"Got it."
We all hear the sound of metal clamping. The final lock. The ride operator waves dramatically. The ride jolts. Metal grinds. The lights flicker red. And then the machine moves. Just a little.
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA—" Lorenzo screams before anything even happens.
"SHUT UP, YOU MORON!" Daisy yells beside him. He immediately stops. Like a switch flipped. "…sorry," he mutters.
Next to me, Gio is grinning. His hand slides over mine and squeezes gently. I take a deep breath.
You got this, Rava. It's just metal. And screaming. And regret. It's fine. You lived through worse. You're dating a finetatted rider with a criminal record and a cat. We start rising. Higher. The sky's closer now. My stomach is already arguing with gravity.
DROP. The world disappears beneath us.
And so do my manners. "FUCK YOU GIO. FUCK YOU. YOU STUPID DUMB-ASS BASTARD. I SHOULD'VE NEVER TRUSTED YOU—"
"THINK OF THE GOLDFISH!" Gio yells, laughing so hard he can't breathe.
"I DON'T LOVE YOU ANYMORE—"
"WHAT GOLDFISH??" Lorenzo screams. "GUYS I MIGHT VOMIT. NOT EVEN JOKING. WHO BROUGHT ME HERE??"
Daisy yells back at him.
"YOU BROUGHT YOURSELF HERE!"
The ride spins. The ground is up. The sky is sideways. My soul has left the group. Marco is cackling. Laughing. Hands in the air like he just got laid and won the lottery at the same time. I stare at him for one full rotation. Then I snap back into survival mode.
Lock in. Come on, Rava. Focus. Ignore the nausea. Eight blowjobs. Eight. One. Two. Three. On the couch. In the shower. On the bike. Back of the car—NO. FOCUS.
You have a goal. You have a future. You have a Gio. I grit my teeth. I breathe. You will survive this. A few more minutes.
We come off the ride like it spit us out. Lorenzo's swaying, dramatic as ever.
He throws his arm around Marco and immediately trips. They both hit the ground in a messy heap, laughing like idiots. Daisy just stands there, looking down at them like a single mom who regrets taking the neighborhood kids to the carnival.
She sighs. Loudly. "I should've left you both at home." I find Gio, still smirking. Walk right up to him.
"I did it. You owe me eight blowjobs. And a goldfish."
He catches both my hands in his like he is about to propose.
"I have a better idea."
42) Quack
Rava
"Get up, you disgusting gremlins," Gio shouts at them. He leads us straight to the claw machines.
We follow. Obviously. He points at one in the far corner.
"That one. Been eyeing it since we got here." Squints. "This teddy looks like you, Ravioli. Kinda pissed off, but still cute."
"I'm not pissed off."
"No," Daisy chimes in. "He's right. That thingisyou, Rava." "Traitor." Gio drops a coin into the slot, cracks his neck like he's about to enter a street fight. "Okay. I got this. Everyone shut the fuck up."
He moves the claw. Adjusts. Backs it up. Re-adjusts while cursing silently. The level of focus on his face is absurd. I'm pretty sure NASA engineers don't look this serious. Tongue peeking out of the side of his mouth. It's… adorable.
