Chapter 11: Tilt-A-Whirl Chaos
Sunday – 9:07 a.m.
Lana was the first to arrive, armed with snacks, sunglasses, and an attitude.
Aiden pulled up with Ethan, blasting music loud enough to shake the windows.
Noah showed up reading the park map like it was a college prep test.
And Aria? Quietly slipped in with a water bottle and camera.
"Okay," Lana clapped. "Game plan: ride everything, eat everything, and scream at everything."
"I second the screaming part," Ethan grinned.
---
Ride 1 – The Drop Tower
"I hate heights," Aiden muttered.
"You're literally 6'2," Lana snapped.
"You don't drop from 300 feet when you stand up!"
The ride shot into the sky. Aiden's scream echoed across the park like a dramatic movie death. Lana laughed until she had tears in her eyes.
When they got off, Aria was still giggling.
"You good?" she asked.
"I'm emotionally scarred," Aiden replied.
She handed him a slushie. "You'll survive."
---
Ride 4 – The Tunnel of Mystery
It was a calm boat ride through an indoor dark maze. Couples were mostly on it.
Somehow… Aria and Aiden ended up sharing a boat.
"I swear this wasn't planned," he mumbled.
She looked at him. "You're acting like I mind."
He blinked.
She smiled.
Somewhere between a fake ghost popping out and fake fog filling the air, his hand brushed hers. She didn't move it.
The boat floated on.
---
Ethan and Lana's Chaos
Meanwhile, Lana dared Ethan to sing in front of a churro stand.
He pulled out his phone, cued up an instrumental, and started performing his latest song in front of strangers.
People actually clapped.
Lana laughed so hard, she dropped her soda.
"You're insane," she told him.
"You dared me."
"And you did it without hesitation?"
"I'm a performer," he said with a wink.
Noah recorded the whole thing while pretending not to smile.
---
Evening – Fireworks and Fries
They sat in a circle on the grass, sharing fries and cotton candy.
"I give this day a 9.5," Ethan said.
"What's the missing half?" Noah asked.
"No one got dunked in a water ride."
Aiden turned. "You wanna go back?"
"Tempting," Ethan grinned.
Lana leaned on Noah's shoulder casually, and he didn't move.
Aiden looked over at Aria, who was watching the fireworks.
He nudged her.
She turned to him.
"Best day?" he asked.
She nodded. "Almost."
"What's missing?"
She smiled softly.
He didn't ask again. He just sat closer.