Chapter Text
"In this way, you'll never be able to talk to her."
Ian says with a playful smile on his face, staring at a very embarrassed and annoyed Erin beside him as they walk to the line for the amusement park's roller coaster.
"Screw you, Ian! The pot calling the kettle black!"
But Erin knew that deep down it was true. Her fear of messing up everything made her freeze every time she was face-to-face with a beautiful/pretty girl with long brown hair named Wendy Christensen. She had known the other girl since the start of high school when they bumped into each other at the library's entrance, and with mumbled apologies and an awkward but radiant manner, Erin saw herself falling for the classmate.
This takes her to the present, where the girl was the subject for the hundredth time by Ian —honestly, Erin thinks that he only brings it up to annoy her, revenge for the time that Ian had a crush on one of the school's athletes and Erin joked about it for a long time —and to make things worse, both Wendy and her boyfriend, Jason, were also at the amusement park, having fun like the happy couple that they are.
Erin wanted to slap herself in the face. Obviously, they would be here. Wendy is the yearbook photographer and loves attending school trips as much as her boyfriend and friends.
"I'm just saying, how long are you going to get your tail between your legs because you are afraid of rejection? We're graduating in a few weeks."
"For the same reason I never confess, she would never like me like that." Erin says, tired of this conversation. They moved through the crowd next to each other so no one else could hear their conversation with all the noise. "Besides, she is with someone. I hate to say that but my chances are over. "
The duo finally reaches the line for the Devil's Flight roller coaster. The entrance, adorned with a giant devil statue, silently greets them as they enter what is, in Erin's opinion, the coolest decoration in the entire amusement park. As they settle into the busy line, Erin feels Ian pulling her for a hug, resting his head on top of hers as he continues to sip his soda. The redhead knew that it was his way of reassuring her about the matter, which ended there without needing any final words.
He understood how painful it was for the girl, he already had his share of broken hearts. That was a thing that Erin loved in him, they both understood each other without needing to use words. Despite the rumors, Ian and Erin weren't even dating, they were just best friends who understood one another better than other cliche friendships. But Erin would be lying if she said this rumour hadn't already saved both of them, it's not easy having a sexuality outside of the societal norm in the mid-2000s.
After a couple minutes —uncomfortable, in Erin and Ian's opinion, who hated the disgusting way Frankie, a former student that shouldn't even be there, harassed Ashley and Ashlyn. Erin admired their willpower to not punch the jerk —the duo finally passed through the turnstile to enter the ride's boarding line. As she hears the loud noise of the cart arriving, Erin shifts her focus to the last people exiting the ride, noticing Wendy also in the same line a little further ahead, with her boyfriend, of course.
Wendy clearly looked apprehensive, an immense contrast to Jason's euphoria, who, upon seeing his girlfriend's affliction, reassured her a bit. "It's everything okay, don't worry!" But the phrase obviously didn't work, since Wendy didn't move an inch.
Worry flooded Erin's feelings, and she couldn't help but want to comfort the brown-haired girl, to see the beautiful and radiant smile Wendy flashed to everyone who walked by her. The exact same smile that made her stomach flutter as if full of moths and butterflies.
God, she wanted to slap herself again for being so corny.
Before she could stop herself, Erin said loud enough for Wendy and Jason to hear, with a nonchalant demeanor. "A roller coaster is just elemental physics, a conversion of potential energy to kinetic energy." Both the couple and Ian looked at Erin with a confused expression on their faces, and Erin quickly turned to her friend for confirmation, which she thankfully received from Ian.
"Yeah, odds are like one in 250 million of dying in a roller coaster!"
... Ok. Maybe talking about the likelihood of death isn't exactly encouraging, but Ian was right, and Erin thanked him for the help. Unfortunately, Jason didn't seem too pleased.
"Yeah, yeah... Thanks for that, McKinley." Jason answered, clearly annoyed, putting his hands on Wendy's shoulders to guide her ahead, but Ian still had more things to talk about.
"You're more likely to die driving to an amusement park than dying at one."
