I’m running down the road to the one place I know he would be, nearly exploding with anger &  betrayal. Many emotions are fighting to dominate each other inside me. How could he? Out of all the people I never expected something like this from him. 

After my parents’ death, my uncle took me in. I have been living with him for 3 years now. And I have learnt two things. First, he is so paranoid about me getting hurt that he won’t let me go outside alone. He still thinks I am the little girl he took in, but I am 14 years old now. Second, he hates the haunted fair that takes place in the town every year and won’t let me go there. 

When I told Nick that I wanted to go to that haunted fair this year. He said he would take me. Nick is a year older than me and we have been friends for 5 years now. Ever since we met, we were practically joined at the hips. 

But Nick never showed up at my house yesterday like he was supposed to. I waited all day long for him to arrive at my doorstep and ring that stupid doorbell and ask for hanging out so that my uncle would let us go out. And then we could go to that haunted fair in the town. 

When I reach the place we usually meet, there he sits as I knew he would be. I head towards him, ready to explode as to why he ditched me. 

“How could you? I was so excited to see that fair!” I shout. 

“Why do you always have to be so dramatic?” He said dryly

“Because I was waiting all the day!! And wait, I am NOT dramatic.” I say, rolling my eyes. 

“I was coming. But then I thought -“

“You thought what?” I narrow my eyes. 

“I… I thought I would check the rides first, then I will come get you.” He explains. 

“Then why didn’t you come?” I ask, confused. 

“When I got there, there were so many rides, haunted houses and there was a maze made of mirrors!!” He tells me. 

“Really???” I say in excitement

“Yeah… And there was still a half an hour until I had to come to get you. So I thought I would check out the mirror maze. ” He says

“AND?? You enjoyed it all alone and there I was waiting!!” I say, my anger rising again. 

“I… I got lost in that maze!! For the sake of my life, I couldn’t find my way out. I was in there for two hours, Claire. Two hours! I got scared… ” He rushed out. 

“W-what? You got stuck in that?” I ask, a little worried for him. 

“YES. And.. at the end… The staff has to come find me and take me out. There was a huge crowd outside when everyone got to know that someone got stuck inside.” He says

“It was so embarrassing. I left the fair after that. And I was so mortified, I didn’t want to go to the fair again. That’s why I didn’t come to your house.” He continues. 

I kick my head back and laugh out loud, unable to say any words, forgetting all my anger. Oh my god, he is so stupid sometimes. I can’t imagine the look on his face when he would have came out of the maze. 

“Stop laughing.” He says, annoyed. 

“I can’t believe you are my best friend and you got lost in a stupid mirror maze,” I say laughing. 

He just punches me playfully on the shoulder, making the annoyed face, and then laughs with me too. 

He tells me a little more about the rides that he did before going in the maze. And it sounds all amazing. He then treats me with my favorite choco chip ice cream for leaving me behind and I forgive him. Still laughing about his misfortune. 

Next year, I will have to take him with me to that fair. Until then I can tease him about the maze incident. As we are walking down the road to my house, I look at him and smile.