My Fears Burn While You're Around

"Are you alright? You're awfully quiet lately." Matt asked as we stood in line for Splash Mountain not long after. I was sitting on one of the railings and Matt was standing between my legs with his hands on my thighs to help steady me.

"Yeah." I grinned but he in return frowned.

"You're lying. What's wrong?" He asked again as he leaned over and rested his forehead against mine.

I looked behind him and saw Zacky and Johnny trying to wrestle eachother off of the opposite railing. "I'm just bummed. You guys have all these awesome memories and I have nothing." I told him honestly. "I guess I just feel out of the loop."

Matt's eyes softened as he let out a sigh. His hands rubbed my legs gently and then he scooped me up and moved me further down the line as everyone else moved forwards. He placed me back on the rail as we waited again.

"You're not out of the loop hun, you just have to allow yourself time to make these memories. They didn’t come to us just last night. You will have your own that will also be shared by us. But you have to give it time. I promise you'll have your own in no time." I grinned at Matt but didn’t really give him a reply. I was still having my own doubts. His dimpled smile faded slightly as a disheartened look over came him.

"I'll be ok Matt." I assured him.

"It's your birthday though. You're supposed to be so happy that you're floating on fucking cloud nine."

Jimmy's head poked around Matt's bulky shoulders with a funny grin on his face. "What's this I hear about someone not being on fucking cloud nine?"

"It's nothing Jimmy." I said with a grin.

"Nonsense! Come here you." He said as he squatted down and patted his back for me to hop onto. Matt moved away and gesture to Jimmy's back. I chuckled as he moved around and I decided I might as well hop on. I wrapped my legs around his middle as he held onto them with his arms. My arms twisted their way around his neck as he straightened up. The line moved forward and Jimmy walked with me still on his back.

"Why aren't you on cloud nine?" Jimmy asked me as he looked up.

"She will be tonight if Matt gets his way." Brian snickered earning an intense glare from Matt.

"Shut the fuck up Syn."

I was distracted for a moment and let out a yelp as an overhead light came awfully close to hitting me in the head. "Jimmy!" I said with a laugh as he looked up at me shocked.

"Oops. Sorry Celeste." He chuckled

"So how does this ride work again?" I questioned as I sensed we were getting closer to the loading docks. I was choosing to ignore Brian's comment for the time being.

"Well, lucky for us they did those damn upgrades finally. So now seven people can fit in a log." Matt explained as he grabbed a hold of my ankle that was dangling by Jimmy's side.

"Well wait a minute Matt." Val started. "It's actually six unless we can convince the person working the ride to let Cels sit on your lap in the back." Matt's smile dropped as he realized Val was right. He craned his neck above the rest of the people and then looked back at us with a grin.

"Brian you're up. It's a chick working."

"Oh please don't tell me…" I chuckled but Brian just grinned.

"I got this." He said as he scooted by the rest of the group so he was standing in the front. I rested my head beside Jimmy's so I could watch whatever Brian was going to do. Slowly we made our way forward to the front of the line. I saw Brian was chatting with the girl very animatedly. He said something and she blushed and then nodded. When the next empty boat pulled up she gave out a giggle and motioned for us to take the whole log.

Jimmy sat me down so I could stand in the back row with Matt. "I don't believe it." I stated as Matt just chuckled as he held me from behind. The way the new logs were designed, six people could sit one in front of the other to fill the log. However, the back was larger so it could technically fit a large person as well as a smaller person such as a child, or in this case me. So Matt and I were in the back then as it proceeded forward it was Brian, Jimmy, Zacky, Johnny, and poor Val up front since she was the lightest.

"You are something else." I told Brian as I poked his shoulder while we waited for them to tell us we could enter the log.

"Oh trust me, I know." He laughed as we received the signal to climb into the log. Matt hopped in first and I fit myself in the space between him and the back of Brian's seat. I felt like I was sandwiched between the two of them. I was trying to stay forward so I didn’t squish Matt but that that attempt was short lived when he pulled me back.

