Mission: Get Rid of Peyton's Crush on Archer
Plan F: Confess
- () -
So, I've done some thinking about this plan.
And there are two possibilities on how it will turn out. The first possibility is that Archer accepts my feelings, we start dating and therefore, my crush isn't a crush anymore. The second one, the more likely one, is that Archer rejects my crush and I'm so heartbroken that I don't have a crush on him anymore.
The thought of the first possibility makes me look forward to the day of the carnival. The thought of the second one makes me want to cancel our plans altogether.
"Today is the day," I tell Pillow-Peyton. "How do I look?"
I couldn't sleep all last night so I decided to get up early to choose my outfit. After ransacking my closet - and Melody's - to find an appropriate outfit, I finally come up with a combination that might work. My outfit consists of a floral top, white shorts, white sandals, and a sunhat.
You look like you're trying too hard, Pillow-Peyton says telepathically. Archer will know that something's up.
"Right." I go back into my closet again.
I replace my floral top with an off-the-shoulder black shirt, my shorts with ripped jeans and pull on my regular boots. I discard the sunhat, then step in front of the pink-haired pillow one more time.
Too plain, she says.
So I dash a bit of makeup on my face and examine myself in the mirror.
I look good. But not too good that somebody will guess that I spent an entire hour figuring out my outfit.
A honk from outside startles me.
I check the clock. It's already one o'clock. Archer's in the driveway right now. Giving my reflection one last nod, I pat Charlotte and Charlotte Jr on the head, wave goodbye to Blackie and Darkie, and run downstairs.
You got this, girl! Pillow-Peyton calls.
Archer's lounging in the car lazily, his arm dangling out the window. He has his usual sunglasses and button-down shirt on, but for some reason, he looks extra handsome today. My palms are already sweaty when I enter the car.
"You look cute today, Peyton," Archer says.
Damn it.
"Thanks," I shut the car door.
Melody and Raquel climb into the back seat, chatting about one of the girls on their cheerleading team. My original plan was to confess to Archer in the car but Raquel's car broke, so they're coming with us now.
Archer hands me the GPS before backing out of the driveway. Since I'm the only one who knows the address, I type it in and wait for it to load. Archer turns on the radio.
Meanwhile, I review my plan.
Things Peyton needs before she confesses to Archer:
1) A witty line. There's no way I'm going with the cliche "Archer, I like you more than as a friend" or "Archer, I like like you" when I'm confessing all my heartfelt feelings.
2) A quiet area. I'm probably not going to wind up the courage to confess to him twice, so I need to make sure that he hears properly the first time.
3) An isolated area. Nobody can hear me confess to Archer. Nobody.
4) An escape route. Just in case he rejects me and I have to run away.
"Turn right here," I say quietly.
Archer maneuvers the car to fit my instructions. Within a half an hour, we're at the parking lot of the Winter Wonderland carnival. It's packed so Archer has to snake around the lines of cars to find an available space.
"Make sure to meet us by the entrance by nine o'clock -"
"Later, Peyton!" Melody swings the door open before Archer even parks the car. She grabs Raquel's hand and they leap outside.
"Melody!"
But Melody's already racing towards the entrance, which is lit up by an arch of fake glass icicles and a banner that welcomes everyone.
Archer finds a parking spot at the back of the carnival. I decide that this is the best time as any other to confess. I stare at the windshield for a few moments, formulating the next words I'm going to have to say.
"Peyton?"
I turn my head. Archer's already looking at me, sunglasses pushed back in his hair.
"Yeah, sorry," My mouth is suddenly dry. "Um, before we go, I need to tell you something."
His eyes are focused entirely are on mine, but then they dart to a spot behind me. I glance over my shoulder to see what's he looking at. Derek, Sebastian and a few other boys from his swim team walking towards us.
"What are they -" I swerve back to Archer. " - you invited them?"
He looks a little sheepish. "I mentioned it during practice and they wanted to come."
"You're impossible."
"I couldn't say no," He protests.
I roll my eyes. "Whatever."
Both of us exit the car.
I thought I'd be relived at the interruption but I'm not. Instead, a little bit of disappointment goes through me. I shove it away and think about my next steps. Now that Archer's friends are here, it's going to be harder to get him alone.
I'll figure out somehow, I promise myself.
Archer hurries his pace to greet his friends. I linger outside of their circle, unsure of whether I should introduce myself or not, until Archer grabs my wrist and tugs me to his side.
"This is Peyton. She's the girl who hid under the bleachers because she was scared of the flu shot," Archer tells everybody and they all nod in recognition. I roll my eyes, fighting the blush that threatens to redden my cheeks. "Peyton, you know Derek and Sebastian. This is TJ and Lex."
