realize they have more in common than their love for carnivals.

A BoyxBoy story.

No smut, just peaceful love between two teens.

Part 1

Zachary’s POV

“C’mon, I wanna go on the rollercoaster.” My sister said.

I was peer pressured by my sister to come to the carnival in town. I originally wanted to stay home and study for my upcoming test. I was in my junior year of high school.

“No, I’m scared of those things!” I said. My sister laughed in my face and called me a wimp.

“Aww, is little Zach scared?” She cooed. She was much older than me, her being four years older.

“Shut up!” I turned away and saw it, the ferris wheel. It was lit up, as colorful lights flashed pink, blue, red, and yellow. It stood on the farthest end of the pier. It overlooked the ocean. I was awed at it.

“I’m gonna go to the ferris wheel.” I said to my sister.

“Pssh. Fine! I’m gonna go have FUN and scream my ass off!” She said.

I ignored her and walked away while sticking my middle finger out at her. I walked a few steps and reached the line to the ferris wheel.

“How many?” The operator said. I wanted to scoff. I was literally alone.

“One.” I said, sounding lonely.

I handed my ticket and entered the single carriage by myself. It wasn’t too spacious. There was a seat that could sit two people. I had the space to myself and was waiting for the ride to start.

“Sorry kid, we’re gonna add one more person.” The operator said, sticking his head into the carriage.

I mentally groaned because I wanted alone time.

“Hi there.” A voice said. I turned and saw a boy my age get in and sit next to me. I saw his tall figure and handsome face. He turned and gave me a small smile while a blush spread on my face.

He was cute, I’ll give him that. But I wanted alone time. I was just hoping he wasn’t gonna be annoying

This is gonna be a long ride.

Part 2

Levi’s POV

Ahh the carnival. A place for me to relax after a stressful few days.

I was brought here by my friends who wanted to hang out. After our football game, we needed a breather to wind down. This was perfect.

“Dude, hurry up and eat your corn dog!” I told Reese. He simply just started gagging on it.

“OH GOSH SLOW DOWN!” I said. He simply stopped choking and gave me a smirk.

“Don’t rush me, Levi.”

“It’s LEVI. As in Lee-Viy.” I flicked Reese’s forehead. He had a habit of saying my name wrong to spite me. 

We walked while our other friends were ahead of us. 

“Seriously dude, when are you gonna find a boyfriend. You’ve been lonely for so long.” Reese said.

“I’m fine being alone.” I said. I’m gay, if you didn’t know. After years of questioning and being angry at myself, I came to the conclusion that it was normal to be this way. But I’ve struggled finding someone because every guy I date is either horny, in the closet, or realizes they aren’t into guys.

I was too much into my thoughts. I needed to get away. Sometimes when I have too much on me, I need to get away from everyone. Then I saw the ferris wheel at the end of the pier. It shone with lights and glowed. The sunset behind it sank further into the ocean.

“I’m gonna go to the ferris wheel.” I told Reese. He understood my need to be alone and nodded.

I waited in line for a while until it was my turn. The couple in front of me stepped out of line because there wasn’t enough room for them. 

“Are you alone?” The operator said. I nodded in embarrassment.

“Okay. We have one spot left. You’ll have to share with someone.” He said. I agreed.

I entered the carriage and saw an adorable boy.

“Hi there.” I said. I met his eyes and he turned to me and blushed. He looked so cute and was probably my age. This is gonna be a fun ride.

Part 3

Zachary’s POV

“Sooooo…” The hot guy said. I ignored him.

The ride started and I looked out to the ocean on my left. There was the ocean which reflected the orange, yellow, and red tints of the setting sun.

“What’s your name?” Hot guy said. I groaned and put my head on my palm and rested it on the railing. I guess this shut him up because he stopped talking.

I looked out onto the sea and saw the seagulls flying into the sun. 

‘Don’t fly too high.’ I told myself. I remembered that story. About how ambition can be the downfall of man. That mortal men should not try to be like the gods.

I wished I could fly away. I was growing tired more and more of the high expectations of my parents and school. Their need for me to be perfect. My sister had been able to escape ASAP and move out when she turned 18. I, however, still live with my mom and dad.

“Hmmm.” Hot guy sighed.

I ignored him and looked at the city infront of us, near the pier. The buildings began to glow as night began to envelop the eastern part of our town. 

‘Goodnight, sunshine.’ I said in my head. It sounded cheesy, but I love the day. And I also love the night. The two had their beauties that I never overlooked. I have a tendency to appreciate beautiful things.

“Hmmmmm.” Hot guy sighed again, this time much louder.

I chose to ignore it and closed my eyes, letting the breeze hit my face and blow my brown curls.

“HMMMMMM.” Hot guy sighed again. At this point, I’m pretty sure he was doing it to grab my attention.

“WHAT?” I said, getting annoyed.

“Hm, oh, nothing.” He said while turning away. 

