She seemed amenable to this gesture. Her feet kick in a gentle rhythm, and unknowingly, she syncs her breathing with his. The wheel turns, and in a not often seen gesture, Kaya curls against the other teenager.

The carnival played garish sound and happy music around them, but for Kaya, the world was blessedly still and silent. For once, her head didn't scream with someone's anger and frustration, and her heart didn't ache with another's loneliness and sadness. Anything felt was both positive and her own.

She lifted her head, looking at Haro. "Thank you." The kiss on the cheek he'd given her is returned on his own.