I give everybody a short wave. "Nice to meet you."
"You too, bleacher girl."
I scowl. Archer laughs under his breath.
Finally, we walk into the carnival.
Strings of blue and white lights surround us, reflecting off the windows of gift shops and mirrors of the booths. The scent of coffee lingers in the air, accompanied by slight fragrances of peppermint and funnel cake. The crowd is large and loud, filled with chattering children and their parents.
"We should hold hands so we don't get separated," Archer suggests. "Sebastian?"
"No."
"Lex?"
"No."
"Peyton, do you want to hold hands?" Derek says, inching closer to me as a group of children swarm by with blue balloons.
"Why? So you can pretend that I'm Bettie instead?"
He nearly trips over a ledge. "Bettie? No way. Why would you say that? Did she - did she ask about me or something?"
"Why don't you just ask her?"
"Peyton, nobody wants to hold my hand," Archer barges between the two of us. Derek pulls his phone out of his pocket as he walks to the front with Lex and TJ. "So you have to give me yours."
"Oh, so I'm your last resort?" I say, but place my hand in his.
"I saved the best for last."
I snort and Archer squeezes my hand. Even though the contact between us isn't that much compared to what we've done before, this situation feels strangely intimate. If everybody else wasn't here, we could almost be on a date.
Archer finds a map, then unfolds it in front of us. We release each other's hands.
"Alright, there are about a dozen rides here," Archer points to little green dots on the map. "If we time it right, we can go to all of them. Which ride should we go to first?"
"Spider's Web?" TJ offers.
"Or Monsters and Guns," Lex says. "But I hear that ride is a little iffy."
"We should go on the Merry-Go-Round," Sebastian says.
"What the hell Sebastian?" I say, unable to help myself. "The Merry-Go-Round?"
He glares at me. "Merry-go-rounds are fun."
"For a snail maybe. Or a banana slug."
"Nobody cares about your animals, Peyton. Stop bringing them up."
"First of all," Archer holds up one finger. "I care about Peyton's animals. Second of all, merry-go-rounds are fun. We're going on it first because it's nearby. Peyton, you can make friends with one of the animal statues or something."
Sebastian and I glare at each other, but don't argue.
Archer lays out a detailed plan on how to get the most rides in the least amount of time. I'm a little impressed. I didn't know he had such plan-making skills in him.
Archer grabs my hand again and we head towards the merry-go-round.
Sebastian makes a beeline to one of the black horses. Derek grabs a giant moose, distracted by texting somebody on his phone. Archer sits on a shining white horse near the edge and I climb onto the one next to it, a unicorn with a gold horn and faded purple eyes.
Soon, the music starts and the merry-go-round begins to move in a circle.
My unicorn goes up and down in a pace slower than a three-toed sloth, then stops midway throughout the ride, pausing at one of the highest spots.
Archer waves to some of the kids waiting in the line.
Wait a minute.
I scan our surroundings. Most of his friends are on horses far away from us. Is this my chance to tell him about how I feel? Before I can decide that it's not, I grab the edge of Archer's shirt and tug on it twice.
Archer looks up at me. "Peyton, why aren't you moving up and down?"
"It broke. So listen, about our -"
"Have you named your unicorn yet?" Archer pretends to pet the horse's silver-white mane. "I've named my horse. His name is Charming. What's your unicorn's name?"
"I didn't name it yet. Could you just -"
"What?" Archer gasps. "Peyton, our friendly, pink-haired, animal loving vegeterian not obsessing over a unicorn? Impossible."
"Fine, I'll name it!" I look down at its purple eyes and glittery pink hair. "Its name is - Sparkly."
Archer snorts, riding up to my eye level again. "We really need to talk about you and your weird names. Is every one of them an adjective?"
The ride begins to slow down.
"Would you just please listen to me?" I groan.
"Sorry," Archer fights a grin. "I'm listening."
Just as I open my mouth again, the merry-go-round comes to a halt and the music to a complete stop, casting everybody into silence.
"Nevermind," I sigh. "I'll tell you later."
"Why can't you tell me now?"
"I can't. It's a secret."
"A secret? How exciting," Archer swings off his horse and lands on the ground with a bang. I grab one of the gold poles in the middle and use it to lower myself down. "I'll look forward to hearing it."
The rest of the group meet us halfway to the front gate. After we exit the Merry-Go-Round (I didn't know Sebastian could smile that big), Archer leads us to a bunch of other rides. We go to a drop-tower, a few roller coasters (in which Archer screams so loudly that I've gone mildly deaf), and even one of those fun houses.
Soon, Archer announces that he can't go onto another ride without puking so we try some of the game booths. The boys on the swim team take turns until one of them wins and then they go to the next one. We're making good time, until they get to one where you have to knock down a moving target.