I was really starting to hate this guy. I wanted to come here and be by myself or at least be able to calm down.

But this fucker was changing all that. I was next to a guy who probably would smash me into the lockers at school. He would probably call me a slur. I know he would never like me.

Part 4

Levi’s POV

I was having fun bothering this guy. I could see the irritation on his face. But I could see the shyness in his eyes. He was wearing a disguise. 

Now that I see him closer, he definitely doesn’t go to my school. There were two high schools in our town. I went to Crestview. The other was Hoover High. Rivals, but we also got along.

For the most part.

Even though I wanted to be alone to clear my thoughts, I also wanted company. But I usually never have someone to talk to. 

I kept on sighing so he could give me attention. When he snapped, I saw his true emotions.

We just sat there while the ferris wheel was making its third loop. It was starting to get darker and I saw our city begin to shine more. My eyes sparkled.

The carriage we were in started to move higher and reached the top. Then there was a sound.

CREAK!!

Our carriage stopped and began to shake. I looked down and I saw others did too. Shy guy next to me also looked panicked and looked down.

“Please stay calm. The ride has stopped but we’re fixing it.” I heard a loud voice. I recognized it as the machine operator. 

I looked at the shy guy and he looked bothered.

“Well, since we’re gonna be here for a while, we might as well get to know each other.” I said.

“Yeah, no!” He sternly said. He scooted away from me much closer to the edge.

I decided to aggressively rock back and forth and shook the cart to scare him.

“DUDE! STOP! PLEASE!” Shy guy was holding onto the side to try not to fall off. I kept moving.

“Not- until- you- agree- to- talk!” I said while rocking.

“OKAY OKAY OKAY! FINE!” I stopped and allowed him to readjust himself in his seat.

“So what do you want to know?” He asked nervously.

“First off, your name.” I said.

Part 5

Zachary’s POV

“First off, your name.” He said. He gave me a small smirk, like he wanted this to happen so he could talk to me. I groaned out loud.

“Fine. Zachary Ross Barnum.” I said. I looked away because I didn’t want him to say-

“Barnum? Like the cookies?” He laughed. That’s what I didn’t want him to say.

“Screw you!” I said. I huffed and turned away.

“Fine! Whew, really needed that. My name is Levi Romero.” He said while wiping his tears away. Levi. That’s a nice name.

“Thank you! My mom gave it to me.” He said. I didn’t know I said it outloud.

“So, what school do you go to?” Levi asked.

“Hoover High.” I looked at Levi more and then it clicked as to who this was. This was Levi, Crestview’s quarterback.

“And I go to Crestview. You probably know who I am. I have an impeccable reputation” He smugly said while running his fingers through his black hair. Cocky, is what he is indeed.

“Yeah, everyone talks about how lonely and angry you are.” I said, recalling all the rumors regarding him. He doesn’t have a good track record.

“What- wait. Actually nevermind. So, what brings you here?” He said dropping the subject.

“I wanted to be alone.” I said, trying to shade him indirectly.

“How’s that working out?” He said, trying to get me riled up.

“What about you?” I said.

“I needed to clear my head for a while.” He spoke, sounding a bit stressed.

“And now here we are.” I turned to look more at the sun that was fading.

“Hey! C’mon. Let’s talk more. You sound like a really cool guy.” He touched my shoulder and I flinched in surprise. He turned me around.

“Fine! Only until we get off. Anything we say here is free space.” I said. He crossed his heart and looked into my eyes. Our close proximity scared me. A visible blush came over me.

Part 6

Levi’s POV

I agreed to this deal. I was willing to do anything to keep talking to Zachary.

“Is it fine if I call you Zach?” I asked him. He looked at me and blushed and turned away.

He blushes alot.

“Did I say something wrong?” I asked. I hope I didn’t say anything wrong.

“Um, no. It’s just, that, um, no one- really asks me if they can give me a nickname.” He said shyly. He rubbed his neck with his hand.

“Oh, well, is it fine?” 

“Of course!” He sounded excited.

“Awesome, Zach! So, what’s your story?” I want to know more about his life.

“I was born on December 15. I’m a junior. I’m in the National Honor Society. I spend my time reading. Barely have any friends. And I’m gay.” He said the last part abruptly. He covered his mouth and hid his face behind his palms.

“Oh well, that’s interesting. I was born on April 5. I am also a junior. I’m on the football team, obviously. I like being with my friends. I like to go out but need to date someone. And I’m also gay.” I decided to also tell him my sexuality.

“Interesting.” He said while rubbing his chin.

“What?” I wondered why he was thinking.

“It’s just, I never expected YOU to also like guys. Everyone assumes you hook up with girls.”

“Well, I haven’t hooked up with anyone in a while. Makes me feel really lonely right now.” I said. I felt the awkward tension rise and turned away from him. I felt weak and vulnerable now, since I explained my loneliness.

“Me too. I feel lonely. And overwhelmed a lot.” He sighed.