Erin loves Ian, she really does, but she knows that sometimes the sour attitude and his way of saying everything that comes to mind can rub others the wrong way, so seeing Jason sighing before walking away from them with a still apprehensive Wendy was something that Erin already knew would happen. Despite that, Erin smiles sadly in Ian's direction, patting his forearm in thanks.
The line moves on, the duo moving ever further along as they unfortunately watch Frankie flirting crudely with the two friends again. Erin, already fed up with the guy, pushes him aside while he is distracted and pulls Ian by his arm so they can follow the line, proudly ignoring Frankie's protests. Erin swears she heard a hushed thanks from Ashley and Ashlyn but doesn't have the time to ask them.
The moment they handed over their entry tickets, Erin noticed Wendy a little further ahead along with Kevin— Jason's friend and Wendy's friend Carrie's boyfriend —who looked for some double seats open in the middle of the ride. Erin's concern intensifies as she watches Wendy focused on her boyfriend walking toward the front cart along with Carrie, looking increasingly distressed. She wished she could do more for the girl, but she didn't think words would do much for her.
But with that thought, Erin had an idea.
Full of determination, Erin marched towards Wendy's direction, leaving a confused Ian in tow, quickly gaining the girl's attention as they approached. "Hey Wendy, I just wanted to say that we both understand your fear about this. Knowing facts makes things less scary for us, but we forget that it doesn't always help. We're sorry we scared you more."
"Are we sorry?" Ian asks with a bewildered look on his face, something Erin quickly answers by directing a glare at her friend for a moment.
"Yes, we do!"
The interaction seems to cheer Wendy up as she gives them a little smile. "It's okay, I know you two just wanted to help." Wendy lets out a tired sigh, the smile fading as quickly as it came. "I just... Have this strange feeling that something bad is going to happen. Maybe it's just in my head, but I've never felt like this before."
Erin understood Wendy's feelings, she had her fair share of fears and anxieties just for being different from society's norm, but Erin also knew that this could also be stressful and prevent you from experiencing positive things. Perhaps it was a selfish thought, but Erin truly wanted to see Wendy happy and enjoying this last trip before graduation and before they drift apart.
Ok, maybe, just maybe, she went off on a complex tangent about her stupid feelings again, but don't blame her for not being a functional human when around the girl that makes her head over heels.
"Fear is a survival mechanism for living beings that either helps or paralyzes us. Basically a double-edged sword." Erin lets herself say after a few seconds of silence. "But all this doesn't make your fear irrational. You're much braver than you think you are, facing this dread head on." She added right after with a smile on her face.
And with that, Erin could see a genuine smile coming from Wendy, who looked gratefully at the redhead. That filled Erin with immense euphoria, her heart almost leaving her chest by the throat at the same time, and it made her utterly embarrassed.
Avoiding Wendy's eyes, Erin finally decides to ask the photographer what she wanted. "Look, I have an idea about this. I can ride with you in the back, and Ian can ride with Kevin in the front, so we can all have fun wherever we want. Of course, if you want." Wendy seems to consider the suggestion, looking past Erin's shoulders, where Kevin could be seen briefly arguing with Frankie. Erin does the same and notices that Ian has already chosen a seat as well, having left Erin alone with Wendy.
Ian and his moral support. Unbelievable.
"Are you sure? Wouldn't Ian be upset?" Wendy asks, taking Erin out of her thoughts. Erin gives Wendy a smile, making an indifferent gesture before answering, already walking in Kevin's direction to tell him about the redhead's suggestion.
"Don't worry, he definitely won't mind. Ian's a big boy now, he doesn't need to catch my hand when he's scared to death."
Wendy chuckles at the comment, making Erin even happier. Suddenly, both of them hear a familiar voice calling Wendy, making them look back.
"Wendy, I'll meet you at the end!" Jason shouts excitedly to his girlfriend, pointing at her with a smile on his face before sitting back down. Carrie could also be seen sitting by his side, looking excited.
The whole interaction made Wendy's smile disappear, the nervous look on her face coming back. Erin just sighs, choosing not to say anything and continuing to walk alongside the photographer.
As they reached Kevin, Wendy promptly pulled him away from Frankie's seat, ending their argument. Erin felt a little out of place, so she decided to go to Ian, who was already seated in one of the middle seats, and tell him the news.