"Archer," I whisper. "Can we talk?"
Archer's too watching the target dance back and forth to even look at me. "Yeah, just a minute."
Lex shoots the ball. It hits the side of the target, but it's not enough to knock it down. All of the boys groan in unison. Derek hands the teenager who works there another five dollars.
"It's about the secret," I tell Archer.
"After we win, you can show me your secret," He promises, then grabs one of the balls. "It's my turn. Step aside, TJ and let me show you how it's done."
He throws the ball.
It misses the target entirely, hitting the fabric behind with a soft thud. I stare at the sky in exasperation, then shove my way through the group until I'm next to Archer and Derek. I grab one of the balls and hurl it at the target.
It hits the middle, knocking it to the ground and sending a chorus of sirens in the air to announce that I've won. The teenager, mildly impressed, hands me the stuffed dragon.
I turn to face Archer, but before I can, both Lex and TJ confront me. Lex grabs the dragon while TJ throws his arm around my shoulders.
"Check it out," TJ says. "Bleacher girl has some moves."
"Yeah, come on, show us more. I think we have a couple more booths left over there," Lex agrees.
"Wait -" Before I'm able to protest, they drag me over to another circle of booths and have me play more games.
- () -
I actually end up having fun.
We almost get to every booth in the carnival, but then Sebastian points out that we only have a couple of hours left. So, with arms full of the prize we won, the group and I grab dinner and sit in the cleanest table we find.
Night falls and a cool breeze settles over the carnival. The booths and ride start to turn their lights on, one by one, until the area is glowing with every shade of the rainbow. Families leave, just to be replaced by other teenagers like us. Sebastian, TJ, Derek and Lex leave to grab more food.
Archer, who had the hardest time finding the meal he wanted, stays behind with me to eat it.
I stare at my empty plate.
It's time.
"Archer, I'm going to tell you about my secret," I say, my voice cracking at the end. "It's about our relationship."
"Hmm?"
I glance at Archer. He chomps off a large portion of his burger, too engrossed in eating it to pay attention to what I'm saying. I know he's not going to look at me until he's finished so I simply wait until he's done.
Archer reaches for the fries.
"Are you ready to pay attention to me now?"
"What?" Archer shoves another a fry into his mouth.
I groan, then grab the rest of his fries and shovel them into my mouth. Archer has both of his eyebrows raised by the time I finish. I turn towards him, ready to spew out my feelings, but then realize my mouth is too full for me to say single word.
"Peyton," Archer shakes his head, smiling softly. "You should have told me you were so hungry. Why don't you wait here while I get the both of us some more friend?"
No, wait, I want to say, but I can't. Instead, I watch Archer walk away from me with bulging cheeks and a frustrated scowl.
- () -
Dinner passes and we have just enough time to go on our last ride: Monster and Guns. The ride consists of a cart that takes two people around a dark maze while they have laser guns. When the light-up monsters pop up, you have to shoot them to gain points.
I still haven't confessed to Archer.
Although this day has been fun, I can't help but feel miserable while we're standing in line. Am I going to bed with my crush still keeping me awake?
We decide to get into pairs. I offer to go with Archer, citing the reason as that we didn't have a chance to sit together today yet. Archer, with a knowing smile, agrees. The others pair up as well and line behind the ride.
Archer and I are the last ones to get on the ride.
We step inside of the cart, pressing against each other as the worker straps our seatbelt. Sounds of trolls growling and banshees screaming echo from inside the maze. Archer turns into a paler shade of white.
"Are you okay?" I ask, raising an eyebrow.
"I will be as long as you protect me from the monsters, Peyton."
"This is a team effort, Archer."
Archer doesn't have a chance to reply. Our cart starts to move with a loud clank and he winces violently. I grab our laser guns from underneath the seat and hand one to him. The doors swing open to reveal a dark room with glowing trees and grass.
"I'm scared," Archer whimpers.
"Nothing's even happened yet. Calm down."
With a loud shriek, a ghoul with glowing red eyes jumps out of a bush. Archer sucks in a breath through his teeth while I point my gun at its head and shoot. Each time I press the trigger, a small sound from the gun lets me know that I'm winning points. Eventually, the ghoul fades back into black and the cart moves on to the next section.
I laugh at Archer's expression. "Are you always this cowardly?"
"Fear is survival mechanism that allows me to survive," He states, running a shaky hand through his hair.
"If that ghoul was real, you'd be dead."
"Not if I have you to shoot it for me."
I snort.
But for the rest of the ride, Archer gets his act together and helps me shoot the monsters. He winces every time he shoots one, but manages to score us some points.
