Stay With Them Tonight

ALLIE P.O.V.

All during class Jason and I had a mutual avoidance thing going on, where each of us pretended to ignore the other person, and neither really succeeded. I would look at him right as he did the same, or we would bump into each other.

Once we were across the room from each other and laughed at the same time for different reasons, and stopped to glance at the other. I was getting sick of not talking to him.

How? I hated him just a few weeks ago, I thought. It was true. It was odd to suddenly realize I had feelings for this guy who was only in my life for two months.

Can you really decide to like someone that quickly?

“Hey.” Jason said as I walked out of the changing room. This wasn’t unusual- he always met me as I came out so we could walk to the car or the truck or whatever we brought that day.

I gave a standard reply.

“Allie?” he asked. I looked at him to show I was listening. “Kelly and Ryan want to go to the park.” He told me.

“Okay.” I said.

“Are you ready!?” Kelly shouted from across the parking lot. I grinned and shouted back, ignoring the strange looks.

Kelly was in the driver’s seat so Jason and I climbed into the back. I thought it would be weird if we were all four dating. Me and Jason, Kelly and Ryan. I wiped the thought out of my mind quickly, smacking my hand to my forehead.

“What was that for?” Ryan laughed.

“Forgot a paper.” I lied.

“You want to go back and get it?” he asked. I shuffled around in my backpack and said I found it. He gave me a weird look, grinning. Jason was smirking and Kelly shook her head, amused.

Me and JASON!? You’re crazy! I accused myself. I did a double take when we drove past the public park.

“You missed the park, Kells.” I told her.

“No, I didn’t.” she said confidently. I gave her a confused look, which didn’t matter because she didn’t see it.

“Where are we going?” I asked.

“The amusement park!” she shouted excitedly, bouncing in her seat. I suppressed a groan. She was going to leave me alone with Jason, and have a pleasant date with Ryan. My best friend was evil.

I kept my gaze out of the window, for fear I would look at Jason and he wouldn’t be as secretly excited— happy about going on a date.

I had to remind myself that Jason did not like me. He did not like me. If I kept telling myself that, it was easy to forget that we had ever kissed, easy to avoid thinking he was just playing around with me, and easy to keep myself from hoping that he might be serious.

I must’ve sighed out loud, because Kelly responded to it:

“It won’t be that bad, Alls. We haven’t done this in forever. Remember when I made you go up on the Ferris wheel, and you kept crying because you thought we were going to fall off?” Jason laughed, and I glared at him.

Kelly continued. “Or when you made me get on that scary ride that shoots you up and down? I still don’t get why you were scared of the Ferris wheel and not the other one . . .” Kelly continued what she did best—talk. She talked the rest of the way to the park, and I was even laughing by the time we got there, remembering the times we had gone before.

The park was closing in the next week because it was getting too cold, but it would open for three days at Christmas for the people who came on the holidays. We usually begged our parents to take us down for one of the last days, and they always relented and took us down.

We walked up to the gates and paid for our tickets (I went first before the whole awkward a-guy-must-pay thing went on), and the people checked our bags (Kelly had packed two small bags with water and snacks), and we entered the park.

The whole thing was set up in a circle, with rides around the outer edge and snack vendors and food places in the center. Lucky for me, Kelly and Ryan stayed with us as we turned right at the outer edge, along the rides. We moved as a group, Kelly and I in the middle, through the semi-packed crowd. It was only about three, and people were starting to crowd in for the afternoon.

“Let’s go on that one!” I exclaimed, getting into it despite myself. I pointed to the boat-like contraption that swung back and forth and upside down, to the point where you were horizontal in the air and staring at the ground.

“That looks fun.” Jason said skeptically, looking at me like I was insane for wanting to go on it.

“What? It’s fun!” I defended.

Kelly looked at it like you would look at a rabbit eating a fox; it was something like horror and fascination.

“C’mon Kells, Ryan will protect you.” I grinned at her. I skipped over and got into the short line, Jason being the first to follow me.

