Ambitious Amusement

"This is bullshit." I scoffed. "Why couldn't we just drive ourselves here? Do you think I want to spend an hour on a school bus after we already graduated?"

"Frank," Gerard rolled his eyes. He was becoming annoyed by my sour attitude. "It's the only way we'll be able to get into the park for free. They are gonna hand us tickets on our way off the bus."

"I know." I sighed. "But not having to ride a loud ass bus was one of the things I was most excited about after we graduated. Who thought of going to Six Flags after graduation anyway? I should be in Ocean City for Senior Week getting plastered right now."

"Thank your Senior Class Council." Gerard said. "We can go get plastered in Ocean City tomorrow."

"Hey, don't be so negative." Ray popped up in his seat behind us. "We are the only school in the area that got approved to do this."

"Yeah and besides," Gerard said as he unzipped his bag, revealing a few bottles. "I brought these."

"Liquor?!" I said. "That's a great idea and all but how are you going to make it through bag check without them tossing it out?"

"I have my ways." He smirked, zipping up the bag. "And what can the school do about it if they toss it out? Its not like they can expel me. We already graduated."

"But they still consider this a school function." Ray said. "You could be charged."

"Yeah, yeah." Gerard shrugged, unaffected by the consequence of having three bottles of 80 proof liquor on him.

-

"Welcome, Belleville class of '95!" A woman shouted into a megaphone as we exited the bus. She was standing in front of the amusement park entrance. A few of our classmates surrounded her as she began to check their tickets.

"Let's go." Gerard said as he strutted up to her. The bag was confidently hoisted up on his shoulder as he handed her the ticket.

"Thank you." She said before handing the ticket back to him. "Bag check is to the right of the entrance. Have a great day!"

Gerard walked toward bag check as I handed the woman my ticket. "Thank you, have a great day." She repeated with a smile. I returned the smile quickly and jogged off to catch up to Gerard.

"How are you going to make it through bag check, genius?"

"Like this." He said as he sat his bag on the ground and proceeded to unzip his jacket. He shoved the jacket in the bag, perfectly covering the bottles. "They don't search through your bag. All they do is peer in for a quick second. Black jacket; black bag. It's all the same to them." He looked up at me with a smirk before zipping the bag up. "Catch you on the other side."

Ray caught up to me as Gerard walked off to bag check. "Man he's really going to attempt that?" He asked as we began heading to the entrance.

"I think it's actually going to work." I chuckled as I watched him open the bag for the intimidating security guard.

"Holy shit." Ray said in disbelief as the security guard shooed Gerard away. "It really worked!" He exclaimed, watching Gerard zip the bag up. Gerard held his head high in confidence as he slung the bag over his shoulder and walked away.

Ray and I met up with him on the other side of the entrance. Gerard was grinning from ear to ear. "We're going to get so fucked today."

"I'll say." I chuckled as we began to walk off. Ray grabbed a map of the amusement park off the ground and unfolded it.

"Alright guys," he said, looking over the map. "Where to?"

"Oh!" I exclaimed, pointing to my favorite roller coaster. "This one!"

"Frank, that's all the way on the other side of the park." Gerard said before looking at the map himself. He then looked around above the trees that surrounded the entrance. "That one," he pointed to a red coaster that peaked above the trees. "What's that one?"

Ray looked back down to the map. "That's the Superman!"

"Let's go!" Gerard exclaimed before heading off into the direction of the Superman.

We were a few of the first people to enter the park, so there weren't very many people in line for the coaster yet. "I'm riding the front!" I exclaimed, running up to the line for the front seats.

"Me too!" Ray followed suit, leaving Gerard behind.

"Guys!" He whined. "Who the hell am I gonna ride with?"

"Your bag of liquor." I laughed at my own lame joke.

"Very funny." Gerard rolled his eyes.

"Hey look," Ray said to me as he looked in the direction of the coaster coming back. "Is that Tyler? From our fourth period?"

The coaster pulled up next to us slowly, almost coming to a stop. "Yeah, I think it is." I said. "But wait, who-" I said with furrowed brows, trying to make out the kid that sat next to him.

"Is that-" Ray said with the same expression on his face. "Is that who I think it is?!"

"Please remain seated until the coaster has come to a complete stop. Thank you for riding the superman at six flags great adventure. Ride on." The attendant statically spoke into her microphone.

"How the fuck did he get here?!" I asked Ray, who was just as confused as I, as if he knew the answer.

"I don't know but Gerard is gonna kick his ass." Ray chuckled as we watched him get off the coaster. He felt our stares and broke into a huge grin.

"Oh hey guys!" He waved as he walked over to us. "I didn't think I'd find you guys this soon in the day."

"What the fuck?" Gerard piped up behind us. "How'd you get here?! Does mom know?" He scolded his little brother.

"Hey, now you have someone to ride with!" I told Gerard. Ray just laughed as Mikey began climbing over the railing.

"Excuse me." I heard a sweet voice speak behind Mikey. He jumped off the railing and stood next to his brother, allowing me to catch sight of the person the voice belonged to.

With my eyes wide, I could do nothing but stare. She took one look at me and walked off; her beautiful black hair swaying with her hips. I felt a hand beneath my chin. "Close your mouth." Ray chuckled. "You look like an animal staring at her like that."

"I can't help it." I blushed, embarrassed I had let my mouth gape open. "Did you see her?!"

"I did." He said with a nod. "Way out of your league bro. She's probably 23, a college graduate and engaged by now."

"Hey," I shot back with a glare. "None of that means anything to me." I said with a wink.

"What makes you think she'll go for a 18 year old boy that just graduated high school?"

"Watch." I said confidently, watching her walk off. "By the end of the day, I'll make it happen."

Ray laughed at my determination and fell silent. The loud bickering of the Way brothers filled our ears which caused us to laugh even more. "So how'd you get here?" I asked Mikey.

"I have my ways." He winked as the gates opened, and we each took our seats on the roller coaster.