Soul Mates (English) (Boyxboy)

Chapter 8

Half an hour later they were entering the largest amusement park in miles around. Eric, to the bewilderment of Dan, insisted on paying the tickets.

"All right. If it bothers you that much, you can pay for the food," the boy replied at the complains. His eyes said he wouldn't order the cheapest ice cream. Dan was glad he had taken money to spare.

They walked quietly among the attractions, admiring each of the possibilities until Dan broke the silence that had started to become uncomfortable. "And... which one do you want to ride?"

Eric shrugged. "The roller coaster?" Dan blanched. "Unless you're scared, of course."

"I beg your pardon? I'll show you who's scared." He readjusted his glasses over his nose and headed to the queue, strangely short for a Saturday morning. Eric was beside him, smiling until he lightly grazed his arm and felt it shaking like a leaf in the spring breeze.

"Nerd, you alright?"

"...indeed I am."

"You're shivering." Eric grabbed his arm, making him turn around and face him. Dan hided himself behind the lenses' glow.

"Me? Yeah, sure!"

"Stop! If you don't want to ride it, it's fine!" The other exploded, shaking his shoulders. The other people on the queue feared for their integrity and stepped back a little, giving Eric plenty of space to shake Dan's brain in his skull.

"Enough..."

Eric released him after a while. Dan felt the poor breakfast of that morning was packing to leave through the way it had come. As he couldn't keep stand, he leaned over Eric's shoulder and tried to guess which of the two pair of feet he saw was the real one. He breathed deeply, again and again until his stomach stopped protesting.

"Are you ok? I'm serious, If you don't want, you don't have to ride it.

"But I want to!"

Eric blinked a couple of times. "But what are you talking about?!"

Dan took a few steps away and sighed.

"I... am afraid of heights, okay? Each time I come I tell myself I'll ride it the next time and never do it. So, I'd like to try it today..."

Eric's expression softened and he began to laugh. "Why didn't you mention it before?" He said, pushing him forward slightly in the row. "If you really want to do it, no one's stopping you."

A few minutes later, it was over. Dan was pale as a ghost, but had a wide grin on his face. Eric, on the other hand, did everything possible to hide the marks of nails that the boy had left on his forearm, but Dan was so absent at the time, he wouldn't have noticed if a pig flew over his head.

"So..." said Eric, taking him out of that stupor. "Did you enjoy it?"

"Uh... I would not use the word enjoy, but I'm glad I did it. What do you want to ride now?"

Eric refused to suggest something else, fearing further traumatize to the boy, so they went to all the attractions that Dan wanted until hunger made their stomach roar. They sat in the cafeteria, on the farthest table of the whole group, preparing to eat calmly. And they did, but silence, as always, became uncomfortable.

"So... how was Masae Jones' party?" Dan asked after swallowing a big bite. I heard you hit a guy."

"Ugh, don't remind me. That guy is the stalker you deny to be." The coldness masked his whole face, but the disgust poisoned every one of the words. "Russell Barnes and I were neighbors a few years ago and we were friends until he became too interested on me. I have rejected him as politely as I can, but being drunk, he is a complete idiot. He tried to kiss me in front of the whole school! I had no choice but to hit him."