Never in the Frame

At last, it was our turn to ride the Ferris wheel.

Each gondola could hold only four people.

Elliot Walker grabbed Suzanna Jones and hurried inside, and the two of them sat side by side on one bench.

I took the seats across from them, next to a heavyset middle-aged woman.

Her arm was pressed tightly against mine, and her fingers kept brushing against my leg as if by accident.

I squeezed my legs together and shifted closer to the window, then looked at Suzanna for help.

"Suzanna, I..."

Could we switch seats?

I did not get to finish. She shushed me with a frown.

"Elliot's filming. Can you please stop talking? You're ruining the mood."

The annoyed look on her face made my heart sink.

The woman beside me smiled, showing a row of yellowed teeth.

The sweat from her palm rubbed against my thigh, hot, damp, and sticky.

My scalp prickled. All I could do was stare at the ground slowly shrinking beneath us and pray the ride would end soon.

When the gondola reached the very top, it suddenly stopped. Elliot smiled at the camera, his voice soft and warm.

"I've heard that couples who kiss at the top of a Ferris wheel will never break up."

Suzanna froze for a second, then let him kiss the corner of her lips. She leaned into his arms like she was completely dependent on him, a sweet smile spreading across her face.

They sat shoulder to shoulder, leaning into each other like a perfect couple.

I sat alone across from them, my body stiff as I endured the stranger's wandering hand.

A sharp ache spread through my chest, and for a moment, I could not even tell what I was feeling.

Who were the real couple there?

Them? Or me and Suzanna?

I remembered the last time I had tried to film a video to send to Grandma so I could introduce her to my girlfriend. The moment I had slipped my arm around Suzanna's, she had pulled away.

"Don't do things like that. You're embarrassing me."

So it was not that she hated showing off her relationship. She just hated doing it with me.

My phone buzzed. It was a message from Suzanna.

[It's just part of the . Don't overthink it.]

I did not reply. I turned off my screen.

At last, the Ferris wheel reached the ground.

Elliot linked his arm through Suzanna's and pointed toward the fireworks area nearby.

"Suzanna, come on! The show is about to start!

"Someone told me wishes made under fireworks come true. I want to wish for Mom to get better soon."

A look of sympathy crossed Suzanna's eyes. She let him pull her along without looking back at me.

They walked quickly. I tried to catch up, but after only two steps, the woman from the gondola blocked my way.

Her clammy hand clamped around my wrist as she looked me up and down.

"Did you steal my phone? Give it back!"

I jumped, and it took me a moment to force out a response.

"...I didn't steal it."

The woman spat to the side and gave me a nasty smile.

"You deliberately sat so close to me back there. It had to be you.

"Where did you hide it? Hand it over, or I'm going to search you."

As she spoke, she reached between my legs and gave me a hard pinch through my clothes. Pain and humiliation washed over me, and tears nearly spilled from my eyes.

Frantically, I pulled out my phone and called Suzanna for help.

Before I could say a word, her voice came through icy and impatient.

"I'm filming with Elliot. Don't call me again."

The line went dead.

All the warmth drained from my body.

A few park employees noticed the woman dragging me toward a corner and hurried over. They pulled her away from me.

She put on an innocent smile and said it had all been a misunderstanding. After tossing out a few halfhearted apologies, she turned and disappeared into the crowd.

My collar had been yanked so badly that I was nearly exposed. One of the employees quickly took off his jacket and draped it over my shoulders.

My face was pale, but I managed a small smile.

"Thank you."

He looked at my arm, already mottled with bruises from where she had grabbed me, and could not help but say, "Bro, there are a lot of people from out of town around here, and things can get pretty chaotic.

"You should really have your girlfriend or a friend stay with you. It's not safe to be alone."

I clutched the jacket tightly around myself. My vision blurred with tears.

"They're busy being there for each other. They don't have time for me."