Post by HADLEY DRAKE on Aug 11, 2019 17:27:53 GMT -5
Holy shit, she loved that guy. Sanjay came at her holding two massive drinks, frosty and filled to the brim with some brightly colored alcoholic slushy, perfectly concocted to battle the afternoon heat. He looked thrilled, carrying that alcohol toward her, and Hadley considered dropping down to one knee and proposing right there. It was so stupidly cliché and cheesy but Sanjay's dopey, excited smile always set her heart all aflutter. It brightened her world exponentially, even on a day like they were having where the sun was already blinding. The combination of Sanjay's grin and solar power would have burned out her retinas if she were a lesser being. As it were, she had to wear sunglasses to save her eyesight. The day was going strangely well, which was a bit of a surprise. They'd been at the carnival for nearly an hour and nobody had caught anything, including themselves, on fire yet. The two of them were so confident in their ability to survive the day alone that they sent one of the only constant sources of common sense in their lives off to wander the carnival with his aunt. It was almost a relief to have Devan off with Sanjay's sister, if only because Hadley found herself oddly nervous every time they took him somewhere with a lot of people. She already wasn't the biggest fan of crowds and she'd grown so protective of Dev over the last year that it stressed her out thinking of all the ways he could be lost in a sea of strangers. This instant kinda sorta pseudo-parenthood thing gave her anxiety, man. Her relationship with both Sharma boys was the only thing she'd ever really been afraid of ruining, and she had ruined a lot of things in her time. Hadley spent her entire life full of unapologetic confidence, bulldozing her way through every situation with a roguish charm that lulled people into liking her despite the obvious flaws. She was a social magician using a little personality misdirection to distract from the human disaster that stood before them. Most of that self-assuredness flew out the window with Sanjay. He was so sweet and good-natured, and he seemed fond of her. It was disarming. She never cared too much if someone liked her, but Hadley really liked Sanjay and hoped the feeling was mutual. Of all the people to unhinge her, it had to be that weird little idiot who lived almost exclusively in brightly colored Crocs with mismatching socks. Man, she sure was lucky. Sanjay returned to her with the drinks and she accepted it gratefully. "You're the best," she gave him an appreciative smile before taking a big sip of whatever the drink was. She didn't care. It was cold and alcoholic. She wasn't asking questions. Hadley turned her gaze back to their surroundings, looking over the assortment of booths and activities that lined the streets of the carnival. There was a long pause as she studied their options. "Okay," she started seriously, nudging Sanjay to regain his attention. "I don't think we've done enough stupid things today."
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