"Zip, you're not gonna believe this! I had a whole conversation with Wendy and even made her laugh!"
"Oh, I knew you could do it, Pip. In the end you didn't even need me to finish your sentences for you, a huge improvement!" Ian answers with a mocking but proud expression. One of his famous expressions when he wants to intentionally annoy someone.
In protest, Erin weakly punches Ian in the arm, who laughs while raising his arms in surrender. "You're an idiot!" Erin says angrily but soon breaks into a wide smile, remembering the suggestion she made to Wendy. "And as a consequence of leaving me talking to Wendy without any moral support, you're going to have to go alongside Kevin!"
Ian loses his smile quickly, his laugh fading. "Hold on, Erin! It could be any dumb jock, but please, not Fischer!"
"I know he's a jerk, but you owe me right now because I said so." Erin responds, giving a serious look to her friend right after a tired sigh. "Just, please, don't piss him off. I won't be able to protect you from a potential black eye."
"I don't promise anything, but I'll try my best."
Both of them smile at each other, and Erin doesn't waste time and plants a small kiss on Ian's forehead. She couldn't ask for a better friend than him. "Thanks, you're the best!"
Coincidentally, just as Erin turned to go back to Wendy, she saw her with Kevin walking closer to where the pair of alt friends were. Kevin seemed less upset, while Wendy looked less scared, a smile adorning her face.
Before Ian could get up, Kevin made a gesture for the goth to sit back down. "You can stay, McKinley. I made Wendy promise we'd all sit close together, is that okay for you guys?"
Erin and Ian quickly nod, with Ian returning to sit next to Kevin. Erin turns to Wendy and offers her hand to the brunette, trying to comfort the girl, which Wendy accepts quickly, making Erin's cheeks hot with embarrassment.
God, that girl would be the death of her.
As soon as they sit down, a few employees start walking past the rides to check and activate the ride's safety locks, something that seems to make Wendy more and more stressed. Erin watches the girl test the locks before letting out a long sigh, but before the ride could even get out of place, something suddenly disturbs the peace.
"NO, DON'T PUSH THE BUTTON!! DON'T PUSH THE BUTTON!!" Wendy screams at the top of her lungs, scaring everyone around, including Erin. "LET ME OFF!! LET ME OFF!! " Wendy begged while she tried to lift the locks to force herself out, causing the girl to quickly spring into action and try to calm her down.
"Hey hey, Wendy? Look at me, it's everything okay!
And Wendy really looked at Erin, but more terrified than before. "NO, IS NOT! IT'S GONNA CRASH, IT'S GONNA CRASH!! THE HYDRAULICS WILL RUPTURE! THE TRACKS'LL COLLAPSE! PLEASE!!"
"Wendy?" Kevin could be heard between Wendy's pleas but couldn't even get the girl's attention. The employees didn't know what to do, with some making stupid comments about Wendy's sanity while the manager walked in. That made Erin angry, and she shifted her focus to both the manager and employees.
"She wants to get out, damn it! Are you deaf?! Let her get out!!" Erin shouts at the employees, who, a little intimidated, looked at the manager, not knowing what to do.
"Ugh, let them out. Just the back." The manager, a middle-aged man with thinning hair, says tired, waving his hand for one of the managers to press something at the ride's control panel. All the safety locks in the middle of the ride suddenly open, and Wendy jumps out of the ride, scared, while Erin, Kevin, and Ian follow suit.
"Whoa, whoa. Relax. Now, what's the matter? " The manager says as soon as Wendy walks away from the ride, drawing the girl's attention and wanting some answers for the panicked behavior. Erin adopts a defensive stance next to Wendy, with Ian and Kevin doing the same. Erin knew the two saw the disrespect and lack of empathy the middle-aged man had for Wendy's panic.
"I-I saw it! I saw it in my head.." Wendy paused while sobbing before continuing. "The tracks collapsed, the roller coaster crashed.."
"No, she was just a little upset before." Kevin intrudes, making Erin turn her attention to the photographer again.