We scooted closer like it was second nature. There was still space between us, but it was narrowing. I could feel Zach’s warmth starting to feel on me. I felt myself become flushed. I looked over to him, Zach, and saw his eyes reflecting the sun rays.

To break the tension, I thought of an idea.

“Hey, let’s play two lies, one truth.”

Part 7

Zachary’s POV

“Umm, I think you mean two truths, one lie.” I said turning to him to see a mischievous grin.

“No, I mean two lies, one truth. It’ll make things harder.” He said.

“Alright, I’ll bite.” I turned my whole body fully to face him. He did the same and my knee was settling in between his legs.

“I’ll go first. I can make bird noises, I’m afraid of chihuahuas, and I listen to the Peppa Pig album religiously.” Levi said. I thought about it and used the process of unbelievable truths to cross out those that won’t make sense.

“Umm, truth: you’re afraid of chihuahuas.” That one sounded obvious.

“EHH!” He mocked an incorrect buzzer. “I listen to the Peppa Pig album.” He stated proudly. I laughed at him.

“Seriously?” I asked. He just shrugged.

“Okay, okay, okay. My turn. Popcorn is my favorite food, I had a fantasy of kissing Harry Potter until last year, and I write stories on Wattpad.” I said. I hope he didn’t choose the one that was true.

“What’s Wattpad?” He asked naively. 

“A place for lonely people.” 

“Oh, well, the Harry Potter one.” He smiled.

“Huuuh, you got me.” I said in defeat.

“Ya’know, it’s Harry Potter. It’s understandable. Maybe if Draco was in there for a threesome it would be hotter.” Levi said which made me blush harder. Why did he know this?

We continued playing that game for a while and I found out more about Levi. We both found out we like Ariana Grande and Madison Beer, and enjoyed musicals like Wicked and Hairspray. We talked further and laughed a lot. I never knew I was able to open up like this to someone else.

“Can I ask you something?” I said. He looked me in the eyes.

“Sure.” He responded and I heard worry in his voice.

“Why did you need to clear your mind earlier?” He stiffened, looking nervous.

Part 8

Levi’s POV

I felt myself stiffened. I had completely forgotten why I was here. The fact that Zach was able to distract me from my life, kinda made my heart flutter.

“I was, umm, thinking about something.” I tried to sound as ominous as possible.

“Oh, it’s fine. You don’t have to tell me.” He sounded genuine, something I rarely see anymore. I felt like I could trust him.

“Well, you see. I came out like about a year ago.” I rubbed my arm nervously.

“And since then, I’ve felt… lonely. Like I don’t have anyone to actually like. It sounds stupid, but every guy I’ve met has only been interested just to hook up or experiment. It sucks, and I was thinking about it earlier. So that’s why I came on the ferris wheel, to clear my head.” I stopped and looked over to Zach.

“That’s understandable. Since I figured myself out, I’ve tried to find someone perfect for me. But it’s kinda hard when you’re the social outcast who would be beat up if they found out what I was.” He sounded a bit sad. I reached over and touched his shoulder. Sparks flew between us.

“Hey, it’s okay. I guess we’ll be lonely together forever.” I said.

“Oh, yippie.” He sounded a bit upset. It wasn’t until I realized what I said. 

There was another moment of awkward tension between us. I mentally facepalmed myself for saying that. 

There goes my chance of possibly dating him.

He probably wouldn’t date me. I was the jock who had a reputation. I was too much. I was loud, obnoxious, annoying, and stupid. A smart person like Zach would stay away from me.

But he didn’t. And I felt feelings for him grow inside me.

I thought about it. Could the both of us date? Sure there would be issues with our schools. But I’ll make sure to protect him, as much as I can. Now was my chance to ask him.

“Hey, Zach. I was thinking, would you like to go out-” I stopped when the carriage started shaking violently.

“Sorry!” The voice of the operator boomed through a megaphone. “We’re still working on fixing this! We’ll make sure to bring you guys down as soon as possible!” I was sad, because I was interrupted and I don’t want this time to end between me and Zach. I’m hoping they took forever to fix the ride.

Part 9

Zachary’s POV

After composing ourselves, we split apart. I had held onto Levi to not fall.

“Hoo! That was scary.” Levi chuckled.

“How much longer are we gonna be here?” I said, looking down to see a group of mechanics at the base of the ferris wheel.

“Aww, what’s wrong? Don’t want to be with me anymore?” He fake pouted. I wanted to slap him in the face.

I looked over and saw the sky becoming darker. The sun was almost gone, only a sliver of crimson blended with violet-indigo of the night. The lights on the ferris wheel were now much brighter. I looked at Levi and saw the different colors plastered on his face. It was like something out of Euphoria. He looked at me and I turned my head to avoid eye contact.

“What’s wrong?” He smirked with a cocky smile. He raised one eyebrow that made me blush harder.

“N-nothing.” I said. Thinking about it now, I think I’m falling for him.

