The Leap [✔]

Chapter Eight

"Joey, calm down man. We will get there soon," Jude says, laughing. He pulls past the pedestrians who walk across the street to enter the Carnival.

Joey grins and sits back in his seat.

"Alright, but can you just hurry?" He asks, sighing and looks out the window, anxious. Jude and Owen sit up front, with Joey and I in back. Logan, Aidan, and Ben drive behind us in their beat up car with Quinn.

Jude weaves and maneuvers around dozens of cars to park in the carnival grounds, where people are arriving and milling around. Once we park, Joey rips off his seat belt and jumps out of his booster seat.

"Slow down little man. Remember the rules; no running off and no talking to strangers," Jude warns, talking to Joey before he can get out. Joey nods solemnly and Owen helps him out of the back. I step out of the car just as Logan pulls in beside us.

"Emma," Jude begins, standing beside me with a serious stare. "No boys, like you can't even look at them," He says. Owen and Aidan mutter in agreement.

I roll my eyes. "Sure. Whatever you say," I say, laughing and take Joeys hand, walking away from my brothers.

As Joey and I make our way to the entrance I see Andrea and her sister, Cassie.

"I can smell the food from here," Andrea says dreamily, sniffing the air. Cassie rolls her eyes.

"You always smell food." Andrea sticks out her tongue at her sister. Cassie bends down and gives Joey a fist bump. My brothers come to stand beside me and Logan stands next to Cassie. They don' t speak to each other but stand really close, their arms touching.

"Is this everyone?" Jude asks but before anyone can say anything, Aidan speaks up.

"Yep, here comes Austin and Henry. I think we are good to go." At the mention of Austin, I turn slightly to see him walking up to us wearing tan cargo shorts and a blue polo. Henry is beside of him, waving his hands as he speaks.

Andrea nudges me hard in the ribs and I grimace. She likes Henry, who is exactly like her: loud and outgoing. Except Henry knows when to keep his mouth shut.

"Can we go already!" Joey yells, stomping his foot impatiently. Everyone laughs. Jude picks him up and swings him over his shoulder.

We pay for our bracelets, saying we have full access to the carnival, we split up. Jude and Owen take off with Joey to the circus, which indeed does have clown acts. Quinn takes off on his own, to meet up with his friends. Who knows what trouble he will get in.

Logan and Cassie go off somewhere, of course they had the excuse they are meeting up with friends but Andrea and I give each other a knowing look.

Eventually, all the people that are left is my brothers Aidan and Ben, Austin, Henry, Andrea and I.

"So I guess we're stuck with you losers," Aidan says, pointing to Andrea and I. Andrea hits his shoulder playfully.

Andrea snorts. "Yeah right, like we would ever want to be seen with you fools," Andrea says and grabs my arm, pulling me in the opposite direction.

"Where are we going?" I ask as Andrea drags me through clusters of people. We stop by the canteen where they sell cotton candy and all other junk food.

"Well I need something to eat," My best friend says, sighing dramatically as we stand in line.

I laugh. "You are a bottomless pit." I say, watching the crowd around us. "I swear if I ate like you I'd weigh a billion pounds."

A few feet away, I see Carla and her posse yapping away to each other and laughing.

"What are they doing here?" Andrea wonders once she followed my gaze.