Strings of Fate: The First Loop

CHAPTER 12

I leaned in slightly, arms folded. “This ride screams Final Destination 3.”

Inez lit up. “Fun, right?”

The boys looked up again. Some excited. Some quietly panicking. Drake gulped. Tim smirked like he wasn’t scared. Corey kept whispering worst-case scenarios. James just grinned at me with that infuriating confidence that made me want to both kiss him and slap his shoulder. I couldn’t help it---I laughed. And for the first time in a long time, it wasn’t forced.

We stumbled off the roller coaster like survivors of some terrible, beautiful war. My legs were jelly, my voice half-gone from screaming, and my hair---well, I didn't even want to look at my reflection. But somehow, I felt alive. We ended up on a bench near the food court, each of us clutching iced coffee like it was medicine. I was still trying to catch my breath when I heard the distinct sound of retching.

“Corey, no—” Drake leapt up, guiding his boyfriend over to a poor, innocent planter box as Corey keeled over and threw up beside a set of ornamental ferns.

“Is he okay?” I asked, grimacing.

“He will be. He just needs a minute,” Drake said, rubbing his back.

“Not the ferns,” Tim said, faux-serious. “They didn’t deserve this.”

Inez snorted and sipped her iced caramel macchiato. “Honestly, same though. I thought I was gonna lose my soul on that second drop.”

“You screamed like someone was murdering you,” James said, smirking as he stirred his drink with his straw.

Inez flipped her braid behind her shoulder. “I was preparing my soul for potential evacuation, James. It’s called being ready.”

“Well, for the record,” I added, wiping a tear from the corner of my eye from laughing too much, “Tim sounded like a dying goose.”

Tim looked offended. “Excuse you. That was my war cry.”

“No,” I said, grinning. “That was the sound of all your childhood trauma coming out.”

That made everyone laugh, even James, who leaned closer and bumped his shoulder against mine. “You were the only one who looked like you were enjoying it.”

“I was not,” I lied, sipping my iced latte.

“She totally was,” Inez chimed in. “This girl had her arms up the whole time like she was levitating. Main character vibes.”

“Corey is the main character right now,” Drake muttered, still crouched beside him. “You good, babe?”

Corey lifted his hand weakly. “I regret everything.”

“You say that after every ride,” Drake said, brushing his fingers through Corey’s hair. “And then you go again.”

James leaned back against the bench, one leg crossed over the other, the ice in his cup clinking. “Man… I needed this.”

We all kind of went quiet for a second, like we collectively exhaled. The theme park buzzed around us, kids laughing, rides humming, speakers blasting throwback hits. But for a second, it was just us.

“You know,” Tim said, breaking the silence, “I thought this was gonna be awkward. But it’s actually nice. I mean… we’re all pretty different.”

“Yeah, like weirdly different,” Inez added. “But somehow it works?”

“Chaos magic,” I offered.

“Or trauma bonding,” Tim said.

I raised my cup. “To our collective trauma.”

They laughed, even Corey who weakly muttered, “Cheers,” from the planter box.