chapter 9- theme park

"You're saying he might be upset with you?" Mia asked, her brow furrowing in concern.

Amy had come to Mia for advice, feeling like she had hurt Zahn. "Even though he doesn't openly say or show his feelings, I can still feel he's upset with me."

"It's understandable. He might be hurt by your actions. Why do you feel the need to hide your relationship?" Mia's tone was gentle but probing.

Amy sighed deeply. "I'm not sure how others will react. I don't intend to hide it forever, but I'm just not ready yet."

"It's okay. Maybe you should go on a date somewhere. It might help smooth things over," Mia suggested with a reassuring smile.

"Right...!" Amy agreed, a spark of determination lighting up her eyes.

Amy immediately went home with two tickets to Dreamland Theme Park. She spotted Zahn, as usual, absorbed in his books. A grin spread across her face, and she hugged him from behind, wrapping her arms around his neck.

"Zahn, I've got to tell you something!" she announced excitedly.

His eyes remained fixed on the book. "What's up?"

"I bought tickets to the theme park! Let's go-"

"I'm not going," he interjected sternly, his voice lacking any enthusiasm.

"Please, Zahn?" she pleaded, her tone softening.

"Go with your friends," he replied, his tone dismissive.

"Pretty please? Don't you like rides? You enjoyed it last time."

"Enjoyed who? My head was dizzy the whole time," he retorted, clearly annoyed.

She refused to give up. "But Zahn, I want to go with you. We haven't gone there in a while..."

His patience wearing thin, Zahn finally snapped, "Amy, can you stop bothering me for once? I have other things to do." His irritation was evident, not just from today, but from previous experiences.

Amy lowered her eyes, looking genuinely dejected. "Zahn, I just really want to spend some quality time with you. We can enjoy this date together. I'm sorry for everything, too."

He looked into her eyes, seeing the genuine regret and anticipation there. Despite his frustration, he felt a tug at his heart and sighed. "Fine, Amy..."

Her face lit up with joy. "Good!" She grabbed his hand, pulling him towards the door. As they left the house, she felt a glimmer of hope.

Amy and Zahn stood at the entrance of Dreamland Theme Park, a colorful and bustling wonderland filled with laughter and excitement. Amy's enthusiasm was contagious.

"Don't you come here a lot of times? Aren't you bored of it?" Zahn asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Not really! It's always fun for me," she replied cheerfully.

"So childish," he muttered, though a small smile tugged at his lips.

she laughed heartily, not really caring.

First, Amy bought a pair of cute hairbands-two cat ones. She placed one on Zahn's head with a mischievous grin.

"Looks cute on you. Don't try to take it off the whole day, okay?"

Zahn responded with a resigned sigh, "..."

They started their day of rides with the swinging ship, then moved on to the carousel, and then the bumper cars.

Each climbed into one of the bumper cars, and soon the ride began. Amy laughed gleefully as she maneuvered her car, deliberately aiming for Zahn's. With a satisfying bump, she collided with his car.

"Got you!" she shouted, her eyes twinkling with mischief.

Zahn couldn't help but laugh, steering his car to bump hers in return.

I can't believe I'm actually enjoying this... he thought.

The next few minutes were filled with playful competition as they bumped into each other and other riders, enjoying the carefree moment.

As they continued exploring, Amy spotted the teacups ride. "Zahn, let's go in!"

They climbed into one of the large teacups, and Amy immediately started turning the wheel in the center, making their cup spin faster.

"This is fun!" Amy giggled.

Zahn smiled softly. "Amy, You're going to make us dizzy!"

"Isn't that the point?" Amy teased, spinning the wheel even faster.

Next, they went to the haunted house. Amy was the one who looked overly excited for it but ended up clinging to Zahn the whole time, screaming at the jump scares while Zahn was amused by her reactions.

Finally, Amy took Zahn to the roller coaster, her most favorite ride. But Zahn wasn't willing. "Come on, Zahn! It's going to be fun!" she insisted, dragging him along.

He hesitated but ultimately went with her.

The roller coaster was a whirlwind of adrenaline, with twists, turns, and loops that left them both breathless and exhilarated.

Zahn ended up feeling quite dizzy after all the turns.

"Sit down on the bench. Do you feel too sick? If you want, we can go home," she suggested, concern evident in her voice.

He was surprised that she cared to ask. "No, I'm fine. Just a little lightheaded. You feel nothing?"

"Nah, I'm too used to it," she laughed.

He couldn't understand how Amy managed to ride these without feeling dreadful. Despite the dizzying experience, the comforting sound of Amy's laughter echoed in his ears.

"Well then, let's try some food stalls and play some games?" she proposed.

He nodded in agreement.

They indulged in different treats at the food stalls and then approached a booth where players were throwing rings onto bottles. Amy knew it was nearly impossible to win, but she decided to try her luck anyway.

She aimed carefully before tossing the first ring. It missed, clinking against the bottle. She frowned but quickly tried again, determined to win a prize. "Darn, I really need that teddy bear."

"Let me try," Zahn offered.

He tried five times but ended up failing, growing increasingly frustrated.

"Hey, it's okay. Don't spend too much. It's really hard to win these," Amy reassured him.

But Zahn continued on, and to Amy's surprise, his ring finally landed perfectly on a bottle. He won a small stuffed animal and handed it to Amy.

"Whoa! Great job! I thought it was impossible to win these," Amy said, looking at the stuffed toy with satisfaction. "I really like it."

He smiled, pleased to see her joy.

Suddenly, Amy spotted some classmates from college and turned anxious, trying to hide her face.

"What's wrong, Amy?" Zahn asked, noticing her unease.

She shook her head and smiled, pulling his hand. "It's nothing. How about we go to the Ferris wheel now? The view up there is going to be amazing..."