Finally, we reach the last stage of the ride. Our cart circles around a treasure chest that looks like it'll contain a ton of monsters. Archer is on the side closest to the so the golden lights illuminate his terrified expression.
Just as the lid bursts open, everything around us shuts down. The lights of the treasure box go out and the spooky background music cuts off with a screech. We both sit in stunned silence.
"What's going -" I start, but an automated voice interrupts me.
"The ride will be fixed momentarily," It says. "Please sit still for a few minutes as we work on the technical difficulties. Thank you for your patience."
The voice goes out again.
I can't see anything, not even my own hands, not even Archer or his expression. All of a sudden, the area gets ten times as creepy. The only thing keeping me from calling out is the warmth of Archer's body next to mine.
"I guess this the perfect time for you tell me your secret," He whispers, voice low and husky, sending shivers over my skin.
"Right," I swallow. "So, my secret is -"
Shoot. This was the last thing I would have expected. Both of us sit in complete darkness, with no clue what the other one is doing. It's so intimate, so ambiguous, that it drives me crazy. If Archer were to reject me, I realize, I'd have no where to run.
With another shaky breath, I try to say "I like you" but all that comes out is a mumble that even I can't hear.
"What?" Archer's silhouette leans closer. His expression is invisible to me. All I know is the sound of my own heartbeat as it pounds in my chest, digging dents into my ribcage.
I like you.
Just say it, Peyton.
Archer reaches up and tilts my head to the right so that we're directly facing each other. My eyes start to adjust to the darkness. We're so close. If I were to tilt my head up, our lips would brush.
"I can't hear anything you're saying, Peyton. You'll have to be louder," Archer murmurs, each word reverberating in my bones.
I kiss him.
It's light, just the soft movement of his lips as they press onto mine. His breath, a shocked exhale, washes over me. Too late I realize I should have closed my eyes, but by then I'm so embarrassed that I back away.
"Sorry," I choke out, a lump in my throat. "I should have just -"
Archer shushes me. Both of us are quiet in a moment. Then, he runs his hand, from my waist, up my figure until it reaches the back of my neck. Another shivers runs through me. Archer pulls me closer by gently pushing on my neck.
And then, he kisses me back.
I gasp, not expecting this turn of events. Archer takes that as opportunity to pull me in closer, his tongue in my mouth, until my chest is directly pressed against his.
I close my eyes.
Oh god. He shifts his movements, pecking the corner of my mouth. I suck in a breath full of his scent before he returns to my lips. Oh god. Each button of his shirt sinks into my skin as I clutch the edge of his sleeve. Oh god. His hands are on the lower side of my back. Oh god. I can't believe this is happening.
A spark of light behind my eyes makes me open them. Over Archer's shoulder, something fizzles into life.
The treasure box lights up and bursts open. About a dozen monsters erupt from inside it, mouths open wide, arms stretched out and lunge over us. The music starts with a screech, exploding in high screeches and ear-deafening snarls.
I yelp, separating Archer and I, and stumble backwards.
Archer catches me and pulls me close again. He has a wide grin on his face.
And for that matter, so do I. In fact, my entire body trembles with excitement and shock. My lips feel extra-soft in the cool air. I have to take several deep breaths to calm down, but it barely helps me to stabilize myself.
Our cart pulls us beyond the final stage, until we reach the outside world again. Archer and I blink in the bright lights. The rest of our group waits for us at the edge of the ride. Derek raises his eyebrows once he spots us.
"Finally," He says. "Why are you two so close?"
"Peyton got scared," Archer says, rubbing his hands over my arms. "I'm comforting her."
I want to argue, but I'm too busy hiding a smile. Archer, in the meantime, doesn't bother wiping the smirk off his face. It stays there for the rest of the night, including when he says goodbye to his friends and the car ride home.
I linger in the car a little bit after Melody and Raquel leave, still breathless from the events that just transpired.
"So," Archer says, grabbing my hand. "Any more secrets?"
"Not this time," I bite my lower lip, but they curve up anyways.
"Well, if you have any more," Archer turns my wrist and presses a soft kiss at the back of my hand, eyes on mine the entire time. "I'm always willing to listen."
I nod shakily.
He smiles and releases me. "See you tomorrow."
"See you," I breathe. With a wave goodbye, I step out of the car, unable to hide my smile anymore as I climb into the house and run upstairs my bedroom.
Plan F: Success
- () -
No longer shall the letter F stand for failure.
Man, the word count on this chapter is huge. Hope you guys didn't mind, lol.
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We got into the top 50 of romance! Omg, I love you guys. Dedications go to VanessaEvans44, FlippingwithGrace  and crintorr97.
Thanks for reading!
QotC: What's next in store for Peyton and Archer?