It’s been a while since I’ve had feelings for someone. I think the last time I had feelings was when I visited my grandparents and had an attraction to their male nurse. Levi, was a different story. Because he too was into men. We were stuck on top of here, laughing and getting along. Could I be falling for him?

I hope so, kinda.

“There’s something on your mind. I can see it in your eyes.” He said, looking at me deeper. He knew that I knew that he could see my thoughts.

“Just drop it! Let’s admire the view.” I said, trying to change the subject.

“C’mon, Zach! It’s just you and me on top of the world!” He smiled at me with that damn smile.

“What does that even mean?” I asked.

“It means,” he stopped while looking at me and scooting closer. “You can tell me anything.”

We looked directly into each other’s eyes. I gulped, feeling like the whole world could hear it. I moved closer to him, and he too. The distance was closer, and we began to lean in. Until…

Incoming call from ‘Troublemaker (Big Sis)’

Part 10

Levi’s POV

We were inching closer when we were interrupted by the ringing of a phone. I checked and it wasn’t mine, meaning it was Zach’s.

We jolted and separated away. I leaned back and crossed my arms smugly, to let him know that I was okay with what we almost did. He, however, coughed loudly to probably alleviate the tension. He composed himself and pulled out his phone. There it had his sister’s contact name indicating she was calling him.

“WHERE THE FUCK ARE YOU??” I heard a loud female voice say. I jumped and so did Zach who pulled the phone away from his ear.

“Can you like, not? You’re being too loud fo fucks sake!” He said and gave me an apologetic look.

“WHERE. ARE. YOU?” She said loud, clearly not caring about bothering whoever is around her.

“I’m stuck at the ferris wheel. It broke down so I’m up here.” He said plainly, obviously getting tired of his sister’s screaming.

“Oh! Nevermind. Are you alone?” I heard her say. He looked at me and I could tell what he was gonna say.

“No, I’m-” I interrupted.

“HI ZACH’S SISTER!” I screamed into his phone. He facepalmed himself.

“Who’s that? Zachy, do you have a boyfriend you didn’t tell me about?” I heard her squeal.

“N-no, it’s just someone who’s also stuck with me.” He blushed.

“Hello, Zachy’s ferris buddy. You treating my lil’brother good?” She said towards me.

“Of course, though he is quite snappy and a bit rude.” I gave him a sly smirk.

“Tell me about it. I lived with this mofo for years. Had to kick his ass several times.” 

“Might try that out.” I said, looking at his ass. He looked away.

“I like you, Zachy’s ferris buddy.” 

“Please, call me Levi.” I said. I grabbed Zach’s phone and brought it closer to me. He scoffed and turned around to look at the city while I talked with Zach’s sister.

Part 11

Zachary’s  POV

I watched on as Levi, a complete stranger who I only met a few minutes ago, was busy chatting with my sister. I cringed when the two would laugh simultaneously. 

They are both indeed annoying.

“She was fun!” Levi said while handing me my phone. I grabbed it and cleaned the entire phone to get rid of his stains.

“Seriously man?! I didn’t touch anything dirty!” Levi said. I continued wiping my phone. I was a bit thankful that he forgot what we were talking about before the phone call. We were so close. Way too close. And I wanted to reach out and kiss him. But I don’t really know Levi. Sure we laugh, and joked, and I told him about my Harry Potter crush, and we’re both gay, and how lonely we’ve both felt, and us almost kissing. But I barely know him!!

He sank into his side of the bench while I looked at him. He truly was a work of art. But I’ll never tell him that. I felt a sinking feeling, conveying the fact that after this, I may never see him again. We’ll both go our separate ways. All the laughter and fun we had here will be remembered only by us and the universe. 

“What’chu thinking about, Zach?” He said while keeping his eyes closed. I contemplated telling him my thoughts. Does he feel the same? Would he miss our conversations? I hoped he would. And a part of me wished he didn’t want to leave our possible friendship empty.

“I was just wondering, what happens after this?” I said while sighing.

“What do you mean?” He opened his eyes and looked at me with raised eyebrows.

“I mean, will we go back to our lives like nothing happened? Is everything we said here really only going to stay here?” I asked, feeling pain.

“Do you want to leave everything here?” He leaned up and rested his head on his hand.

“Uhh, no. I actually like talking to you.” I said while blushing.

“Oh, well, I like talking to you too.” He said which made my blushing more intense. Thank God for the ferris wheel lights that made my face different colors.

“Great! Then it’s settled! We’ll be friends even after we get off!” A smile appeared on his face. This gave me hope. I meant that he too felt this way. Probaly not the feeling I felt, but he felt something. He wanted to continue this even afterwards.

And that is the new reason to get off this wheel. To be closer to him. Not away.

Part 12

Levi’s POV

I smiled when he told me he wanted to remain friends. Then a thought came to my head.

‘Are you sure you just want to be friends?’