"Come on, Wendy, let's-" Erin's phrase gets interrupted by Lewis Romero, one of the popular school athlete with an ego bigger than himself, shouting.
"Man, please, can you please control that bitch? Damn.. It's gonna crash! The hydraulics, the coaster!" Lewis says harshly, waving his arms in the air while doing a mock impression of Wendy. "Man, she's just trying to get some fucking attention!"
Wendy cowers in response, making Erin blind with rage. Kevin, for his part, was already furious and marched in Lewis' direction after passing by two girls exiting the attraction.
"You know what? You're a real piece of shit, Lewis!" Kevin responds angrily, placing a finger on Lewis' chest and pushing him. "Fuck you!"
"No, man, fuck you! Don't touch me!" Lewis retaliates with the same anger, grabbing his wrist, causing Kevin to react and slap Lewis in the hand. This starts a fight between the two athletes, prompting the manager to intervene.
The shouting and cursing caused by the fight makes Wendy visibly anxious, with the redhead feeling the girl trembling and sobbing beside her. Erin felt bad for the photographer, who looked like she was on edge during all the chaos. "Come on Wendy, let's get out of here so you can get some air."
"I can't! They need to stop the ride, everyone needs to get out of here!" The sheer panic in Wendy's voice left Erin even more worried, even if she was skeptical about Wendy's "premonition" and thought it was just a panic-induced invention of her head. Erin turned her gaze to the other employees, who seemed to be preoccupied with nothing more than just laughing and enjoying the fight.
"Hey! You guys ain't gonna do shit about thi-" Erin had her complaint cut short by Kevin being pushed on top of Erin, which made both of them fall to the ground.
This day could not get any worse.
"You son of a bitch!" Erin could hear Ian screaming, charging at Lewis along with Kevin— who got up quickly without helping her, but what to expect from athletes, am I right? —to defend Erin. The fight just started to escalate, this day really couldn't get any worse.
"Erin! Are you okay?!" Wendy fortunately came to Erin's rescue, helping the girl to get up with concern written all over her face. Erin simply nodded but regretted it immediately as she felt suddenly dizzy.
Finally, the manager manages to separate the, now three, boys from the fight and was pushing all of them towards the exit of the attraction, shouting that everyone involved is being kicked off the ride. The crowd waiting in the line and the rest of the passengers cheered at the decision, something Erin couldn't really blame them for.
"Wait! Sir, please hear me! You have to-" Wendy begged as she walked towards the angry manager, dragging Erin along by the hand, but unfortunately she is shut down by the man, who started pushing the girls out of the attraction as well. "No! Wait!- Jason! Please, you have to listen to me!"
"You can start the ride!" The manager ignored Wendy and ordered the employee next to the control panel to start the ride, which made all of the passengers cheer louder despite the photographer's protests.
"Hey! Wait a minute, let me out! I want to see my girlfriend!" Erin heard Jason's angry pleas in the distance—which were drowned by the applauses and screams of the crowd—before exiting the attraction. With no other option, Erin opted for a sideways hug, making the manager release the photographer's wrist, which was already red beneath her jacket sleeve.
Wendy gives up begging and just rests her head on Erin's shoulder as they walk out of the attraction, whimpers and shaky sighs filling the silence between them.
Erin just wanted this night to end.
Outside, Lewis gives Kevin and Ian another insult before walking away, leaving the four alone with the manager. Wendy tries one last time to plead for the man to stop the ride, who just sighs tiredly.
"Please, listen to me! The ride is going to fall!! My boyfriend is still there!!"
"There's nothing wrong with the roller coaster, now can you kids, please, go-"
All of a sudden, a loud metallic screech makes everyone look at the ride. Erin hears Wendy's desperate scream, being drowned by the other screams coming from the cart that went off the rollercoaster's tracks and plummeted to the ground, making all the passengers reach their final destination in a grave of metal and rubble.
This couldn't be real, could it? It should be just a coincidence.
Erin didn't know what to think as the screams of adults and teenagers echoed through the amusement park, falling on deaf ears as she shifted her focus from the ride's tracks to Wendy, who was shaking and crying at the chaos in front of her.