Picture by Joe Phillips.

Friday Flash Fics Anniversary Extra: Above It All

by Jeff Baker

Ross grinned and hung onto the side of the chair of what he called a ski lift, even if it was the middle of summer.

“You okay?” Burt, his boyfriend in his “Planet Of the Apes” t-shirt said, sitting next to him what felt like a million feet up.

“Yeah, I’m fine,” Ross said, grinning at his boyfriend and feeling the plush dinosaur under his arm that they’d won at the midway. He glanced over to one side. He could see the huge skyscrapers, the vast city and the mountains beyond. Still, somehow it reminded them of the County Fair with its traveling attractions in the small farm town they’d grown up in.

“Y’know,” Burt said. “This reminds me of the fair back home we used to go to…”

“Every Summer!” Ross said. “I was just thinking about that!”

Ross stared up at the blue sky.

“Remember three years ago?” Ross said. “End of Junior year?”

“Oh, God yes.” Burt said. I wanted out of that place so bad.” He looked into Ross’ eyes. “And I wanted you.”

“Yeah,” Ross said. “Remember kissing on the Ferris wheel when it reached the point where nobody could see us?”

“Yeah,” Burt breathed softly, leaning in to kiss his boyfriend. They held for a moment and Ross thought he heard somebody in a seat behind them laughing and applauding.

“Okay, guys, break it up!” That was the attendant as the chair reached the platform where they had to jump off. “Watch your step, and don’t have too much fun!”

Burt and Ross laughed and nodded and trotted down the flight of stairs to the midway. Burt had an opportunity for a job out here when they graduated and Ross had gone with him, supposedly to drive the old pickup but they both knew they were going to stay together here on the West Coast. They’d juggled bills and jobs but had each other and the crummy little apartment that felt like paradise.

They each took a whiff of the cotton candy and popcorn smells.

High school seemed so far away.

—end—

AUTHOR’S NOTE: Three years ago I wrote a story called “The Grey Ferris” https://authorjeffbaker.com/2022/02/04/ride-the-grey-ferris-for-friday-flash-fics-by-jeff-baker-february-4th-2022/ for Friday Flash Fics. A lot of people liked it and wanted Burt and Ross to get a happy ending or at least away from their homophobic little town. So, I wrote this for my 9th Anniversary month of these flash fiction stories. Inspired partly by the wonderful picture by Joe Phillips off his 2025 “Boy Oh Boy” calendar. Here’s a link to his website: http://www.joephillips.com/index.html

Writing these weekly stories has been a wild ride and I’m glad you’ve come along!

——jeff