Meeting the Jokers

Part 18

Q bounded off nervously to the rollercoaster, Casey filming his sweating face intensely.

Sal hung back with me as we slowly made our way to where Q was riding. Joe and Murr ran to keep up with the action.

"You know, this was all my idea," Sal said to me, watching the guys run to the ride.

"Oh yeah?" I asked.

"Yeah, when we were on the bus, I checked with the producers. He lost the episode."

"So what's the rollercoaster like?"

Sal pointed to a poster hanging on a streetlight, "it's the best here. Or the scariest. I've never been on it."

"Well Q can tell you what it's like," I joke.

"Yeah. I'm quite proud of myself."

Murr and Joe were stood just behind the warning tape. It was there just to stop the park goers coming into the ride whilst we filmed.

"We've actually been asked to advertise this ride," Sal informs me, "because it's brand new."

"So..." i begin, "this trip wasn't for me?"

Murr hears our conversation and turns around pretending he can't hear us.

"Well, of course it was. But we knew that we had to come here."

Something inside of me felt ashamed to have believed the guys would take me on a trip. A trip just for me. There was always going to be a reason.

At least they let me come I guess. Whether this day was to celebrate our last day or not.

"Don't look like that," Sal holds both my shoulders so that I face him, "of course we did this for you but the park wanted us to do this."

"I'm not upset."

He let go, "I'm sorry."

I was just being selfish. This was their job. Why do I have to judge them on whether they do something nice for me or not?

I smiled at him and climbed over the tape, with an anxious Sal behind me.

"Oh hey!" Murr says, pretending he just noticed us.

"Forget it, Murr," I said, "you saw us coming."

I stagger off in shame of myself and notice Sal raise his eyebrows at Murr in result of my harsh tone.

I was so stupid.

Shame took over. It made me uncomfortable, and the only way to show it was to cover it up with something bigger.

Anger.

"Hey," Joe smiles at me, making me feel welcome again.

"Hi."

"Q is so worried. It's amazing." He says.

"Where is he now?"

"Just going up the stairway. It's nearly 20 meters high!"

"Woah," I gawp. It was huge!

The rollercoaster was designed as a plane, with 10 seats in each 'cart'. It takes you backwards as you lift up to gain momentum to push you forward. Then, you twist and turn and loop upside down until it takes you into a black tunnel, where you don't realise is a huge drop. But it's there.

"We haven't let Q look at it," Joe said, "we just told him to watch out for the drop."

"I bet he's scared."

"There he is," Murr butted in, standing between us and pointing towards the top of the stairs. A slow walking Q panted as he is just by the top.

"We have the TV screens," Murr said, skipping towards two sets of TV monitors. Both with Q's face on it.

He was sat on the rollercoaster, swearing, sweating and panicking. This was the footage to be shown on TV.

"I'm so nervous guys," he said, "if i look over I can see 20 meters of nothing. I'm too high up!"

"Hey Q?" Joe said, "SUCK IT."

And with them words the rollercoaster suddenly pulled back, lifting him higher. "I'm so nervous," he kept sighing.

And with a click the ride stopped pulling back and let go, and he was off onto the ride.

"I can't do this," he screamed.