Chapter 1: Rollercoaster Romance

Oh no.

We were in a dire situation. How’d I gotten myself into this? Now that I was stressed out, I found it silly to believe that this had been my choice. My heart pounded in my chest like a drum set to a frantic rhythm. My palms were sweaty, and they gripped the safety bar in front of me. It became slick, which made it hard to hold onto.

No one said a word.

The only sound was the clicking of mechanical noises as we slowly went up and up.

Click…

Click…

Click…

The world below me grew smaller as I looked down. My heart seemed to jump into my throat. The air crackled with tension. I tightened my grip, but my hands were so very slippery now.

“James,” I gasped. I wanted to reach for his hand, but I couldn’t bring myself to pull mine away from the bar. It was as if they were frozen with fear. “If... if anything happens to me, promise me you’ll tell my mom I love her.”

James’ eyes met mine, wide with fear but determined. He offered me a tight smile. “Keily, nothing’s going to happen to you. We’ll get through this together.”

But I could read the uncertainty etched in his expression, mirroring my own. He was just as scared as I was—he was just hiding it better. But I knew him, and there wasn’t much that he could hide from me. I noticed the muscle in his jaw jump as he clenched his teeth. I noticed how white his knuckles were from gripping the safety bar. I noticed how he looked ahead, instead of looking down. I saw his pulse beating in the vein on the side of his neck.

We climbed higher and higher and higher. My grip tightened on the bar. What if I let go? This was safe… wasn’t it? A whirlwind of anticipation and dread swirled in my stomach. Oh God, don’t let me puke!

Then, without warning, the roller coaster dropped.

My heart caught in my throat. My stomach seemed to stay behind. I felt the wind in my face, twisting my hair.

I screamed.

James laughed.

I guess one of us wasn’t scared anymore…

The world disappeared beneath us in a blur of speed and adrenaline. Our screams and laughter were lost in the rush of wind tearing past our ears. For a moment, gravity seemed to abandon us, leaving only the raw, exhilarating sensation of freefall.

The rollercoaster roared through twists and turns. It sent my stomach somersaulting with each exhilarating loop. Fear and thrill mingled in equal measure. My screams of terror blended seamlessly with James’ laughter.

Despite my trembling nerves, I stole a glance at James, next to me. He threw his hands in the air with abandon. His eyes sparkled with excitement. For a fleeting moment, I allowed myself to let go.

My hands shot into the air.

“WHOO-HOO!” James cried.

I closed my eyes quickly and brought my hands down as fast as they’d gone up. Okay. The no-hands thing was certainly not for me.

“Smile, Keily!” James cried.

But all I did was hold onto the bar as if my life depended on it. I kept my eyes shut, like that would somehow make this less scary. The only thing it did was prevent me from knowing what came next.

But as suddenly as it began, the rollercoaster screeched to an abrupt stop.

I opened my eyes and saw that the ride had come to an end. My heart was beating as if we were about to do another loop. But we weren’t. It was over.

The safety bars lifted with a metallic clang. I caught my breath, but James wasted no time in clambering out of his seat, his movements fluid and agile. I followed suit. James extended a hand and helped me out. As I stood on shaky legs, the adrenaline that had fueled me through the ride began to ebb away, leaving behind a trembling weakness that threatened to buckle my knees.

“Whoa,” James breathed, wrapping an arm around me to steady me. “Are you okay, Keily?”

I nodded weakly, trying to muster a reassuring smile despite the jelly-like feeling in my legs. With James there to catch me, to hold me tight, I’d be okay. I kind of wanted him to hold me like that forever.

“Yeah, just... a little shaky, that’s all.”

James’s arms tightened around me. His touch was warm and comforting against my clammy skin.

“You did great,” he said softly, his voice a gentle reassurance amidst the lingering echoes of the rollercoaster’s roar.

Together, we made our way down the metal staircase. Our footsteps were loud, but so was the amusement park. I wiped my sweaty hands on my jeans. James took one in his—clearly not minding the moisture.

He led me towards the photo shop with his grin still plastered across his face. The remnants of our rollercoaster adventure still lingered in the air between us. As we approached the display of photos from the ride, my stomach fluttered. The idea of seeing ours made my palms feel sweaty all over again.