My eyes widened as my butt came into contact with Matt's lower regions. Matt acted as if nothing was wrong with that as he placed his hands on my thighs as our loge moved forward.

Val's head whipped around from the front and her grin was spread clear across her face as she looked back at me. Upon seeing my funny facial expression her's changed as well. "Are you ok?" She mouthed at me. Of course, with her being in the front everyone else's heads whipped around to see who she was talking to.

"My gosh." I mumbled. "Yes Val I'm fine!" I yelled making her blush and glare at me playfully.

"Why wouldn't she be fine?" Zacky asked quizzically as he continued to look at me and Matt.

"Because she's going to get wet." Val answered and I was so thankful for her excuse.

Zacky's eyes shifted as they processed Val's words and took them into his own context. Val seemed to realize what she had said too because she whipped around and tried to reach past Johnny to smack Zacky. "That's not what I meant and you know it!"

"Please just someone tell me I'm not going to get soaked already." I said as we turned the first corner and came to a small hill going up.

"Well, it depends." Brian said.

"Depends on what?" I asked as we went down slightly and then began to circle around in front of the big drop. Just then another log went down the giant drop and some stupid water cannon blasted in our direction, sending a huge slosh of water right at us. I screamed as some of it landed on my legs but other then that I remained pretty dry actually.

"On that." Jimmy cackled as we continued to move forward, now going up inside of some sort of old country barn type thing. I was kind of confused on the layout and theme of this ride but from what I had gathered it was based on an old Disney movie. The Brer Rabbit was running away from home in search of his laughing place. So the ride highlighted his journey to find it. However, there was also Brer Fox and Brer Bear who were set on catching the rabbit by tricking him. So while I had the gist of it I was still trying to figure it out.

Matt brushed off the water that was on my legs as I did the same thing. I brought my wet hands down to his calves and rubbed the water on them playfully. It was nice since he had cargo shorts on so I could mess with him some.

"Hey." He accused as I leant back into his chest. I just giggled and looked down.

"Why do you have that tattoo?" I asked in reference to the outline of a naked angel with nipples that was inked onto his leg.

Matt just coughed as all of the other guys howled with laughter. "Um well…" Matt started.

"He lost a bet." Brian snickered.

"A bet that resulted in a naked angel on his leg?" I questioned.

"Well…. Yes." Matt started. "It's kind of embarrassing. Brian and I thought we would be smart and switch instruments one day on stage. He would sing and I would play his guitar solo. I was convinced I could do it because I had been practicing! Well… Brian sang my parts perfectly and I failed at his solo epically. Talk about being embarrassed in front of a crowd. The result was that the loser had to get a tattoo of the winner's choosing. Brian won so the tattoo is his damn fault." Matt explained.

"So why the heck did you give him a naked woman?" I asked.

"Well, he's a guy. He likes naked women." Brian said with a shoulder shrug. Matt growled and reached out to place a very swift punch on Brian's arm. Brian let out a yelp and shied away from Matt who was still glaring at him.

"Well he can't deny it! He likes seeing you naked doesn't he?"

"Brian!" Val screeched from the front. He cowered even more now that Val was in on it.

"Ok! Ok."

"I do like you naked incase you had any doubts. You're gorgeous." Matt mumbled in my ear gently. I just blushed and pecked his cheek. I really wasn't bothered by what he said and for the first time I felt like it was a compliment.

The log continued to twist and wind around before we passed what I assumed to be the home of Brer Bear on our right and it made me laugh. The bear was snoring away. "Sounds like Matt." I jabbed.

"Hey! I don't snore." He huffed as he tickled my sides making me laugh.

"Sometimes you do."

"Not like that I don't!"

"Just a warning!" Val yelled. "This drop is usually a wet one." She told me as we approached another fall, this one a little bigger.

We all yelled going down which sounded kind of funny since it was a mixture of deep voices with two higher pitched ones thrown in. I hid my face as a sheet of mist came over us at the bottom.