Now that I thought about it, my connection with Zach was different from my friends. I was able to joke offensively and play rough with my football bros. But with Zach, I was willing to be open. I allowed myself to be vulnerable. 

“What’s got you thinking so much?” Zach snapped me out of my thoughts. He looked at me intensely, like he had a new found courage.

“Nothing.” My voice cracked a bit.

“Oh look! Now who’s the one not wanting to talk?” He laughed. His laugh was like a symphony that rang in my ears. It was a tune that not even the best skilled musician can replicate. A laugh that healed me.

“Shut up!” I said, feeling the blush come onto my face. I playfully slapped his shoulder.

“Ya’know, I’m a little tired.” He said.

“Oh, you can sleep on my shoulder. I’ll wake you when they fix the wheel.” I said, gesturing to my shoulder. 

“Uh, I didn’t mean that tired. I was talking in general.” He looked at the city lights, and a hint of longing was on his face. 

“Care to explain? It’s fine if you don’t want to.” I said. He looked at me and let out a breath that he mostly had kept in.

“It’s just, my parents keep trying to make me get perfect grades. It exhausts me. They never congratulate me on my successes but instead point out my mistakes. Why didn’t you get a 100%? Why not an A+? Other kids do better! It just lowers my motivation. That’s why I came here today. I just needed to get away.” Zach said and leaned into my shoulder. 

I never expected Zach to have such parents. It was similar to me when it came to sports. Should I also tell him about myself? He opened himself up. It’s the least I can do to let him know he’s not alone when it comes to parents’ expectations.

“I get what you mean,” I said and he turned to look at me. “My dad, coach, teammates, and practically the whole school expects me to be this amazing football star. They expect me to do my entire best on the field. If I slip up even once, I’m seen as a total failure. The amount of times my dad has yelled at me for not doing good enough is more than I can count.” I finished while Zach listened to every word I said.

“Wow. I never would’ve thought that.” He said and grabbed my hand.

“It’s gonna be okay. We just have to show them that we’re humans. And humans make mistakes. It’s part of life and if we never learn to fail, we’ll never learn to grow.” Zach said. I ruffled his hair, feeling better about what he said.

I’m down bad.

“I sometimes wonder, what would life be if we’d met earlier.” He said

“I don’t know. But it probably wouldn’t have ended well.” I said.

“What do you mean?” He asked. He had gotten off my shoulder and we looked in each others’ eyes. 

“This.” And I kissed him.

Part 13

Zachary’s POV

I was stunned.

I was here, kissing Levi, out of nowhere.

The kiss felt amazing, and I wanted more. After a few normal kisses and me not kissing back, I returned the favor. I began to kiss him back. I ran my fingers through his hair while he grabbed me and snaked his arm around my waist. We kissed until we were interrupted by shouting.

“WILL YOU TWO STOP FUCKING?!” An angry voice yelled. It sounded like it came from below us. I guess they saw the carriage moving and assumed we were doing something.

We were, just not that.

We split apart and leaned our foreheads against one another, trying to catch our breath. Then we laughed. We laughed so hard I had to breath excessively to catch my breath. 

“Is it bad that it was my first kiss?” I said. He turned and put his arm around my waist again.

“Oh crap! I’m sorry! Did you feel uncomfortable?” He said, sounding worried.

“No, I actually liked it.” I said blushing.

“Sorry it was out of nowhere. It was almost instinct.” He said, rubbing his neck in embarrassment.

“It was instinct to kiss me?” I asked him. He too started to blush.

“No, I mean- I, just trust me that I wanted to do that.” He said. 

This is going to change everything.

“Did you like it?” He asked. 

“Yeah. I did.” I tried to hide my excitement. But I think he noticed.

“Good.” He leaned closer and I leaned on his shoulder. I closed my eyes while he hugged me with his arm, pulling me closer like I was going to disappear. I smiled, the first time in a while. I let the cool breeze blow my hair and calm me down more.

“What is this?” I asked.

“Whatever we want it to be.” He replied, sounding sure of himself.

Part 14

Levi’s POV

Holy shit I kissed him! I never imagined I would just grab and kiss him. It almost felt like I was waiting to do that. Was I? Now that I think about it, Zach and I have been  stuck up here for about 10 minutes. A lot has happened in this short time. I got to know Zach more and I was able to confide to him about myself and my struggles. 

That kiss was inevitable.

And I for one, am perfectly fine with it. I told him we could be whatever we wanted. And we could. Friends, buddies, boyfriends, or family. Although I doubt family talk and kiss the way we do.

“They’re really taking their time fixing, huh?” Zach said, finally breaking the silence between us.

“Yeah. Almost makes me wonder if they’re doing it on purpose to make us talk more.” I said while elbowing him on his arm. He rocked back and forth and we laughed.

“The sun’s already gone.” Zach said, looking at the ocean. I looked over too and he was right. We got on the ferris wheel when the sun was just starting to set. Now, it was gone. The only light was of the ferris’ flashing lights. 

