Love at Random

The Love Loop

Eric hated exactly 3 things in the world: roller coasters, heights, and bugs. So of course he found his current predicament to be a personal attack.

"You could've just given me away if you didn't like me." He said from the backseat of his dad's minivan as the sign for Fun World came into view.

"Don't be so dramatic Eric." his mother said turning in her seat to face him. "Fun World is great isn't it?" she asked and his younger siblings screamed in reply. Traitors.

"I just don't understand why I have to be here. " Eric said fighting the urge to plead for them to turn around like he had the first 6 times they came. It's what had gotten him put on Max duty in the first place. "We've gone 15 times this summer. I think if I was going to start liking it it would've happened already."

"Well your brother hasn't even gone once," she said motioning over to Jordan who was focused entirely on his phone as he had been all morning. "He's only here for a couple more days. It's a family day," she said facing forward as they pulled into the parking lot.

-

Eric considered his older brother to be a cool guy. Someone to look up to. Someone deserving of admiration. That all went out the window the second he said "I don't feel like riding anything." After that, all Eric wanted to do was throttle him.

"Mom-" he started about to argue his point but she shushed him telling him it was too late to turn around since they were already at the park. Not that he believed they would anyway. He'd decided his family had some kind of unhealthy obsession with roller coasters when they went 3 days in a row about a month back.

Their youngest sibling, Max, grabbed Jordan's arm and began tugging. "I want you to come to Tike Town with me," he said and Stephanie beamed and sidled up next to their mom as though it was a coordinated attack. Knowing his little siblings it probably was.

"Mom if Jordan watches Max can I finally go with you guys?" Since Eric was afraid of every aspect of the rides he simply took them both to Tike Town and watched as Stephanie went on every ride with Max. She looked up at The Soul Slinger, the largest of the rides that could be seen from at least 2 miles away, and sighed longingly.

"Sure," their mom said watching as Max tried with great effort to pull Jordan along as he typed away with one hand. I'm free Eric thought I could get a caricature done and maybe settle in at a restaura-

"Eric go with them." his mother said from beside him. He had no idea when she'd gotten so close or why it seemed like she was out to ruin his day.

"Me?" he asked pointing to himself incredulously.

"Yes, you. Your brother seems distracted today and we don't want him losing Max. While you're at it see if you can find out what that's about." she ordered and then began her trek toward the more advanced rides.

"Great," he sighed as he watched Jordan and Max narrowly avoid falling into a large fountain.

-

Predictably the first thing Max wanted to ride when they arrived at Tike Town was The Larvae Loop, a larvae-shaped roller coaster that looped in the air.  Eric couldn't think of anything worse.

"You have to go on it with him," Eric said looking at the disgusting contraption. Jordan hit send off the message he'd been furiously typing and looked between Eric and the ride.

"You don't still have that thing with rides do you?" Jordan asked as the children currently on the ride shrieked with excitement.

"And bugs and heights," Max added.