The Variations by Jones M (christmas read aloud txt) 📖

doors had been unlocked, Kate exited the car.

The area was already filled with customers even though it was still morning. Balloons were found pinned on every stationary object in their surroundings. Marie could spot a couple of rides from where she stood, and one of them was a Ferris wheel. Sweet smells of delicious food such as popcorn hit her nostrils, and she found herself salivating even though she had come from having breakfast.

"Let's go!" like an excited kid, Marie grabbed onto Chris' hand and led them toward the entrance of the park. They paid for their entry tickets before moving into the area.

"Ooh! Cotton candy!" Kate yelled as she pointed at a stall where the delicious concoction was being made. Without telling him, she began pulling him towards the stall.

"Are you sure you want to start with that?" Chris asked. "There are a couple of games--"

"Games!" Kate yelled again, pulling him towards an orange stall that had stuffed animals hanging from its ceiling.

"Hey, kids. Which one of you would want to have a go?" a balding, bearded man wearing a striped suit asked as he showed them a red ball in his palm. Kate diverted her eyes from him, noticing that there was a game that had to be played. She spotted three coconuts that were placed on tall stands and were supported by a table.

"I'd like to play," Chris answered the man as he grabbed the ball. "How much for each try?"

The man answered him, telling him that he had to knock all three coconuts in one round with three balls to win a stuffed animal. The first trial was free, but if he lost and wanted to play again, he would have to pay for the rounds that would follow. 

Chris nodded to the terms before moving back. He closed an eye, focusing on the targets he had to hit. He moved his arm back, and then he threw the ball at the first coconut.

He missed.

The man managing the stall looked at him with raised eyebrows.

Chris stretched his hand to receive another ball. After he had it in his hold, he narrowed his eyelids to view the target in concentration before throwing the ball at the coconuts. Unfortunately, he failed again.

The man managing the stall showed him a smile.

Kate watched with raised eyebrows as Chris tried to hit the targets again with the third ball.

He failed as she expected.

"Ooh. Nice try there. Would you like to go again?" the balding man asked Chris. Kate went to decline, but Chris interrupted her.

"Sure," he replied, handing a couple of dollar bills to the man.

"Okay," he said with a shrug.

The two balls he threw went away from the target, bouncing on the wall behind them. One of them was close to hitting the guy in the head.

"One more go," the man announced. Chris sighed, grabbing the ball offered to him.

"Relax," Marie told him. "Just focus on the target."

She found herself touching one of his shoulders. She felt that they were tense, and so she applied a small amount of pressure on them to help him relax.

Chris looked at her. His eyes held hers in a trance that made her momentarily forget where they were.

He nodded at her before looking back at the targets.

He still missed.

"Another--"

"Stop," Kate cut him off. "It's okay. If you keep doing it, you might end up wasting your money on this stall."

"Don't you like stuffed animals?" Chris asked her with furrowed eyebrows.

"I do," she said, "but there are other things I like."

"Look. Just one more time. If I lose again, we'll just go do something else," he told her.

Kate held her breath before sighing in agreement.

"Fine. But it better be the last time," she told him. Chris just grinned in reply before looking back at the man in the stall.

"I want to try again," he told him as he handed out more cash. The man took the cash as he raised his eyebrows, clearly showing his doubt.

"Okay," he stretched out the word as he handed Chris a ball. Chris moved back, trying to calm his form before he threw the ball at the target.

The ball hit a coconut, sending it falling towards the table with a thud.

Kate jumped, clapping in excitement. Chris almost let the exhilaration of finally hitting a coconut take hold of him, but then he remembered he had a price to win.

He sighed, throwing another ball at a target. He won that second time.

"Last one," the man of the stall told him as he handed him the last ball.

He threw it at the last coconut remaining. The ball hit it, and a smile graced his features.

"Whoo-hoo!" he hooted, raising his fists in the air. Marie hugged him in excitement.

"I knew you could do it!"

"Which animal do you want?" they were interrupted. Chris turned to look at the stuffed creatures hanging near the stall's ceiling.

"That one," Kate stated, pointing at a brown teddy bear. The man grumbled as he went to pull it down with a long stick.

"Here you go," he said, unceremoniously throwing the prize at Chris. Chris caught it before it could hit the ground, frowning at the man.

"Thank you?" he said before he and Kate started walking away from the stall.

"He's just mad you won something for a change," she said, grinning. Chris looked down at her, shaking his head with a smile before looking back at his surroundings.

"So, where to next?"

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About an hour had passed after Chris and Kate had entered the amusement park. They had gone to other stalls to see what they offered. There were other games, and Kate found herself carrying other stuffed animals. They had even gone to a mirror house that distorted their reflections. Another one had Chris looking like Johnny Bravo, which he explained as he flexed, and it made her laugh. 

Kate found herself having fun. The amusement park was giving her a break away from her thoughts, and she was glad Chris had brought her there.

"Why did I agree to this?" Chris questioned with a frown.

"Because I tricked you into it," Marie said, smirking at him.

