Red Revenge

3. A deal is a deal, Elizabeth

Josie challenged Hope to conquer her fear of heights by riding the tallest roller coaster in the amusement park together.

"Come on, Hopey, ride this one with me," she pleaded.

The rest of the group decided to take a break and grab some food before heading back home. The sun had set, casting a magical darkness over the park.

Hope, usually composed and unflappable, remained silent, her gaze fixed on Josie with determination and apprehension.

Josie gasped. "Don't tell me little Hopey here is scared of heights," she teased.

Hope's eyes narrowed. "No," she replied firmly.

Encouraged by Hope's response, Josie stepped closer, gripping Hope's shoulders. "I'll give you 100 bucks if you can ride this coaster without screaming, if not, you owe me 100," she proposed.

Hope's face lit up with excitement. She extended her hand confidently. "Deal," she declared, sealing their agreement with a handshake.

Lizzie overheard the conversation, expressing disbelief. "Josie, 100 bucks? Are you serious?"

Josie smirked. "A deal is a deal, Elizabeth," she retorted confidently.

Grasping Hope's hand, Josie led her through the amusement park towards the towering roller coaster. Fortunately, the line for the ride was short, and they secured the last seats.

As the ride started its ascent, Hope instinctively clutched Josie's hand, her grip tightening. The roller coaster steadily climbed higher, and anticipation built within Hope, causing her heart to race.

Reaching the peak, the coaster momentarily slowed, granting them a breathtaking view of the park illuminated by colorful lights. Hope's excitement mingled with a touch of fear, knowing that the exhilarating descent was imminent.

With a rush of speed, the roller coaster hurtled downhill, causing Hope to release a scream of terror and exhilaration involuntarily. Realizing the consequence of her scream, she quickly covered her mouth with her hand, a mix of embarrassment and amusement washing over her.

Josie burst into laughter. "Looks like I just earned myself 100 bucks!" she exclaimed triumphantly.

Hope tightly held Josie's hand throughout the entire roller coaster ride, her fingers trembling with a combination of fear and excitement. As the ride came to a stop, she released Josie's hand and turned towards her with a mischievous smile.

"You know what, Josie? You're not getting $100 from me," Hope whispered teasingly, before taking off and running towards the rest of the group, her laughter echoing through the amusement park.

Josie, caught off guard by Hope's unexpected response, quickly followed in pursuit, shouting in frustration. "What the hell? Give me my 100 dollars!" she exclaimed, her words piercing through the crowd.

Hope's heart raced as she felt Josie closing in behind her. Just as Josie was about to reach her, Hope spotted Lizzie extending her hand towards her. Without hesitation, Hope grabbed Lizzie's hand, their fingers intertwining.

Josie, face to face with Hope and Lizzie, took a step back, demanding her money. "Where's my $100 bucks?" she snarked, annoyance evident in her voice.

Hope grumbled as she reached into her pocket, retrieving a crumpled $100 bill. However, before she could hand it over, Lizzie intervened, preventing her from giving Josie the money.

"No, baby keep your money," Lizzie declared firmly, her eyes locked with Josie's.

Hope, feeling a mixture of relief and amusement, discreetly stuck her tongue out at Josie. Josie responded by slowly smiling while flipping her off.

As the rest of their friends caught up to them, Haz couldn't contain her curiosity. "Do you just casually carry around $100 bills in your jeans?" she blurted out, unable to comprehend the nonchalant display of wealth.

Hope simply shrugged. "Yeah," she replied nonchalantly.

Lizzie told Josie to sit up front with Allison, annoyed by her behavior.

Josie pouted and insisted, "I wanna sit with my cute little Hopey."

Hope protested, "Hey! I'm not cute."

Hazel approached Hope, teasingly cupping her cheeks. "The pout says otherwise," she remarked.

Hope swatted her sister's friend's hand away, possessively held by Lizzie. "Hands off my girlfriend," she playfully claimed.

Lizzie leaned in, whispering to Hope. "You are the world's cutest person in my eyes." She kissed Hope's temple tenderly.

Turning to face Lizzie, Hope wrapped her arms around her neck confidently. "That's sweet, but I'm not cute. I'm badass," she proudly declared.

Lizzie burst into laughter. "Okay, you're my badass girlfriend," she conceded, adoringly looking into Hope's eyes.

Caught in their world, Lizzie and Hope lost themselves in each other's presence. Lizzie pressed Hope against the car, their lips colliding in a passionate kiss. In the heat of the moment, Lizzie shamelessly grabbed Hope's ass.

Their intimate moment was interrupted by Allison, who sassed them with a mischievous smirk, "You two done fucking yet?"

Hope stumbled over her words, trying to regain her composure. "We weren't... uh, we weren't doing that," she stammered, her cheeks flushed with embarrassment.

Hazel changed the subject, "Alright," she clapped, "who's ready to head home?"

Without further ado, they loaded into the minivan, with Josie sitting in the middle row with Lizzie and Hope, Allison driving, Hazel settled in passenger seat, their laughter and chatter filling the air as they prepared for the journey home.

"Josie, if you keep grabbing my beanie, I swear I'm gonna kill you," Hope whined, her voice filled with playful annoyance.

Chuckling mischievously, Josie couldn't resist the temptation and playfully snatched Hope's beanie, messing up her hair in the process. "You're so fun to mess with," she teased, her eyes shining with amusement.

Not one to back down, Hope retaliated by poking her side, causing her to whine. The playful banter between the two friends filled the air, creating a lighthearted atmosphere of camaraderie.

Responding to Josie's playful call, Lizzie wrapped her arm around Hope's waist and gently guided her to sit on her lap. As Hope settled comfortably, her small frame fitting perfectly on Lizzie's lap, she instinctively grabbed onto Lizzie's sweater, pulling her hood up and resting her head on Lizzie's chest. Josie had leaned over and whispered, "Bottom."

In a playful act of defiance towards Josie, Hope tried to flip her off, but Lizzie intercepted her hand with a gentle grip.  Hope looked up at Lizzie, their eyes meeting in an unspoken understanding. With a soft shake of her head, Lizzie silently conveyed her.

Adjusting her position, Hope settled back into the middle seat but turned sideways so she could lean on Lizzie. Lizzie, always attentive, wrapped her arm around Hope's shoulders, intertwining their bodies in a comforting embrace. Resting her head on top of Hope's, she stroked her shoulder.

With her other hand, she reached into her hoodie pocket and pulled out her phone and earbuds. Plugging them in, she selected the song "Love is Fire" by Freya Ridings, a tune that perfectly captured her love for Hope.

Lost in the enchanting melodies and the warmth of each other's presence, Lizzie and Hope gradually succumbed to the embrace of sleep. Hope, holding onto Lizzie's hoodie as always, felt a sense of security and contentment, knowing that she was cherished and loved. Meanwhile, Josie, witnessing the tender scene unfolding before her, was overwhelmed with gratitude and happiness that her sister had found someone as amazing as Hope.

Unable to resist capturing the precious moment, Josie quietly grabbed her phone and snapped a couple of pictures, wanting to capture the beauty and genuine love that radiated between her sister and Hope.