I sat between Jason and Ryan, and watched as the rest of the “boat” filled up. I clapped as the ride started, and saw that Kelly had a death grip on Ryan’s hand. She screamed as we went through the first flip, and I screamed out of excitement.

About the only time you can scream in public without it looking weird is when you’re on a terrifying or dark ride at an amusement park or fair. I definitely took advantage of it.

Jason yelled along with me, only it wasn’t the high-pitched scream Kelly and I emitted. It was half-laugh, half guy-fight yell. I smiled at the sound.

We were held upside down for the final time before the ride came down and to a full stop.

“Get me outta this death-trap!” Kelly bolted as soon as she was let out of her halter-thing, going down the aisle and waiting outside of the gate for us.

“I’m not going on another one of those things.” she said defiantly, glaring at me personally. I put my hands up defensively.

“Okay, nobody will make you.” I put my arm around her shoulder. “Chicken.” I muttered playfully. She hit my stomach lightly and pushed my arm off of her.

“Who cried on the Ferris wheel?” she reiterated. I rolled my eyes.

“I don’t know the person.”

“Let’s go on that one!” Kelly exclaimed. I looked at it, and this time I was frightened.

“I am not getting on that.” I said definitively. It was the teacups! Was she trying to kill me?

“You can spin so fast it will make you sick on a level surface, but you can’t take a few loops?” I pointed out.

“You can go in a loops and twists and circles, as long as they’re through the air? Can’t take a few spins?” she countered. I wrinkled my nose at her.

“Fine. You go on your ride, I’ll go on mine.” I said. I regretted it as soon as she smiled evilly.

“Okay.” She said easily. “You and Jason run off, Ryan and I will be just fine.” She grinned at me.

“You did this on purpose!” I exclaimed, narrowing my eyes at her.

“I did not,” she said nonchalantly. I rolled my eyes and walked away, Jason easily caught up to me.

“So what next?” he asked.

“That one.” I pointed to the fastest roller coaster. He smirked, and it wasn’t the bad smirk, but it looked like he was thinking about something. Knowing him, I didn’t want to find out.

We talked in line, and I was relieved it wasn’t all silent and weird. The whole incident the day before was still fresh in our minds, and hung like a stinking monkey throwing poop between us, but we deliberately ignored it for the time being.

It wasn’t until about an hour later, after four more rides and a walk around most of the park that we stopped for ice cream (my suggestion).

“Mint and Pralines and Cream, please!” I said happily to the girl behind the counter.

I looked to see Jason with a quirked eyebrow.

“What? It’s delicious!” I told him.

“Strawberry” he told the girl, smirking. I stuck my tongue out at him for ignoring me. The girl smiled and told us how much it would be. He whipped his wallet out and paid for it in three seconds flat, before I could even reach back and take out my own money. He smirked victoriously at me and I rolled my eyes.

We walked to the only available table, right next to all of the people walking by. I people-watched and ate my ice cream. A lot of the people at the fair were couples or parents with kids or groups of friends. Actually, I just described about 98% of the fair’s population.

“Allie, are we ever going to talk about this?” Jason asked. I turned to look at him. He was leaning on his arm, looking at me. I frowned.

“Tomorrow.” I told him. “Let me enjoy the park.” He sighed, running a hand through his hair. I looked over his shoulder and saw a suspicious-looking couple sitting at a table facing us, both of them deeply immersed in a newspaper. Funny, one had pink nail polish and Kelly’s ring.

“What happened with them?” I heard Ryan whisper. I could see the top of his head turn toward her, but everything else was still hidden.

“Shhhh!” Kelly whispered back.

“Kelly!” Jason turned around and looked at the couple hiding behind the newspaper. Kelly looked up over the newspaper on hearing her name, but ducked back down quickly.

“I saw you!” I accused, standing up and crossing my arms. They looked over the lip of the newspaper, and Kelly grinned innocently. I laughed.

“How long have you been following us?” I asked.

“Since the end of the last ride,” Ryan admitted. I rolled my eyes. I’m lucky Jason and I hadn’t talked about “it.”

Those stupid kisses.