“We should exchange phone numbers. Or Instagram’s.” I said to Zach.

“Uhh sure. What’s your number?” Zach said. I gave him my number and he sent me a heart emoji to confirm it was me.

“Now about Instagram.” I said.

“You think this is okay? Our schools are rivals. If they saw I was following the rival quarterback, I would shit for it.” Zach said. I honestly didn’t care about people finding out. But I understand where Zach is coming from. He mentioned he was a social outcast. When people find out we’re following each other, he would no longer be a social outcast. He would be the center of attention, but the bad kind.

“Tell you what, let’s just stick to phone numbers. Then one day we can follow each other.” I told him and he seemed to agree.

“What if people find out about us?” He asked.

“What do you mean ‘us’?” I asked. 

“I just meant,” He looked embarrassed. “What if people see that we’re friends?” He said the last part very hesitantly. 

“You think we’re friends?”

“Well, I don’t know. We kissed. And I’m pretty sure most friends don’t do that.” He touched his lips where I had placed mine.

“So what are we?” I asked.

“I uh, umm. I was um. Umm.” He stuttered out and I was pinching the bridge of my nose.

“Do you want to be my boyfriend?” I asked. I was getting tired of him beating around the bush. I knew he wanted to say it, but something was holding him back.

“Are you asking me?” He looked shocked and excited at the same time.

“No, I was asking the pigeon that flew over us.” I said sarcastically.

“I mean, yeah, I was asking you.” I said to reiterate my question.

“Then yes! Levi Romero, I will be your boyfriend.” He said proudly.

Part 15

Zachary’s POV

Thank God I chose to come today. Thank God the carnival was open. Thank God I got into that fight with my parents to make me want to come here. Thank God for the ferris wheel breaking down. 

Thank God Levi was with me.

I never expected to get a boyfriend. It was still a concept my mind tried to grasp around. This hunk of a man next to me is the one who chose to date me. My ego is sky high right now. 

I kissed him on the lips and he kissed back.

“Why were you so afraid to ask me out?” Levi said. I cringed when I remembered my stuttering mess of words I had when I was going to ask out Levi.

“I’ve never asked anyone out before.” I admitted.

“Am I the first person you’ve ever dated?” He asked. He had a hint of excitement in his face.

“Calm down, Romero. No, I’ve never dated anyone before. You’re the first.” I said.

“I’m taking your relationship virginity.” He sighed and smiled while looking towards the city. 

“LEVI!?!” I said in shock.

“Maybe one day you’ll let me take your normal virginity.” He said while running his thumb through my lips and then cheek. He traced his fingers down my neck and I felt tingles. I’ve never felt this before, but the feeling was exhilarating. 

“NOT TODAY, SATAN!” I said while grabbing his hand that was trailing lower.

“Aww, c’mon!” He whined.

“Nope! I’m not losing my virginity on a ferris wheel. I’m gonna wait for the right time.” I said. But also because my little guy down there was excited and I didn’t want him to feel it. 

“Fine! I’ll be ready though, if you ever want to.” He said. While fixing his hair.

“What makes you think you’ll be taking it?” I asked.

“Ask me to see my dick. You’ll go on your knees ASAP.” He said. I blushed and instead turned away.

“I’m sorry, Zach.” Levi said while I was turned away to hide my red face. I turned around and kissed him on his lips. He groaned into the kiss and I smirked, feeling him become weak to me.

Truth is, I was fine with Levi’s flirty nature. It was a nice change of pace in my boring and mundane life. I liked him flirting. Brought out my inner happiness that I have long been waiting for someone to release. He brought out a side of me that was mainly only reserved for my sister. And that side, was being happy. 

“What was that for?” Levi asked when I pulled away from the kiss. I just couldn’t stop smiling.

“Nothing. Just kissing my boyfriend.” I said while teasing him and holding his hand. I saw the hue on his face change to a pink one.

“What am I gonna do with you, Zachary Barnum?” He said laughing.

I had almost forgotten we were still stuck on the ferris wheel. The past 15 minutes have been the most hectic and emotional moment of my life. In the past 15 minutes, I’ve been able to possibly find my perfect match. I found a boyfriend in the shape of a tall muscular football player. 

I didn’t care that I was stuck up here. As long as Levi was with me, I was content with this.

Part 16

Levi’s POV

The ferris lights continued to shine. I wondered how the ride stopped working but the lights were still on. I also wondered why my friends hadn’t texted me yet. Or they were probably waiting for me at the bottom until the ride started working.

A cold breeze blew between me and Zach and I allowed the wind to blow my hair. I turned over and saw Zach hugging himself. He only wore a simple t-shirt.

“Smart idea to wear a shirt in cold weather.” I smartly said. 

“I had no idea it would be this cold.” He said back.

“Did you not check tonight’s weather?” I asked.

“I DID! I was supposed to leave a while ago but then THIS HAPPENED!” He said, sounding annoyed. Another breeze passed us and he shivered again.

