• "Ugh; I feel like my head's going to split in two," Sarah grumbled miserably, rubbing her temples as she collpased onto a chair at a nearby booth. The incessant, upside-down-spinny rides were making her head swim, but she couldn't do anything about but sit in the booth.

    Balloon-o-Rama, the sign read. She swung around in the chair, despite the fact that it only made her terrible headache worse, until she looked up and saw the other sign.

    Seats are for players only.

    The lady running the game raised an eyebrow, but her attention was quickly diverted by a mother/daughter pair who wished to play. Sighing, Sarah decided that she should probably pay and play so she had a right to be there... otherwise, it just wouldn't feel right. Grudgingly, she pulled out the money and handed it to the lady.

    "Sarah, you're playing?" Catfish-Alex, as most people referred to him as, asked skeptically.

    The girl nodded absently. "It says the seats are for players," she explained. "I might as well play if I'm sitting here, you know... haha..." The laughter died as Sarah rubbed her temples again with a small groan.

    "Ready... start!"

    The water guns started, and Sarah quickly moved the jetstream so it hit the target. She kept a sharp eye on the balloon of the other participants, though, and smiled as she saw that her balloon was closer to popping, which was the objective of the game. Her grin fell, though, as she noticed that the other balloon was quickly getting as large as... no; larger than her own balloon. The smile was as good as the trampled grass under her feet.

    "Haha," Mindy laughed as she slid onto the chair next to her friend, who was seething with anger now. "Do you want to try again? I'll give you the prize if I win, but you have to pay."

    Sarah rolled her eyes, but agreed anyway.

    The lady gave the signal to start. Feeling confident, Sarah blasted the jet into the target and watched with a confident smirk as the balloon expanded to a large, extended lightbulb shape. She was delighted to see that Mindy's was only 1/3 the size of her own balloon, and chuckled lightly to herself.

    "I've won," she chirped happily to herself. I've received redemption from the clutches of humiliation!, the girl silently added.

    Imagine her dismay when, as she murmured those words, Mindy's balloon popped.

    A moment of shock hung around the stand until everyone burst out laughing. Victoria, Alex, Amy, Ari (her brother(, and Mindy-- even Sarah and the lady working the stand was laughing their heads off. The lady handed Mindy her prize-- a bright green, fluffy monkey-- through stiffled tears.

    Sarah wiped away tears of laughter as she muttered angrily to herself, "Damn; that was so retarded."