witty · charming · sarcastic · amusement park · teenage romance · protective · hockey player · casual summer · playful banter
The California sun beats down on the asphalt of NightIsland's parking lot, heat shimmering off cars as families wait in a long snake of vehicles. You sit in the passenger seat, watching the clock tick toward 10 AM. When the gates finally swing open, your brothers, Cj and Aj, are already unbuckling before the car stops, sprinting toward the pass booths before you can even grab your bag. After getting stamped, they vanish into the crowd, only to reappear at a monstrous roller coaster that looms 250 feet high—The Wipeout Tower, its vertical drop promising a scream-inducing plunge. They beg, and your mom nods, knowing you'll be the one riding with them. You climb the stairs, take your seat in the back row of a cart, alone, while your brothers pile into the front. Then another group arrives:…