I watched his small figure hug himself. I took off my letterman jacket, colored our school’s blue and white colors. I put it over him and he blushed and held it closer to him.

“Thanks.” He said shyly.

I hugged him closer to me, making sure I placed his head under my chin. I rubbed his back and he breathed into my neck, warming it.

“Thanks.” He said again. I knew he was talking about the warmth, but I could also sense he was thanking me for something far greater.

We hugged for a while. I didn’t let go. I made sure our bodies touched and we were able to give each other something we needed. I listened to his breathing, as it steadied while he was close to me. I moved him closer to me and felt him snuggle onto my chest. I took a whiff of his hair and enjoyed the scent of strawberries.

“Are you sniffing my hair?” He said, still keeping his face in my chest. I took another whiff, making sure it was loud enough for him to hear.

“Hmm, yeah. You smell really good.” I said. He let out a small chuckle.

“Can’t say the same about you.” He laughed. He pulled away and pinched his nose while swishing his hand as if to say I smell bad.

“What?! No I don’t!” I said and I lifted my arm to smell underneath.

“See?!” I held out my armpit for him to smell. He backed away from me while giggling.

“EW! NO! LEVI!” He laughed and I laughed too. I went in to hug him and he allowed me to encompass him. He took in the smell of my cologne.

“You actually smell really good.” He admitted.

“Told you.” 

We hugged again. I wished they could turn off the lights so Zach and I could be in the darkness alone. No one could bother us. I felt better in his arms. It was like he was a drug that I was becoming addicted to. 

We’ve been up here for a long time! I just realized that. But here, time was irrelevant. It’s funny how I originally came here because I was upset that I would never find someone. I come here and find someone! And it’s someone I genuinely enjoy being around. 

“Zach?” I asked.

“Hmm?”

“Thank you.” I said, making sure to sound genuine.

“For what?”

“For existing.” I said. He looked up at me and smiled.

“Then I guess thank you too.” He said. I smiled at him and we leaned in and kissed.

Oh yeah. I could live with this!

Part 17

Zachary’s POV

“HEY! WHEN ARE YOU GUYS GONNA FIX THIS THING?” I heard someone from a different carriage say.

“YEAH! WE’VE BEEN UP HERE FOR ALMOST HALF AN HOUR!” Another distressed voice said.

What proceeded was a barrage of several shouts from angry people who were stuck on the ferris wheel.

“Aww man!” Levi said. I looked at him to see him with his palms over his eyes.

“What’s wrong?” I asked.

“I don’t want to get off.” I let out a chuckle which caused him to look at him.

“It’s true! I like being with you.” He said. I kissed him.

“Think of it like this. When we get off, we can officially start our lives of being together. You can kiss me, hold my hand, cuddle me…”

“… and fuck you.” He teased. I slapped his shoulder.

I looked back to the city. The buildings stood tall with lights shining from the windows. I looked back to Levi. His jawline sharp, his eyes deep blue, his hair warm brown, and his lips rose red. He was perfect in my eyes. Fuck it! He was perfect in everyone’s eyes. I could tell people looked at him when he walked down the street. All eyes were on him, but his eyes were only on me.

“THE RIDE WILL BE FIXED SHORTLY! PLEASE REMAIN PATIENT!” A voice said, most likely the mechanic team.

“WE’VE BEEN PATIENT FOR A WHILE ALREADY!” An angry voice replied.

“Here, why don’t we play rock, paper, scissors.” Levi said.

“Seriously?” I replied.

“I mean, do you have any better idea?”

“We could cuddle and stay like that until the world decides to catch up.” I said while holding his hand in mines.

“Mmmm, no. My idea is better.” He laughed while I pretended to pout.

“When we get off, we’ll do whatever you want.” He said to me. It made my mood shift and I was now even more excited to get off.

“I can’t wait!” A hint of optimism in my voice.

Part 18

Levi’s POV

While we were playing rock, paper, scissors, which I was totally winning, the lights went out. The ferris wheel, which although broken had its lights functioning, now turned off. No more were the luminous pink, blue, yellow, and purple lights. 

“What’s going on?” Zach asked as he looked around.

“I guess the lights went off.” I replied. 

“Yes. But why?” He pinched the bridge of his nose. I shrugged, although I’m not sure he could see me.

“But hey. Look on the bright side,” I chuckled at my pun. “At least now no one can see what we’re doing.” I smirked but the darkness made it less visible.

“LEVI! No.” He said.

The carriage for the ride began rocking back and forth. It was unexpected, and Zach quickly grabbed onto me. He tried not to fall off. He should know I would never let him go, let alone let him get hurt.

“I don’t think this is normal.” He said.

“Yeah, I wonder if the ride is breaking down.” I said.

“At least we’ll die together.” I said while hugging him closer.

Out of the blue, the lights for the ferris wheel turned on. And for the first time in a long time, the carriage started moving.

