“I’m staying here,” Stella said, pointing to the bottom of the slide. “I want to get more pictures.”
Oliver rolled his eyes but shrugged. “Whatever. More rides for me.”
“Make sure to read the rules,” the man announced in a monotone voice as we started our ascent. The rules he’d referred to were listed on separate, equidistant signs along the climb in bright red capitals letters. Things like MUST BE48INCHES OR TALLER TO RIDE!and NO SHIRT,NO SHOES,NO SLIDE!For safety reasons, the signs also warned us to ride sitting up with our legs straight, not to hold hands or lock arms with other riders, and to remain on our mats until we came to a complete stop. Everyone was winded when we reached the top, but we were rewarded with a stunning view of Soul Harvest, the festival grounds spread out before us like a jumbo version of Felicity’s map.
“Christ,” Xander gasped, extracting an inhaler from his back pocket. “How many steps was that?”
“Two hundred and fourteen,” said another employee. He appeared to be in charge of manning the top of the slide but had barely glanced up from his phone when we crested the last step. “You guys can pick any track you want and go when you’re ready.”
Wanting purple, I crossed the length of the platform and laid outmy mat on the far track. As I took a seat, Xander claimed the blue one beside me.
“Wow,” he said, peering over the edge. “That’s a much steeper drop than what it looks like from the ground.”
I turned to him in surprise. “Not scared of heights, are you?”
“Petrified,” he said, struggling to subdue a smile. “Will you hold my hand on the way down?”
It was only a joke, yet my heart gave a sudden thump against my chest at his question. “Wish I could,” I answered in what I hoped was an equally teasing manner. “Honestly, I’m crushed, but it’s against the rules. Didn’t you read them on the way up?”
“No, actually. I was too busy trying to breathe.”
“Ah, well, that’s understandable,” I said. “Priorities and all that.”
“Everyone in position?” Oliver called, taking a quick survey of our line. We were. “All right then. On your marks,” he said, rocking back and forth like he was on a luge. “Get set… Go!”
Grabbing both sides of the track, I pushed myself forward. Gravity took hold, and as I plummeted toward the ground at a stomach-dropping speed, I threw my arms in the air and let out a scream of exhilaration. Much to my surprise, I was the first to reach the bottom, followed closely by JJ. Oliver came in third, and he didn’t look too pleased about either of us beating him.
“Let’s go again,” he said, holding up his stash of tickets, a competitive glint in his eyes.
“Pass,” Felicity answered, knees wobbling as she stood. “I’m going to keep both feet planted firmly on the ground, but you guys have fun.”
“Same,” Xander said, tossing both his and Felicity’s mats into a return pile. “If I climb those stairs again, my lungs might actually catch fire.”
I couldn’t help it when my eyebrows drew together.You okay?I mouthed to him.
My concern must have been amusing, because Xander smirked. He hooked a long, elegant finger around my belt loop and tugged me forward. Lips against my ear, he whispered, “Totally fine. Ripe old age of ninety-five, remember? Make them eat your dust.” Then he gave me a gentle push in the direction of the stairs.
Too stunned to do anything other than move on autopilot, I tackled each step with the efficiency of a robot, my face in flames from Xander’s sudden proximity.
Back at the top, everyone arranged their mats and settled into place.
“Whenever you’re ready,” the employee said, eyes still locked on his phone, and JJ took advantage of his obvious distraction.
Just as Alec told everyone to get set, JJ jumped to his feet. Before anyone realized what he was doing, he threw himself face-first onto his mat at the same time as Alec shouted “Go!”
“Hey!” Oliver shouted, but he quickly decided to follow JJ’s example. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw him grab Alec’s shirtsleeve and try to use his friend’s weight to propel himself forward. Alec, however, was having none of it, and he yanked Oliver back by the collar. The boys fought each other all the way down the slide, both trying to gain an edge over the other. In the end, they finished dead even. JJ came in first, and as the only noncheater, I brought up the rear.
“Ha!” JJ jumped to his feet when I reached the bottom and shimmied his shoulders at us in a victory dance. “Beat you all.”
“Congratulations,” said the mat attendant. “Savor the win, because you’re now banned from the slide for breaking the rules. Same goes for you two,” he told Oliver and Alec. “Hand over your mats.”
“But we still have ten tickets,” JJ complained.
The guy pointed at the exit. “Not my problem. Get going.”
“Well, this blows,” Oliver said as the eight of us passed through another turnstile. He’d offered his remaining tickets to me, but I didn’t want to ride the slide by myself while everyone waited at the bottom.
“You know the one thing that will make everything better?” JJ asked. He pointed at a sign above one of the many food stalls. “Three words, my friends—chili cheese fries.”