They had just come from depositing their stuffed animals into the car, and they were in line to experience one of the rides; a roller coaster. They were among the next group that would board it.

"Is it too late to turn back?"

"Yes, it is," Kate stated. "And you agreed to this. What are you, chicken?"

"What? Pfft, no," Chris stated with an unsure grin. "I'm not scared."

Kate knew he was definitely scared.

"I'm just worried about you, you know?"

She doubted his words.

"Also, did you know that 'roller coaster deaths' is a thing?"

Marie rolled her eyes at him.

"Chris, it's okay. No one has been hurt so far. From what I can see, the rides are totally safe."

Screams sounded, and Chris blanched.

"They are just having fun, see?" Kate said, pointing at the group that had been in front of them. They were totally enjoying the ride, seeing that they were going down a steep drop.

"Okay," Chris chose his reply. Kate tried hard not to chuckle at his reaction.

About four minutes later, the roller coaster stopped in front of them and the group that had boarded it began to leave. Once the ride was empty, Kate and a doubtful Chris made their way into it, taking the seats that were immediately those of the front row.

"Can we change seats?" he questioned, even though it was too late. The other people who had been behind them were already filling the seats.

"Chris, relax," Marie told him. "There is nothing to worry about."

'Wow,' she thought. Chris was usually the one who kept telling her not to worry. Currently, she was the one saying that to him. She tried not to enjoy the turn of the events too much.

"Oh, fuck. We're moving," Chris said once the cars started sliding on the tracks at a slow pace. They were, at first, moving on a flat area.

That did not stop Chris from being a rambling mess.

"Are we going to die? We're moving. The ride is moving. We are going to die. We are totally going to die. Why did I ever listen to you?"

"Dude, we aren't even up yet!" someone yelled from behind him. Chris ignored him, focusing on what was ahead.

Kate soon found herself clasping her hand around Chris'. He looked at her. She had not been thinking when she did it, and she blushed. To her surprise, he gave her a brief smile of thanks before looking forward.

By then, they were moving up. Chris clenched his fingers around Marie's, barely leaving any space in between the contact. The feel of Chris' calloused hand on hers seemed to shake her focus. Kate was tempted to trace her fingers on his, and she tried hard to ignore the impulse.

She closed her eyes and sighed a deep breath. When she opened them, they were at the top of the ride.

Then they were going down. Everyone started screaming from that point.

"SON OF A BITCH!" Chris stretched out in a yell as they went down. Kate could have laughed were it not for the fact that they were going down the rail tracks. She screamed out her excitement, feeling the adrenaline pumping through her blood.

She looked to her side, finding Chris' eyes closed as he held firmly onto her hand and on the handle of the ride.

"Open your eyes!" she yelled at him. Chris did as she asked. His eyes were widened, and he started screaming in terror.

"Fuckity fuck fucking fuck!" Chris cursed at some point during the ride, making Kate laugh.

The ride went on and on with steep areas and high grounds including sudden turns.

Minutes later, the cars were pulling right by the station. They stopped, and everyone went to leave the roller coaster. Kate's hair was in disarray, and Chris looked shaken.

"Can we do it again?" she asked, and Chris looked at her in disbelief.

"I'm kidding," she said seriously, and then she broke into laughter.

"What?" Chris asked her.

"Son of a bitch!" she said, imitating his screams when they were on the ride. Chris blushed in embarrassment, making Kate laugh.

"Shut up!" he said, but it did not stop cease her laughter.

************************* ************************* ********************* **********

The hours went by. The afternoon passed, and it was soon sunset. Around that time, Kate and Chris had boarded a Ferris wheel. It was their last ride before they would leave the amusement park.

"Wow," Kate stated in amazement as she looked at her surroundings. She could see the rest of the amusement park from where she was. The stalls had started being lit, and they all formed a pattern of lights. She could also spot the sun setting in her view. There was a clear sky, and there were streaks of pink, orange and purple across it. It was already turning a dark blue as stars made their appearance. 

"Beautiful," Chris stated. Kate found herself blushing as she turned to face him. She noticed he was looking at the view in front of them, and she tried not to feel disappointed.

"Thank you, Chris," she said with a smile. "I had a fun time."

"I'm glad," he said, facing her. Then he looked away.

"You made my day," she added. The two spent a couple more seconds of silence staring at the view they kept passing as the ride continued. Kate looked back at the sky again, noticing it looked grand and wondering why she did not look at it most of the time.

"Kate?"

"Hmm?" 

"Do you want to do this again sometime?"

"Yes," she answered without a second thought.

Chris took his time to reply before saying, "Good."

She looked back at him, and it was at that time when she realized how close he was to her. Their faces were inches apart, and their noses were close to brushing each other. Kate's heart thudded in her chest as she stared back at Chris, wondering what he wanted to do. Because at that moment, she could think of nothing but kissing him.

"Chris?" she meant to voice out his name clearly, but it came out in a whisper. He seemed to move his face to her, still