stand by me || ryder scanlon

furReal

"You can't make me!" I cried, retreating my steps away from the peering eyes of the group. "I can just wait here." I stated simply as I pivoted to plop myself onto a bleacher behind me.

"You're gonna wait here?" Mel looked down at me, laughing discreetly in disbelief. "Alone?"

"Yes alone," I protested, crossing my arms in defense towards Mel and Lennox who had arrived earlier than planned, but perfect timing for the next ride. "I'm not a five year old."

"I don't know." The skepticism in Joe's voice was loud and clear. At this point I knew I had to fish for an excuse before I would ride and die. I couldn't die, I was too young.

I mean I've never even experienced having my first drink or my first party. I haven't even had my first kiss for God's sake.

"C'mon Riley." Joe offered his hand. A hand I definitely knew I was not going to take. "It can't be that bad."

"Look, I'll-" I caught a comforting face in the crowd before pointing in the distance. "I'll stay with Ryder, he's over there."

I watched as they all swapped their attention over to Ryder, who was strolling his way towards us with a bottle of water, casually stuffing change into his jean pocket.

Becoming mindful of our stares, he stopped in his tracks. Flickering his eyes from person to person, he slowly approached us as if we were up to something cryptic. "What'd I do?" He asked.

"Not what you did." Mel snatched the bottle and drank what was left of it before explaining further. "What you're going to do."

Lennox rolled her eyes, eager to get in line for the next ride. "Can you stay with Riley?" She deadpanned, Ryder nodding evenly.

Trust me, I admired at how beautiful the Millennium Force was, although I'd never ride it. Ever. Never the less, it was a beautiful day and we were here: Cedar Point, Ohio.

"Hey." Joe said sternly. He pointed at Ryder, stripping the boy's attention away from Mel. "Don't loose her."

"Yes sir." Ryder muttered to nobody, as Joe was already in line for what I'd call a suicide ride. He duplicated my move and sat on the bleacher beside me.

"Hey." Ryder nudged at my side before cocking his head towards a guy with a cotton candy cart. "Want some?"

"That I can do." I smiled.

"Come on." He stood and held out a hand. Now this was a hand I was going to take.

We headed to the cart and grabbed two cones for the both of us. Ryder reached into his pocket and pulled out the remaining change from earlier and handed it to the guy in the uniform.

I eyed the candy in all it's glory before looking up to Ryder and thanking him.

"No-" He answered before coming face to face with a pole. "Problem." He finished, looking back at the pole as if it were someone he's officially declared war with.

I surveyed the park and realized the overcrowding - the place was packed.

He grabbed my hand.

"What are you doing?" I asked, looking down at our linked hands, then back at the smug look plastered on his face.

"Well," We rapidly dodged a herd of people tumbling towards us. "I wouldn't want you to get lost."

I breathed out. "Right."

"That," He confessed. "and I wouldn't want your dad finding out if I did loose you."

"Joe?" I laughed, plucking a piece of my pink sugar candy. "I think you can take him."

"I meant for his sake." He gave a boyish grin before dropping his little act. "I'm just teasing, I don't know what that guy's on. He's massive."

I held back my laughter.

"-Wait." He abruptly stopped walking. "I didn't mean it like-That came out wrong. I meant his muscl-oh forget it." He pushed the grotesque thought away before carrying on.

Before I could say something to reassure him, I felt a pain sparking up from my right foot, spreading up to my knees like nutella on bread. Before I knew it I was on the ground, turning my head to see the girl walking away.

"Riley." He knelt down before me with a panicked expression. "You alright? What happened?"

"Uh." I scrabbled with my hands to get the hair out of my face. "I tripped?"

He knitted his brows together, spotting at the flat ground as if to ask "on what," before reaching a hand out for me to grab, sticking the other behind his back. "Milady."

I clasped his hand and stood up, my legs feeling as flimsy as a pack of gummy worms. Not a pleasant feeling.

"Whoa." I squalled, on the verge of falling over. I would've hit the ground for the second time today if it weren't for Ryder. He caught me.

"Here, get on." Ryder bent over for a piggyback - the one ride I knew I couldn't pass up. I got on and we headed for the bleachers, still gripping our cotton candy tight.

"Now," Ryder gave an attempt to look up at me, still managing to hold me up straight. "why don't you tell me what really happened."

"What really happened?" I asked, gathering another piece of the sugary candy and plopping it into his mouth. "I already told you."

"Really?" He asked, setting me down gently on the bleacher we were previously on. "Are you sure?" He narrowed his eyes with a smile that made me cave.

"It's really embarrassing." I confessed, hoping it would change his mind.

"Oh you wanna talk about embarrassing?" He laughed. "How about when we first met and my fly was undone? That's right, don't think I didn't see you laughing."

"Okay, okay." I laughed at the memory. "There was a girl-"

"Was she hot?"

I rolled my eyes. "A young girl, like one of those little girls with the theme park hats, braids on either side, a balloon attached onto her wrist, licking the biggest lollipop you could ever imagine."

"Yeah." Ryder laughed in confusion, eating his candy at the same time. "Definitely hot."

"Well," I gushed. "This kid also had an electric stuffed pet on a leash."

"Wait-" He stopped munching on his candy and held out a hand full of it. "You're telling me you tripped over a FurReal Friends toy?"

"Don't laugh!" I widened my eyes, taking the candy from his hand and smothering it across his face, a smile on mine.

Ryder froze, hiding his smile as he smacked the pink candy to the ground and muttered the words. "You're gonna get it."

I ran, laughing my ass off. Despite the sharp pain on my feet, it was far more easier getting away, being the petite person I am, squeezing through the crowd.

I ran into the nearest building once I found Ryder was close, but ten seconds in the dark room, I instantaneously regretted my decision as a zombie moaned, reaching it's bloody hand out for me.

It was in that moment I realized I stepped into the Zombie High Haunted House. Turning back and seeing Ryder enter in the distance made me realize I had no other option but to go through the maze.

What was I getting myself into?