Amy dragged Zahn to the Ferris wheel.

The evening sun cast a golden glow over the theme park as the Ferris wheel began its slow ascent, lifting them higher and higher above the bustling park. Amy leaned out slightly, her eyes sparkling with excitement as she took in the view. Zahn, sitting beside her, was equally mesmerized.

"Look at that, Zahn! You can see the entire park from up here," she said, her voice filled with awe.

Zahn nodded. "It's beautiful. The lights, the colors... it's like a different world up here."

As the Ferris wheel reached its highest point, they were treated to a breathtaking view of the sun setting on the horizon, painting the sky in hues of pink and orange. The park below was aglow with twinkling lights, creating a magical atmosphere.

Amy turned to Zahn, a big smile on her face. "Zahn, today was fun, right?"

Zahn looked into her eyes and nodded. "It was."

She laughed. "Each time you resist coming here, but you always end up enjoying it."

He smiled. "Fine, I admit it, I do."

Amy : "Do you remember when the first time i brought you here? You were too scared to go on any of the rides"

He raised his eyebrow, "hey i wasn't scared. I was just... nervous"

Amy laughed heartily.

Seized by a sudden impulse, Amy leaned closer and planted a soft, unexpected kiss on Zahn's cheek. His eyes widened in surprise, and a hint of a blush colored his cheeks.

"Amy...?" he started, his voice filled with a mix of surprise and tenderness.

As the Ferris wheel began its descent, they sat in comfortable silence, both feeling warmth in their hearts. The gentle sway of the gondola and the beauty of the moment made it a memory they would cherish forever.

After a day filled with thrilling rides and carnival games, Amy spotted a photo booth. "Zahn, a photo booth! Let's take a photo!"

"Fine, fine."

Amy pulled the curtain closed and plopped down onto the small bench, pulling Zahn down beside her. The screen in front of them came to life, displaying a countdown timer.

"Okay, do a cheese pose, okay?" Amy asked, her excitement infectious.

"Alright," Zahn replied, a smile spreading across his face.

Amy wrapped her arms around Zahn's shoulders, pulling him close. They both smiled warmly, the happiness of the day evident in their expressions. They took a couple more photos.

The photos printed out quickly, and Amy grabbed the strip, eagerly examining the series of images. She gazed at the smiles captured on Zahn's face, her heart swelling with a mix of joy and tenderness.

"I'm going to cherish these," she said softly, running her fingers over the glossy surface of the photos. Her eyes lingered on Zahn's smile in each frame. "Do you realize you've smiled a lot today?"

Zahn looked up, curiosity and a hint of surprise in his eyes. "Hm?"

Amy's smile grew, her gaze locking onto his. "You look so good when you smile," she continued, her voice gentle but filled with sincerity. "I don't think I've seen you smile this much in a long time."

Zahn was surprised but then spoke in a playful tone. "Oh yeah? Then you better make sure I have more reasons to smile. How about you listen to me from now on?"

She laughed. "Sorry, I can't stop being stubborn and lazy."

He laughed along with her.

"Lucky winners can get movie tickets or even a trip somewhere!" A loud announcement blared from a nearby lucky draw booth.

Amy : "Why don't we try our luck?"

Zahn suggested. "You can give it a try."

Amy handed over a couple of tickets to the booth attendant. "Good luck! Give it a good spin!" the attendant said.

Amy grabbed the wheel and gave it a spin. She watched with curiosity as the wheel spun, wondering what she would win. It began to slow down, finally landing on a section marked with a shining star.

"You've won a pair of tickets for a movie!" the attendant announced, handing Amy the prize tickets.

"Whoa, Zahn, look! I won the tickets. Let's go see this movie!"

He looked at the time. "great but Isn't it getting late?"

"No, it's okay. Let's just enjoy today," Amy insisted.

Zahn decided to agree for Amy's sake, and they headed to the movie theater. It was a romance movie they were about to see.

They found their seats in the theater, and as the movie started, Amy focused more on eating the popcorn. It didn't take long before she fell asleep, her head resting on Zahn's shoulder.

"Amy?" he whispered, stunned. He looked at her face, seeming mesmerized. He lightly caressed her face, then pulled his hand back quickly.

I thought my feelings for Amy were mere attraction... Why does it feel like more than that?

he wondered.

While Amy slept soundly on his shoulder, Zahn watched the movie carefully. Despite never having much interest in movies, other than the comedies or cartoons Amy occasionally dragged him to, he found himself moved by the storyline-the love story, the soft kisses-he couldn't take his eyes off the screen.

Amy woke up just 30 minutes before the movie ended, enjoying the final scenes.

After the movie ended, Amy and Zahn strolled out of the theater. They walked side by side, the night air cool and refreshing.

Amy stretched her arms above her head. "It was actually good, but I was asleep throughout most of the movie."

"You must be tired. But it was really good," Zahn said.

She smiled. "You're praising it. Seems like you really liked it."

"Somewhat, yup..."

"I had a lot of fun today, but now I'm so tired. I'll sleep in late tomorrow, don't wake me early."

He raised an eyebrow. "Huh? You still have to get up on time."

"Nope," she laughed.

Zahn sighed, a smile playing on his lips. Amy is really stubborn.

Amy's idea of bringing Zahn to the theme park had eased the earlier tension between them, bringing them closer. Little by little, she was able to break through the cold exterior that Zahn held.

As he lay in bed that night, Zahn's thoughts drifted to Amy. His mind replaying the day's events, the sound of her heartfelt laughter , and the warmth of Amy's kiss on his cheek

Can I really trust Amy's feelings..? Zahn wondered, the question lingering in his mind as he drifted off to sleep, caught in uncertainty.