Chapter 41: I’m Not Scared!
** Harper **
The Baydream, as the park was aptly named, was Davenshire's own Disneyland. Harper had been there exactly once in her life, part of a long road trip with her parents and Tyler and Eli back when she was in middle school. If she tried hard enough, she might still be able to hear echoes in the air from all the screams she'd made on those roller coasters years ago, and the shrieks of surprise when their water rides splashed into the ocean.
"You've got to be kidding me," she said for the second time as the waterfront came closer into view. "That's what you meant earlier by 'a thrill ride'? Aka. the craziest place on the entire east coast?"
Eli chuckled. "Aka. your favorite place that you couldn't stop talking about for years after going there once."
"Because I was terrified!"
"Because you loved to be terrified."
Well, he got her there.
Harper was one of those people with complicated feelings toward scary stuff. She loved horror movies, and although she wouldn't be able to sleep with lights off for days after watching one, she'd bravely get a front row at the theater whenever the next Halloween blockbuster comes out. Similarly, she loved roller coasters, and although she wouldn't be able to stop screaming for the whole duration of the ride, she'd jump right on to the next one in a heartbeat.
Complicated terror aside, a thrill ride couldn't sound more perfect for the end of a long and stressful week. The only problem though, was that the potential scene of screaming in front of Eli like a silly girl who never grew up ... felt just a little embarrassing.