Sky High

"I don't want to ride the Skyway."

"Same."

"Yeah."

"Absolutely not."

"So we're all in agreement then? Nobody is setting foot on that thing. I don't want to be puking the whole drive home later, got it?"

Everybody nods their heads in compliance with the pact.

— two hours later

"Screw it, I'm gonna do it. I'm ridin the Skyway, who's in?" Jim asks.

"Alright!" yells Mike.

"I...I will I guess," Rob replies reluctantly.

"Ryan, you in?"

I stand there in silence. The voice in my head whispers a convincing yes; but deep down the thought makes my stomach churn.

"Umm."

I contemplate the mixed feelings swirling around in my brain until finally my heart steps in to decide for me.

"No, I'm good. I'll pass, you guys go ahead," I say.

"Alright Ryan, we will tell you how fun it is!"

My friends leave me all alone on the platform. As I look onward, the giant monstrosity that is the rollercoaster towers over me. I am surprised they didn't make an attempt to intensely persuade me. I feel much better knowing they weren't trying to coax me into it. The park isn't very busy today, though. Every line thus far has been short and quick.

"Phew."

I let out a sigh of relief.

Nobody ever wants to kill the vibe of a party. I certainly am not trying to be a downer. But I hate rollercoasters. Heights scare the hell out of me.

*

The cars ascend over 300 feet to the very top. We're talking Godzilla height.

The rollercoaster drops off in a crazy free-fall nearly straight down like a right angle. The ride has begun.

One hard curve to the left and a jolting turn to the right makes the barreling contraption look like a powerful lightning bolt of speed and velocity.

It is pretty easy to tell who's having the most fun and who's on the verge of shitting their pants. Mike's head vibrates back and forth against the seat. Jim's arms are up high in the air. Rob's eyes are shut tight. Tears and snot explode off his face.

The ride reaches an epic upside-down loop which takes them back to the start of the track like an airplane landing down a runway.

The ride ends.

My friends quickly rejoin me on the platform. Their hairdos are a disaster. All of them look like they had just peed on an electric fence.

"Ryan you have to try, it's so fun! Come with us!" exclaims Jim.

And there it is. The first plea.

"It's not even that bad. The loudness is scarier than the ride. It's not a big deal once you get going," explains Mike.

Oh trust me Mike, I got a pretty damn good view from where I stood.

"Do it," Rob adds.

"How about we go on the ferris wheel? I'll be ready to ride the Skyway after, I promise," I suggest.

My friends, with their eyes rolling to the back of their heads, follow my lead.

"Okay, Ryan. But afterwards its rollercoaster time."

We all proceed towards the ferris wheel. Shame follows right behind me.

I know they won't stop until my ass is strapped into one of those seats on the Skyway. At least I can delay this a bit longer. It is getting late and closing time nears. Maybe the boring ferris wheel will drain the rest of their energy out of them.

*

"Okay Ryan, we rode the ferris wheel. Time for the rollercoaster, now." demands Jim.

Ah fuck.

"How about we—

"No! Come on. The park is closing soon, we won't get another chance."

"Everything looks massive and terrifying from where we stand right now; but trust me, its smaller when you're up there."

"The ride literally lasts for like thirty-seconds and it's over."

Their all persistent, I'll give them that. Do I really have an actual choice in the matter? It seems like there is only one option out of this. I guess I could stand pat and refuse altogether. Mind you I can't even imagine the teasing i'd receive...

Pussy!

Baby!

Want us to sing you to sleep tonight when we take you home after, too?

Goodness gracious. I'll never hear the end of it.

It might not seem as though my friends are being good friends; but they mean well. All of the jeering and teasing was in good faith. I can act the same way sometimes. Everyone within our friend group is at mercy to a bit of hazing every now and again. And it just so happens that if you tend to have a phobia or fear of something specific, like heights, spiders, mice, or gigantic rollercoasters at a theme park, well then, you can bet your ass that your itinerary for the day is marked down until whatever you're scared of is forced upon.

Come on, do it!

Do it!

Do it!

Do it!

My mind is not my friend right now.

"Alright fine! Let's go, you happy now?" I yell.

My friends sarcastically applaud.

"Yes, you're the man!" praises Jim.

"Why am I friends with you guys?'" I ask sarcastically back.

At least this will get them to shut up. Besides, it's just a rollercoaster. I'm not parachuting off the Empire State Building here.

*

The automatic harness compresses tightly against my body. A loud horn blares and the green light flashes. The mobile chain begins to pull the cars up the steep hill of the track. I am paralyzed with fear. My muscles are vibrating like the aftershock of an earthquake. The red steel bar in front of me must be cracking apart from my intense grip. Jim turns his head towards me. He is laughing uncontrollably with the biggest smile on his face.

"Ryan, we lied. This rollercoaster is absolutely terrifying. Brace yourself man because you're probably going to puke."

A fiery wrath of heat engulfs my forehead. My heart sinks to my ass. The people whom I call my "friends" have played me like a fiddle with a nasty trick. And to think I was actually gullible enough to believe that a rollercoaster that tickles the sky and goes upside down was not as scary as it sounded. Maybe I convinced myself more than they did...

The ride stops abruptly at the very top.

After a few seconds of stillness, the car wheels begin to slowly creep forward towards the gigantic drop ahead. My fate is sealed tight in this car. I might as well embrace it. There is no way out now. I lift my hands into the air with my eyes closed.

The wheels inch forward and the cars plunge straight down. My screams echo throughout the park.