"Good thing I'm so hot! I needed to cool down!" Johnny said as he placed a finger to his arm and made a sizzling sound. I howled with laughter while the other guys looked at him like he was from another planet. He hadn't meant temperature wise.

"Shut up short shit." Jimmy said as he reached around Zacky and smacked his friend playfully in the back of the head. Johnny turned back around to mess with Jimmy but couldn’t quite reach around Zack.

"Cut that shit out. You're going to have them come on over the intercom and yell at us again." Matt told them with a chuckle.

"Please remain seated. Thank you." A female voice said over the intercom making everyone stop and then bust out laughing again.

"Damn it!" Zacky laughed. "Can we please ride this fucking ride once without someone yelling at us?"

"We could." Brian stated. "But we'd have to give it another try since this time failed."

"Oh my gosh." I mumbled as I shook my head and leaned back into Matt. "This is so cool." I told him as we wound around inside the mountain. The guys were all breaking out in their own rendition of the song the critters were singing. I couldn’t keep track of what they were making up. Except for Matt who had resorted to just humming.

It was so awesome to see these guys act like little kids. It was a side of them that I loved seeing.

"I always say it, but I'll say it again. That bear looks like he's asking for some with his legs up like that." Zacky snickered as he pointed at brer bear who's feet were tied clear up by his head as he got tricked by the rabbit.

My eyes widened as I looked up at Zacky. "Oh you so didn't just insinuate that."

"He so did. And does every damn time." Matt said. "Although sadly he is sort of right."

"Oh my gosh." I shook my head and placed my hand over my face.

"Smiles only." Matt said as he pointed to a sign on our left side. He bent his head and placed a kiss on my neck making me, indeed, break out in a grin.

"Sexy ass!" Jimmy yelled as he point up to where the bears butt was indeed sticking out of the tree.

Matt wrapped his arms around my waist as we were thrown forward and down another flume, this time however there were two bumps that we sailed over before settling out in the water once more. "Mmm it's dark." Matt's breath blew over my ear as he rested his head beside mine.

"Why do I feel like I'm parenting them all the time?" Jimmy asked. "First on pirates and now on this ride! What's next? Making out on Space Mountain?" He sounded exasperated but we knew he was only joking.

"You can't make out on space mountain. It's a fucking roller coaster dumbass." Johnny teased.

"Well knowing them I'm sure they'd find a way to torment me!"

I just laughed as Jimmy and Johnny continued to bicker as we approached what I assumed to be the big drop. You had to go up first and it was looking like quite a ways.

"This is it." Matt told me.

"We're going to find our laughing place!" I did even before then thanks to Zack and the evil laugh he let out. One spurred another and soon all of the guys were in a competition to see who had the eviler laugh. Honestly, I thought Matt won and so did Val.

"Go figure. He is the vocalist and has the deepest voice." Zacky complained as we were halfway up the hill.

"Don't forget… they take our picture halfway down." Matt smirked against my neck.

"Wonderful." I laughed.

We reached the top and before I knew it I would see over the entire park. My eyes widened for the briefest of seconds before we were plummeting down. My mouth was wide open as I screamed and held my hands up in the air. Matt's arms were still securely wrapped around me and halfway down I felt him rest his chin on my shoulder and press his lips to my cheek. We hit the bottom and were instantly drenched with water. Water had come up the sides of the log and splashed all over everyone. Not to mention there was a water mist hanging in the air that didn't help any.

"Ahh! I soaking wet!" I exclaimed only to then realize what I had said and the context it would be taken in.

They all turned around with the exception of Val who was fussing over her own hair as well as complaining that she had to sit up front. Smirks covered each of their faces and I really could only laugh. "Oh stop it! You know what I meant!"

I reached up and ruffled Brian's hair making it stick up even more. "Hey! Don't mess with the hair!" He said protectively as he batted my hands away.

So instead of messing with his hair I reached up behind me and ruffled Matt's.

It wasn't long after the drop that we were able to climb out of the log. I looked down at myself and noticed I was completely and utterly drenched. "This is so uncomfortable." I mumbled as I walked up beside Val who was looking like she was in the same state of mind I was.