A myriad of applause resonated, cheering now that we were moving.

“HEY! We’re moving!” Zach said happily. 

“Finally. I was getting tired of you.” I sarcastically said. 

“You could never have enough of me.” He said, and he was right.

Our carriage, which was at the top, moved and started to make a loop.

“WAIT!” Zach said. I looked at him as he pulled out his phone and took a selfie of us. It was unexpected, and I probably looked bad in it.

“For the memories.” He said. He showed me the picture and I looked confused while he showed his bright smile. I ruffled his hair. He tightened my letterman jacket around himself as the ferris wheel began to slow down.

Slowly, the ride stopped. We were at the top again. I kissed Zach, as if to remember this place. I will never forget this day. 

People began to get off, while the ride moved to allow all the carriages to empty. It was finally our turn to get off.

“Watch your step.” The operator said. I gave him a smile, happy to see him.

When we got off, our legs were like jelly and it took them a while to restore the blood flow. When our legs were back to normal, I turned to Zach. He both looked at each other, eye to eye. We leaned in and kissed. I didn’t care that I was in public. I wanted people to know he was mine.

We pulled apart and he blushed while I ran my fingers through his hair.

“You’re very short.” I said while looking down at him.

“To be fair, we were sitting when we met.” He shyly said.

We started to lean in to kiss again when we heard our names.

“LEVI!”

“ZACHARY BARNUM!”

Part 19 [End]

Zachary’s POV

Both Levi and I turned around simultaneously to see a group of people running towards us. First I saw a group of guys our age, all wearing letterman jackets, the same colors as Levi’s, which I was still wearing. But who I saw next to them approaching us made my blood run cold.

My sister.

She looked pissed. I don’t know who she was mad at. It wasn’t my fault the ride got stuck.

“YOU!” She said while grabbing my arm. I flinched because her hold kinda hurt me.

“You disappear for minutes and only then call me that you’re up here. And then I hear that some random guy was with you!” I turned to see Levi, who was surrounded by his friends, looking at me with a sympathetic smile.

“How could you leave me? What was going- HANG ON?!” She said, suddenly interrupting herself. She moved her hands downward to the jacket I was wearing. She ran her fingers over the ‘12’ number stitched on the right side. 

“Whose jacket is this?” She questioned me.

“Dude, is he wearing your jacket?” I heard one of the guys surrounding Levi say. 

We both turned and made eye contact. We blushed and that earned a squeal from my sister as she clasped her hands together. Levi split from his group and came to walk towards me. My knees began to shake and my breathing hurried. But all that was gone as soon as Levi slipped his hands into mines.

“Guys. I’d like you to meet Zachary, my boyfriend.” He said and I swear he blushed harder than before. I looked at all the other guys, who were also very tall. They looked between us, as if they wondered how this happened.

“I’m gonna scrapbook this!” My sister said while proceeding to take a picture of me and Levi still holding hands, looking flustered.

“About time you found someone.” A guy from the group said. 

“Reese.” Levi said, almost sounding like a warning.

“So, uh, when did this happen?” Reese asked.

“That is a long story.” Levi said.

“Wait a minute. He doesn’t go to our school!” Another guy said.

“So.” Levi said sternly.

“He might try to use you.” The same guys responded.

“It’s true.” I said sarcastically to Levi, which made him laugh. His team members looked shocked seeing Levi genuinely laugh.

“Guys, Zach is my boyfriend. If you have a problem with it, I’m sure the tennis team still has spots available.” Levi said while glaring at everyone. They all seemed to shut up.

“Levi. Now that we’re here, should we officially get this relationship started?” I asked, looking deep into Levi’s eyes.

“Ya’know what, we should!” He said. He kissed me on the lips. I didn’t care if people were looking. I want everyone to see that Levi wants me.

I look over to my sister only to see her still taking pictures. She’s never gonna let this go.

“Now, I would like to ask you a question, Zachary.” He said in a playful manner. 

“Yes, Levi?” I said while looking up at him.

“Would you do me the honor of going on a date with me?” He said while my sister’s squealing got louder. Reese whistled at Levi causing him to chuckle.

“Yes, Levi. I will go on a date with you.” I said, sounding so sure. More sure than anything in my life. His team mates cheered excitedly while Levi pulled me to kiss him again.

“When would you like for our date to be?” I asked.

“Tomorrow. 6:30. Here at the carnival.” He said.

“And where would you like me to meet you?” I asked. He turned around, looking at the machine behind. The machine where we met. The machine that brought us together. Where no doubt our lives changed as we interacted with one another. The place we came together. Where we met, and laughed, and played, and kissed. The machine that was fate.

“Why, the ferris wheel, of course!”

THE END-

OMG this story is over. i originally started this because i was bored while i was busy writing another story. i’m sad that these character’s story is over. the adventure of zach and levi is over. if you’ve reached this far, thank you for supporting this story. i love you all. ’til next time!