Rylan stood with Eleanore and Casen in front of a line for their third rollercoaster, chuckling at Casen, who was glaring at the ride like he had a personal vendetta against it. "You sure you're not gonna chicken out this time, Cas?"
"I didn't chicken out!" Casen shot back. "I just didn't want to clean vomit out of my shoes again."
"Yeah, yeah." Eleanore snorted. "Motion sickness, my tail. You screamed louder than the literal child behind us."
"I was vocalizing my concern!" Casen whipped around to face her before lifting a hand to his mouth.
"And that concern sounds a lot like 'oh my god, we're gonna dieeeee!'" Rylan laughed, patting Casen on the back.
Casen swatted Rylan away like an offended cat. "I stand by that statement," he muttered.
They turned their attention to a rollercoaster that launched off behind them, watching as it disappeared into a blur of loops and screams.
"Alright, boys." Eleanore grinned, clapping her hands together. "That one's next. You bail out, you buy lunch."
"Oh, you're cruel." Rylan snickered, "I like it."
"I should've gone with Enzo and Lucian," Casen grumbled as the attendant let them through the gate.
"Man, this was your idea." Rylan laughed, stepping over the side of the rollercoaster, helping Eleanore in before sitting down, looking at Casen, who hesitated before quickly scrambling in.
The ride operator made his rounds, locking the bars down over each rider before walking to the controls. He went through the usual speech before the ride launched.
"WHY DID I AGREE TO THIS!" Casen screamed at the top of his lungs right before it dropped, causing Rylan and Eleanore to burst into a fit of laughter while he screamed the entire time.
At the end of the ride, when the bars lifted, Casen bolted out of his seat and out of the exit so fast he nearly tripped. By the time Rylan and Eleanore caught up, Eleanore was laughing so hard she nearly fell into the bushes.
"Casen, I can't…" She gasped, trying to stifle her laughter, "Your face. You looked like you saw your life flash before your eyes."
Casen was sitting off the side of the pathway, clinging to a lamp post. "I think I saw my soul leave my body."
Rylan had to sit on the curb, "Oh, it did," he wheezed, wiping tears from his eyes. "Good news, though, it waved back."
Eleanor studied herself on a railing nearby, still shaking in silent laughter, "You're so riding another one."
"No!" Casen whined, "I'm finding fries and therapy."
Rylan and Eleanor exchanged a mischievous look before Rylan leaned forward with his hands on his thighs. "He's right. Fries first, therapy later. You in?"
"Obviously." Eleanor gave a humorous roll of her eyes, glancing toward the nearby stand. "Ooh, or funnel cake."
"Oh yeah." Casen hugged the pole tighter. "Because sugar and vertigo are a great combo."
Rylan laughed, standing up only to pry Casen off the lamp post with Eleanor, laughing. They walked to a rest area nearby, where Rylan acquired himself cotton candy, Eleanor, a massive heap of funnel cake, and Casen in a pile of apology fries.
"You know, I think we're thriving." Rylan grinned, stretching out on the bench she was sharing with Casen.
"Mhm. If by thriving, you mean slowly descending into a sugar coma." Eleanor said in between bites.
"Speak for yourselves," Casen muttered, stuffing some fries into his mouth.
Rylan lifted a hand, plucking a fry from Casen's tray. Casen immediately swatted his hand away. "Hands off, you thief."
"Sharing is caring."
"I don't care. Therefore, I don't share." Casen grumbled.
Eleanore snorted, taking a sip of her drink. "You two sound like a divorced couple arguing over a vacation home."
"That's because we're passionate people," Rylan chuckled, reaching up to brush Casen's hair out of his eyes.
Eleanor chuckled, finishing off the rest of her funnel cake before pointing at a nearby shooting gallery.
"All right, boys, bet time." Eleanore grinned, "The winner gets bragging rights and the loser has to post the worst photo from the day on Insta."
"Oh, you're on!" Both boys jumped to their feet, discarding their trash as they followed Eleanore over to the booth.
"I'm not losing again," Casen spoke up as Rylan paid for the game.
Rylan grinned, picking up one of the cork rifles, "Oh, no, no, no. You so are."
Eleanore chuckled, aiming the fake rifle at the target, and the cork knocked it over on the first try.
Rylan's jaw dropped, staring at her. "You're cheating! You've played this before!"
"It's called skill, sweetheart," Eleanore grinned, "Look it up."
Casen glanced between them before landing three perfect shots of his own. "Huh. Beginner's luck."
"Excuse me?!" Rylan whipped around to face Casen. "You've been lying this whole time! You're a sniper!"
Casen chuckled, smirking faintly as he met Rylan's gaze. "Guess I'm just a natural."
By the end of the game, Eleanore had won by a single target, and Rylan dramatically collapsed against a bench nearby.
"I was robbed." He groaned, "That game was rigged. I deserve justice."
"Justice denied," Eleanore snickered, holding the massive stuffed bear she had selected as a prize.
The three went on one more ride that resulted in Casen looking as if he was questioning every decision he had ever made while clutching a nearby trash can like it was a lifeline.
"I… can't… breathe… your face…" Eleanore wheezed from where she stumbled off the ride.
Casen glared at them from where he was still propped over the trash can. "You're evil. Both of you. Pure evil."
"Worth it." Rylan chuckled, collapsing into a nearby bench while opening a bottle of water for Casen, who sat on one side of him. Eleanore sat opposite, leaning her head on Rylan's shoulder, still giggling.
Rylan nudged Casen lightly on the shoulder with the back of his hand, grinning. "Admit it, though… that was kinda fun."
"…I'll admit nothing."
"That means yes." Eleanore chuckled.
"That means 'no comment.'"
"Sooo… about that photo you owe Insta…" Rylan grinned, flipping his phone around to Casen, whose jaw dropped. He turned the screen to Eleanore, who immediately burst into another fit of laughter at the blurry photo of Casen screaming mid-spin on the teacup ride.
"Delete that!"
"Not a chance," Rylan grinned.
Casen stared at him for a moment before lunging. Rylan barely dodged and ended up knocking them both off the bench in a mock wrestling match. Eleanore fell over laughing as she watched the two struggle over Rylan's phone.
"Eleanore, HELP ME!" Rylan wailed. "HE'S GOT MY ARM!"
Casen snatched Rylan's phone out of his hands, sitting on his back with his arms pinned behind him. "VICTORY IS MINE!"
He held the phone up triumphantly, only for a notification to flash across the screen from NoraDesigns tagging Rylan and Casen in a post on Instagram.
Rylan glanced up at Casen, smirking as Casen's phone notification dinged. "Checkmate."
Casen groaned, burying his face against Rylan's back. Rylan lifted his freed hands, giving Eleanore a thumbs up right before rolling Casen off of him while laughing. "Alright, alright. Now that we've got it posted, let's go find the others!"