"I know right?" She agreed as we both picked at our jean shorts that were now hugging our legs even more then they were before.

"Come on your two wimps. We have to go see our amazing picture!" Val looked at me and groaned as the guys rushed ahead of us to see the photo before I disappeared from the screens they had set up. We reached the stand shortly after they did. All five men were huddled around the screen and then suddenly burst out laughing making everyone stop and stare at them. I shoved my way between Matt and Brian so I could see the photo.

"Oh my gosh!" Val was sitting in the front and she had her hands up and her mouth wide open as she screamed. Johnny behind her was with his arms posed in a gangster fashion while he stuck his tongue out. Zacky had his arms around Johnny and was pretending to lick his face while Jimmy sat back and was casually picking his nose. Brian had an evil look on his face as he leaned forward and looked like he was about to eat Jimmy alive.

And then there was me and Matt. I had my arms up and was screaming while he had his chin resting in the crook of my neck as he placed a kiss there. It was an incredibly sweet sight to see. Although I was screaming you could also see a very content look on my face which only made me grin even more.

"We so have to buy this one." Zacky said with a snicker. He jumped in line with the guys so they could each buy a copy of the photo.

"We're going to go find some sun to stand in." Val informed them as they all nodded.

"Yeah go dry off those shirts. Can't have any other guys checking out what's rightfully mine." Matt chuckled making me gasp in shock.

"Oh stuff it Matt." Val told him with an eye roll as she gripped my arm and pulled me away from the guys. "They're such men."

"But they're our men." I told her with a grin as we found a railing to sit on while we waited. I tucked my feet behind the lower rail as I sat on the upper one so I had more balance.

"Yeah, yeah." She grumbled as I laughed. "So how are you holding up? I saw you talking to Matt while we were in line. Is everything alright? You still holding up after that jackass showed up?" She asked carefully as she shifted her body so she was facing me slightly.

"I'm fine. I just had a little self doubt going on earlier when I was talking to Matt. But it's all good now." Val nodded at my explanation.

"Alright. Just making sure my best friend is alright." I blinked a few times before giving her a giant grin, elated at what she had just told me.

"What?" She questioned.

I let my grin calm down some before giving her a shier one. "I've just never really had a best friend before. So I'm glad you think of me as one."

Val's eyes glossed over and it wasn't but a minute before she knocked me off the railing as she tackled me in a hug. The two of us went tumbling to the ground as she wrapped her arms around me tightly. "Oh fuck Celeste. I can't believe this! Of course you’re my best friend! And it makes me so happy that that makes you happy. And I don't care if none of that made sense it just felt right to say!" She rambled.

It made me happy to finally have someone that I considered to be my best friend and that I knew felt the same way. I had never had a best friend growing up, I was typically the loner. I had no one to confide in during my rough years and that was probably why I kept everything bottled up to myself all of the time.

"Ahem." A deep voice sounded above us. She pulled away from the hug and we both looked up to see five sets of darkened eyes looking at us oddly.

"Hell yes. Girl on girl action! Finally!" Val stood up and punched Johnny in the arm for his statement. Matt reached a hand down to help me off of the ground.

"You ok Val?" Zacky asked upon seeing her glossy eyes.

"Fine. I'm fine." She said as she wiped at her eyes. "Just an emotional moment is all."

"Well we got our damn pictures so let's go hit another ride!" Jimmy said enthusiastically before he started to scamper off in some random direction.

Matt tugged his black backpack onto his back before he came over to me and wrapped an arm over my shoulders and pulled me into his side. "What was all that about?" He asked as we all followed Jimmy, not really caring where we went.

"It's girl stuff. Don't worry." I tilted my head up to look at him and gave him a smile.

"It was kind of hot." He informed me as he leant down and captured my lips in a kiss.

"It was a hug Matt." I told him knowingly after he pulled away slightly.

"It was still hot." He flashed me his dimples before closing the gap once more.