Basketcase

Gone For A Ride

Chapter Seventeen

~~~~~

"From what I've just heard, Liam left?" I asked, re-entering the living space.

"He went that way," Harry pointed out, directing his finger to my room while rubbing a fist in his eye.

"Cool," I remarked, turning my attention to the boys pouting at the door step to Lou and Liam's room, "What did you guys do?" I asked. Harry got up from the couch and headed into his room.

"We infuriated him," Lou answered.

"Yup," Niall agreed, knocking his fist on the wood floor.

"What should we do now?" I asked, falling into the sofa.

"Probably go get him," Harry suggested emerging from the room he entered.

"I dunno 'bout that," I questioned, "He didn't seem like he wanted to be found."

"Well, if not him, the other two that were staying in there," he said, plopping down on the arm of the couch.

What the hell? "What?" I said, twitching my neck to him.

"There gone?" Niall concluded, lifting his glommed spirit and concerning himself to Harry.

"Yup," he answered plainly.

"Where did they go?" Lou asked.

"Well if we knew, what's the point of wondering?" Niall said matter of factly.

"Oh," Lou replied dumbfounded.

"Why don't we just search from Liam first and on the way look for the other two?" Harry suggested.

Where the fuck did they go? "Um... I don't know-" I began.

"How the hell do you propose we do that?" Niall cut in, "This place is huge!"

"Team work!" Lou insisted, "Together we’ll find them!"

"Okay..." I trailed off waiting for further instruction.

"Okay Gang," Lou began, "we need to split up."

"Groovy," Niall smiled.

"Rooby rooby roo!" Harry howled.

"Does Daphne even have a ketch phrase?" I asked joining in.

"Jeepers!" Lou laughed.

"That's lame," I trudged.

~~~~~

"That old guy is total staring at your ass," Marissa whispered as I reached up for my shoes.

"I can't reach..." I said falling back on my heel.

Marissa flickered her stare to the counter in the corner, the older man snapping his neck forward. "I always wondered why they mad these shelves are so high," she said turning her neck back. "I mean, it is easy for me," she continued lifting the pair of shoes down for me.

"Thanks," I said as she placed them near my feet. I squatted down and fell on my butt, removing the thong shoes and trying the new slipper ons.

"Fit?" she asked. I nodded, lifting myself off the ground setting in them. I slipped them off and picked them up bring them to the counter.

"How you payin'?" the man asked.

I reached in my pocket pulling out two twenty U.S. dollars before Marissa butted me to the side, "Hey," she smiled, catching a glimpse of a card before she handed it to the man; I stared at the shoes taking them off the counter. I snapped off the elastic string and price tag, stepping out of my old pair and into my new. Where'd that card come from?

A grip held on my arm and pulled my out of the store. It stopped at a bench, and Marissa opened her purse, pulling out her wallet and stuffing the plastic card back in. She looked up, "Why the stare?" she looked at her wallet, "You don't think thats mine?" she asked smiling at me in wonderment as she closed it. "Well you're right," she said, "It's Niall's," she went on sticking her tongue out through an innocent smile.

I lined my lips, parting them beginning to walk. Silly.  I was pulled back once more, "Wait," she said "Look!" she stated blindly, tugging me towards a ride entrance. My eye caught on the coaster track hanging over the guitar piece, my neck stretching back, following the trails until my bone click and struck back up. "The Rockin Roll roller coaster," Marissa read, "Several loops, spins, drops and then a concert! Yes!" she cheered clapping.

My eyes were stuck to the track twisting my head back eyeing the steel. "Come," Marissa called. I turned my head slowly finding her heading further into the steel roller coaster. As I approached her, she grabbed my wrist and began tugging me again. We ran in and out of dimly lit rooms in various colours. She slowed at the final entrance; the "Final Stage"; letting go of my hand, she navigated herself through the slope toward a younger man slouched over a control panel.

I walked down the slope joining her in the murky dim, neon lights scattered and lit rail, Areo Smith playing distantly yet fondly in the background. Marissa joined me at the slope end, poorly controlling her anxious giddy jump and clap as I reached the bottom and was dragged again over the guy.

"Hello," Marissa chirped fluffily holding my arm.

"Well hell-o" he replied, smoothly round the 'o'. His eye swept top to bottom, meeting our eyes once before he continued his search.

"Just us two," Marissa urged, fastening her hands more firmly and edging to the rides.

"Right," he replied, nodding once and Marissa carried us both to the front car. She zipped both her arms, and my one, up and as he leaned in I did my other. He fastened the bar down and Marissa set free my hand, "Keep you hands, arms, feet in the ride at all times," he huffed plainly, heaving his weight up and to the station.

"Feet?" Marissa questioned skeptically tilting her head to the worker.

"Yes feet," he sighed plainly, "now enjoy."

"Oh god..." I awed as the wave of darkness over took. I held my breath in, gnawing the skin beneath my lips, clenching the hand near.

"Ouch!" Marissa shrieked, weakly jumping in her seat. My eyes glanced weakly over to her and her expression flicked from frowning to a light smile and she squeezed my own.

The cars roughly sided left to right, flopping our head about and bonking them countless times. My eyes closed grasping her hand desperately, leaning in through the shielding bar trimming my lip.

The ride hauled violently, thrusting my entire body forward and jolting it back. I silently stripped my eyes open to the blinding raw dim, air pressure releasing and the over head safety bar. A weak tug hinted my arm and I snapped my head over, a sweet soft smile met my sights, "It over," she calmed staring direct, "you can release you clasp now," she smiled shooting a glance at our hands. I let go nodding and she jdu laughed standing in the car and lifting herself out on her side. I followed.

I clasped my throat, choking the dry air out rasply sucking air in and out and coughing. "I never heard you scream that abruptly before," she announced gentle rubbing my in smooth circles. "Maybe we should take a break?" she suggested and I bobbled my head rapidly morphing a smile on her face. "C'mon, lets get you something," she finished.

A vender stuck at every corner, a large yellow lemon catching my eye along the other sites, Marissa catching my stalking stare. "Lemonade it is then," she conclude. She led me to the nearest bench to the stall and wander off. I watched as she pulled out the plastic card from her wallet, slid it through and back into her pocket it went. She approached me we two pink cups, sloshing about in the plastic lidded glasses with mouse curled straws out the spout. Offering it to me, I slid my hand beneath and popped the top, generously gulping down the lemon drink. The two lemon slices poked at my cheeks and the ice chunks crunched in the mouth as I paused for a breath. "Alright, lets do something less vocal. shall we?"