The Festival

After convince Robert about showing up at the school festival, Nerissa kept asking her brother about his master plan to help her and Robert ditch her mother. As they were on their way there Tess noticed their unusual silence as Jerome was driving and she Nerissa was on the back seat.

“You two have been so quiet today, what’s going on?”-Tess asked them starting to suspect more and more.

Nerissa looked out the window and ignored what her mother had just said, while Jerome just looked at her briefly and smiled at her.

“You know your silence will only make me ask you more questions, so you might as well just tell me what’s going on?”. �"Tess insisted.

“Mom, everything is all right, there’s nothing to say really”- Nerissa replied trying to avoid more questions about her mother and trying not to make her freak out.

“Yeah, we are just tired I guess” Jerome said

“Tired? But we’re just going to get to the festival and I thought you kids wanted to have fun”. Tess said and then looked out the window.

“We will have fun mom, but you know sometimes there’s nothing to talk about and people just remain quiet” Nerissa said.

She had no idea why her mother was always insisting on having these kinds of conversations when she would ask them lots of questions until she got what she wanted to hear.

“Here we are “Jerome shouted excited as he parked the car right next to the entrance.

“Finally!” Nerissa exclaimed rolling her eyes, quickly unfasten her seatbelt and getting out of the car.

As Jerome got out of the car he couldn’t help but be amazed by the wonderful view. All those people walking around at the festival grounds, which took place at a beautiful dock. The sun setting behind the Ferris wheel looked like it had been taken out of a perfect picture. Nerissa just kept looking trying to find Robert but he was nowhere to be seen. She started to think  that he was not going to show up, after all he had already got in trouble with his family and at school. But on the other hand she knew that he was the kind of guy that liked to mess around and break the rules, he wasn’t afraid of what people said or think about him as long as he did whatever he wanted to.

Jerome noticed his sister’s nervousness as he saw her moving from one place to another walking around and biting her lips.

“Hey, he’ll come ok? Relax” Jerome said to her as he tried to calm her down a little by putting his hand on her shoulder and smiling at her.

Tess walked inside the festival grounds to find her voluntary team. Jerome and Nerissa were left behind and as soon as Tess wasn’t with them anymore, Robert showed up almost scaring Nerissa.

“You came!” She said smiling at him and hugging him.

“Yes I did” Robert said to her smiling.

Jerome was just standing there and looking at them smiling almost as if he was a proud father seeing his little girl being in love. But then he absently cleared his throat to draw their attention.

“Oh yes, this is my brother Jerome and he just came back from his service in Europe” Nerissa told Robert as she hugged her brother.

“It’s so nice to finally meet you Robert” Jerome said shaking hands with him.

“Well the pleasure it’s all mine, but you know my name already?” Robert asked him.

“Well if you are the famous and handsome Robert that my sister mentions to me in every letter she has sent me, then that’s why I know your name”

“Jerome!” Nerissa said slightly pushing him to the side and blushing a little.

Robert just smiled at her and then looked at Jerome.

“You must be very proud to have such an amazing girl as your sister” Robert told Jerome.

“Yes, in fact I am, and you seem like a pretty cool guy and you better be, I’d hate to have to kick your butt if you brake her heart” Jerome jokingly said to him.

Robert just smiled and then grabbed Nerissa’s hand.

“I just came taking the risk of getting in trouble again just for you” He said as he carefully pulled Nerissa closer to him putting his hands around her waist.

“Hey don’t worry I’ve got your back. You guys go have fun, I’ll take care of the rest and make sure no one bothers you” Jerome said to them winking and giving Robert his wristband.

“Thanks a lot man” Robert said.

“Why you do all this Jerome?” Nerissa asked him.

“I was young like you once and I would have love to have someone who could help me sometimes getting away with stuff my mom prohibited me, so don’t worry you two enjoy the night, okay?” He told her.

“I love you; you are the best brother in the whole world!” She said hugging him tightly and kissing his cheek.

Then Jerome walked away and went back inside the festival. Nerissa and Robert held their hands and walked inside too.

There were a lot of people around and that was a good thing for them since it would make it harder for her mother to spot her with Robert, but of course she was not planning on being anywhere near where her mom was volunteering. The one who spotted them however was Robert’s friend Jason, the drummer of the school’s band who happened to be walking near them.

“Hey Robert!” Jason excitingly said walking towards them.

“Hey Jason buddy!” Robert greeted him and shakes his hand.

“You look good dude, you still suspended?” Jason asked.

“Yes I am, but here I am” Robert said slightly chuckling

“Cool, how you get in here?”

“Well I have influences you know”

“Bribing people huh? I like that, you are a criminal Graham” Jason said chuckling and playfully slapping Robert’s shoulder.

“Something like that. Hey listen I don’t think you met my…” Robert didn’t know what to say about who Nerissa was, but he got a little help from her.

“Girlfriend. I’m Nerissa” She said shaking Jason’s hand.

“Nice to meet you” Jason replied. “Wow Robert she is gorgeous you are so lucky!” Jason said winking at him.

Robert smiled and slightly blushed.

“Thanks man she really is gorgeous” He said kissing her cheek.

“Well it was great seeing you man, have fun ok?” Jason said to him as he walked away.

Robert and Nerissa continued walking together holding their hands. They’d be silent for a few minutes and then one of them would say something, usually it was Nerissa.

“Have you talked to your father?” She asked him

“Yes I have”

“ And?”

“Well he find out about my suspension at school and about the fight”

“Oh my god what did he say?”

“He said that I had to try to be more responsible and careful about my actions and that I should stop getting in trouble everywhere, after giving me a whole speech about what a disappointment I am to him of course.”

Nerissa slightly smiled as she heard that and hugged his arm tightly.

“I don’t think you are a disappointment at all” She told him.

Robert stopped his steps and looked at her.

“After the way I treated you and after the way I have been pretty much with everyone, you think so?” He said surprised.

Nerissa smiled and pulled her hair back behind her ears.

“Yes…actually I think you are the sweetest person I’ve ever met” She said smiling.

Robert smiled back at her and as he looked at her he got lost on her beautiful eyes that were shining like the brightest stars at night as she looked into his eyes. Looking at her made his heart go crazy, something he couldn’t explain, and something that had to be felt to be understood.

They walked together to the farthest spot in the festival just to be alone. Nerissa got up in one of the dock’s barrier and Robert held her waist carefully as she wrapped her arms around his neck. They could hear all the noise happening far away, all the people chattering, the kids laughter and people screaming as they enjoyed the rides. But for them that moment was magic and it almost felt as if they were the only two people left in the world. They looked into each other’s eyes and their faces got closer together until their lips met.

Robert’s breathing felt heavier as he hugged her and kissed her, that girl just drove him crazy and awake in him feelings he never thought that could be felt, it was like she was the only person in the world who could understand him and the only one who could made him feel safe and the one who he could just be himself.

Nerissa had come to love Robert like if she knew him from all her life, she knew how much he had made her suffer and feel bad in the past when they first met, but just as she had felt since the beginning, there was something about his peculiar personality and his strange way to show his feelings that pulled her closer to him more and more instead of pushing her away.

“I love you” Nerissa softly whispered to his ear as they pulled away from the kiss, clinging with her arms to his neck and resting her head on his shoulder.

Robert remained quiet and he simply smiled while he looked up to the beautiful moon and the stars shining in the dark sky, and then he locked her into his arms as if he didn’t want her to ever leave his side, then he kissed her hair.

“I love you back” He whispered to her.