Free-Falling

42

"Go on."

"You have do to whatever I tell you to do, it's just going to be one thing and you have to do it."

Ray was now giggling by my side as he leaned against the rails also.

"And what is that?" I asked.

"Ummm. I haven't thought of it yet."

"Oh come on. Please, I know you have an idea."

"I guess you have to find out once we get on the ride." She said smiling and crossing her arms.

I raised my hand to stroke a fake beard but I agreed anyway. Barbara is innocent whatever it is she can't be that devious.

She's by all means no Ryan Haywood. At. All.

The line grew shorter in front of us as the sound of a cart moving continued.

One by one, the people in line came and went and we were actually a lot closer to the front now.

"So what happened once I stole Barbara?"

"Well," Ray said,"Millie, Griffon, and Geoff decided to go on a different ride. While Michael and the rest of the guys, oh and Lindsey, all waited. They're out there waiting for us."

"Wait. Did you just say you stole me?" Barbara asked flicking my elbow.

"Well you know. It's my job."

"Actually your job is to play games and edit videos."

"Now now children." Ray said jumping in between Barbara and I.

The last few people in front of us got on the next car and now it was our turn.

As the car turned in, the people all hopped off and the three of us moved into a four person seating arrangement.

"Still scared?" I asked Barbara as we looked at the incline in front of us.

She fiddled with her hands,"I hate you so much Gavin."

"You know you love him. What's not to love." Ray said patting my shoulder.

The instructor checked to make sure we were all locked in and then the car began to move up the massive incline.

"So what's the condition?" I asked practically yelling over the noise.

"Well." She said and I looked over at her and Ray.

"You have to tell Michael how you truly feel." She said also yelling.

"I don't have anything toward him Barbara."

"Yes you do you idiot. It's not hard to see."

I glanced at Ray who was smiling and had a thumbs up.

"It's not like that." I replied.

I looked down and noticed a bearded man along with two dudes and a girl.

Yeah I guess they did wait for us.

Love you too Geoff.

I looked at the curly haired boy who was next to Lindsey as the both watched us.

"It's gonna be fun Barbara, don't worry." Ray said and I began to zone out all the speaking and noise around me.

I watched as Michael started talking to Lindsey and even though they grew smaller as we continued up the incline, I could tell Lindsey was smiling.

And then Michael reached out, and get this, and held her hand.

Then everything slowed. Just like back in the office.

They were actually holding hands.

It couldn't mean much right? Friends? I hold people's hands all the time. Right?

Throughout my thinking we reached the peak of the hill and were now overlooking the massive drop in front of us.

Barbara held onto my arm as Ray started laughing and off we went.

Barbara's screaming, Ray's laughing, the massive drop. It didn't bother me at all.

It all was still in slow motion.

Despite the speed of the coaster, it didn't effect me.

I found myself raising my hands just to make it seem like I was okay, like nothing was bothering me.

Barbara clutched onto me while Ray had his hands in the air.

All of the screaming behind me, the twists and turns in front of me.

It was all just a small matter to me.

The image of Michael and Lindsey was stuck in my head. His face, his hand. Yet her hand.

It couldn't mean anything. Could it?

A quick jerk from a turn and I was brought back into reality.

"BARBARA!" I screamed as she also screamed, yet in my ear.

"GAVIN!"

"RAY!" Ray said and I started laughing.

After that we met up with the group waiting below and somewhere along the way we found Geoff.

And that, well that was that.