“There we are!” James said.

He pointed to our photo. All my apprehensions melted away in a wave of laughter. We were captured in a single moment of chaos and exhilaration. James had his infectious smile stretched wide, both hands thrown triumphantly into the air. He looked as if he was conquering the world. And then there was me. My face contorted in terror, eyes squeezed shut as I clung to the safety bar for dear life.

James started laughing as well.

The tension of the ride melted away in the warmth of our shared amusement. James didn’t hesitate to buy the electronic copy of our photo. His fingers flew over the keypad as he entered his email address.

“It’s too good not to have,” he chuckled, shooting me a sideways glance that only made me laugh harder.

Within moments, the photo appeared in his inbox, and without missing a beat, he forwarded it to me. I opened the email and gazed at the image that perfectly captured just how different James and I were.

I saved the photo to my phone. It was a moment I would treasure forever.

Just like the roller coaster went up and down, so had my life with James. We’d faced challenges—bullies and judgment, but we’d made it through it all. And after summer break, we’d be going to college together.

My phone buzzed, and I saw that my cousin had texted.

Addison

Meet us at the funnel cake store in ten minutes.

“Who is it?” James asked.

“Addison—she wants to meet,” I answered him as I quickly texted back.

Keily

otw.

James and I walked toward the funnel cake store. It was close enough. We arrived before our friends did and sat down at a big table. The waitress gave us two menus, but I asked her for seven.

I still couldn’t believe that I had such a big group of friends. I would miss them when I went to college, but luckily I’d still have James.

They arrived. Addison, always the leader, was in the front. Sadhvi was on her heels, wanting to be close to her. Behind them were Matt and Lola, hand in hand. And lastly, Lucas trailed behind. He looked a little bit lost. As if he were a loner.

“Over here!” James waved them over.

“Hello there!” Addison said as she sat down. “How are you enjoying the park?”

“It’s great!” James exclaimed. “Just look at this romantic photo.”

He pulled out his phone and handed it to Addison. I knew he’d shown her our roller coaster picture. She burst out laughing and handed the phone to my other friends. They laughed, and I laughed with them.

They sat down, our giggling ending, and we all looked at the menus together.

“You’re going for rocky road, aren’t you?” I asked James. It was his favorite flavor ice cream, and I figured he would also like the same cake.

“Absolutely,” he said. “And you’re going for blueberry cheesecake.”

I felt my cheeks go warm. He knew me so well.

“I absolutely am.”

We all ordered our slices of cake and ate them together. I took a bite of James’s, and he took a bite of mine. This was the perfect place to pig out—and we all did!

We talked about the different rides we’d all gone on and which we liked best. We didn’t speak about anything serious—we were simply having fun.

It was nice to have a lot of free time and very few responsibilities.

Eventually, the day at the amusement park drifted into the evening. The sky began to darken. We found ourselves a prime spot to watch the parade, the excitement palpable as colorful floats and marching bands paraded past, filling the air with music and laughter.

But it was when the first burst of fireworks lit up the night sky that the magic truly began. As the vibrant colors danced and twirled overhead, casting a glow over everything, James took my hand, his touch warm and reassuring.

I turned to him. There was a sparkle of euphoria in his eyes that mirrored in my own. And in that moment, everything else faded away—the worries about college, the uncertainty of the future—leaving only the two of us.

With a soft smile, James leaned in. His lips met mine in a tender kiss that felt like coming home. The fireworks exploded above us. It was so fricking romantic!

I wanted time to freeze.

But another part of me was tingling with nervous anticipation. The future was something to look forward to, and I was ready for it.

I melted into James’ embrace. I knew that no matter what challenges awaited us in the days and years to come, as long as we were together, we could face them with courage and strength.

The kiss ended, giving us a moment to look at the fireworks and not just hear them. But we’d spent most of the time kissing… As the final firework faded into the night, it left behind a trail of smoke.

I made a silent vow to hold onto this feeling—the warmth of James’ hand in mine, the whisper of his breath against my skin.

As long as I was with James, everything would be fine.