2000-10-10 He told me not to start, not today. Nuh-uh.      We slid around in the mud a bit as he pulled in and parked at an angle on the hill. He shook his head again as we walked to the entrance. Normally he would've walked around with me for a while, seen the antique cars, the picture contest, maybe gone in the haunted house or on the Tilt-A-Whirl. Which I hate, but would have done anyway. But he said he had to get ready. Had to go get ready, and walked off as soon as we got inside.      The contest wasn't for a while though, so I went around by myself for a bit. Looked at sweaters and the hot tub display. Went around the back of the petting tent when I saw a girl I remembered from high school.      I sat at the edge of one of the stands for the last part of the contest, where I knew he'd be. I heard the shot and watched his arms go. That was me, making him go that fast. He made it halfway through the block in three swings you barely even saw, jumped around to face the other way and did it again. The other guy still had three chops left in his. The crowd couldn't believe it. Even Joey from Tryon's farm, the guy he beat last year. Everybody clapping and screaming.      And the girls, of course. There they go. I watched a few go up to him afterwards, one at a time, fingers on his arm. The same way we started dating, last year. Never ruin things with your boyfriend at the fair. He'll only win.      It was getting dark and the lights on the The Scrambler were on. Ringing bells when the balloons popped over the little clown heads. I'd only been trying to ask him a simple question, was all. Some kid had thrown up in the Moon Room. They were scraping it off into the hay on the ground. I had to find a ride home. I started looking for someone I knew. ( . )