“So what’s this about being the city with the best nightlife?” Mattie asked as Jack took off down the street. Her fingers rapped lightly on the door as she stared out the window space. The moonlight cast a melancholy look over her.

Jack gripped the wheel loosely between his hands as he answered lightly. “We have bars and clubs, and the old amusement park is open late.”

Sleep sounded better to me.

Mattie’s fingers paused. A few seconds later, she asked, “If Nick can have everything done tomorrow, you two will be leaving soon, right?”

“We’ll leave once we have the fragments,” Cove answered without looking at me.

Mattie took that as the yes it was. “Let’s check out the amusement park, then.”

Jack flicked on the blinker, slowing to turn down another road. “I’m in. What about you two?”

I lifted my face from where it was propped on my hand and leaned back against the seat. It was hard to say no after she hit us with that. “Sure.”

“It is still fairly early.” Cove agreed.

I thumped back against the headrest as the other two chucked at Cove’s joke. “We don’t have anything else to do for now.”

The fair was lit up by hundreds of shining lights–from streetlights to decorative lights and everything in between. Adults and older teenagers crammed themselves between the stalls and in line for rides, chattering about the mundane. The familiar smell of popcorn and cooking beef filled the air, coupled with the cozy scent of the trash can fires keeping the sitters warm.

The area closest to the entrance was unveiling new stalls as we entered, alcohol vendors eagerly setting up for their evening guests as the more childish attractions were down for the night. The lights shone like stars in Mattie’s eyes as she took all the attractions in. I glanced over at Cove to get a read on how he felt about all this, only to find a similar expression of childish awe and joy on his face.

I wasn’t the only one who caught the look. Surprised, Jack asked, “Have you not been to an amusement park either?”

Cove tucked his hands into his pockets. “I had more important things to amuse myself with growing up.”

Even I, a person who despised adrenaline-invoking activities with a burning passion, had been dragged to Navy Pier and Six Flags by my dear adrenaline-loving sister. I might not have considered it a pleasant experience, but it felt like an experience every child had to face.

Jack recovered from the news admirably quickly, planting his feet by a map of the park to tap his knuckles against the wooden map. “Well, I’ll leave the vote to you and Mattie then. Where to first?”

This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

Mattie, followed by an embarrassed Cove, eagerly moved forward to gaze over his shoulder. Unsurprisingly, they were both heavily invested in the few roller coasters on the outskirts of the fair. We (they) decided to start on the outer edge before winding our way back to the center of the fair, where all the alcohol and game stalls were. The general atmosphere did wonders for our spirits, and we started chatting and joking around in a closeness and understanding I hadn’t even obtained with those in Heirs. Now that the pressures Cove had been under were temporarily lifted off his chest as all we could do was wait, he straightened up, walked, and talked with an easy step.

As the others eagerly cajoled me into joining them on a rickety old wooden roller coaster, welcoming me with smiles and shouts of joy as I sat down, I thought perhaps this was a little nice.

The cart raddled and swooped up, dropping my stomach through my feet. I gripped the handles of the coaster so tight my knuckles turned white as Mattie and Cove tossed their heads in the wind, laughing. We stumbled off the coaster, shoving each with mirthful hands like kids on a snow day. The joy was infectious, and the other adults around us acted out similar scenes.

I sat out on the rest of the roller coasters, having rediscovered my hate for them. Instead, I busied myself watching Jack, Mattie, and Cove’s youthful shouts and screeches as the coasters sped away, leaving their burdens behind for another day.

As they stepped off the platforms, smiling, I realized that this was what my sister had enjoyed and why she’d been so insistent that I come with her. It wasn’t about the coasters themselves, not really, but about the joy of dropping off the weight of the world and taking a moment to surround yourself with the infectious happiness of others.

I smiled back.

We tackled the carnival games next. Cove, Jack, and Mattie tried a dart-throwing game first and managed to each win a small plushie. I bowed out, hoping to avoid failing at the games altogether.

Mattie wouldn’t let me. “C’mon! I bet you’re not as bad as you think you are!”

When that didn’t work, she switched tactics, placing her hands on her hips as if to scold me. “You can’t just ride one ride and get away with it, Hayden. We came here to have fun on what might be our last evening together as a group.”

The other two turned traitor and backed her up, looking at me with eager eyes. I rolled my own. “Fine.”

Mattie jerked her elbow back in a victory pose.

As Mattie, Jack, and Cove, at least, were deceptively good at physical tests, Mattie decided to have a little competition at the next game, the ring toss. The winner would have the dubious honor of collecting and keeping all the prizes.

While the others pushed to go first, I immediately volunteered to go last, pulling up and researching tips on my phone as I glanced up, occasionally studying the competition. I didn’t want the plushies, but now that I was in, I wouldn’t allow myself to lose.

Cove went first, landing all but one of the rings. The attraction host deflated at Cove’s victory cheer, clearly deciding and resigned to giving out prizes to our entire group. He gave a plastic, customer-service smile as he handed the collected rings to the next contestant, Mattie.

Mattie scored one after another, only to miss the last two as a particularly loud group walked behind us, shouting.

Jack matched Cove, missing one in the middle as Mattie jeered.

The host looked dead inside as he handed the rings over to me. I weighed them carefully in my hand and debated. A quick glance at Cove and I rethought myself. If I cheated, he’d probably notice.

I sighed and took a breath to center myself, and the world narrowed to the bottles in front of me and the rings in my hands. Focusing, I let the first fly. It caught on the top of the bottle, almost flinging itself off before settling over. One and then another, then another hooked themselves over the bottles. The last one soared over the booth, just barely glinting off the top of the bottle to fall on the floor.

The background noise of the fair grew louder as reality expanded back out. I looked down at my hand in disbelief. I’d never managed to score a single hit on these things. But I’d somehow managed to match Cove and Jack without cheating? It was impossible. Even with all the recent exercises, I just wasn’t that type.

Mattie bumped my shoulder, jolting me out of my thoughts. “See?” She shot me a teasing grin. “I knew you couldn’t be that bad.” She bent over to whisper, “Since you’re the responsible one and all.”

Leaving the concept of my fitness for later, I shot back, “You’re just saying that because otherwise, you have to admit that I beat you.” I scoffed and sent scrutinizing looks at the other two. “And matched you two.”

My comments startled a laugh out of the group. Jack pulled a wad of cash out from his wallet. “Round two?”