Chapter 69: Chapter 69

The next morning Grace woke me up at 7 and told me that we are going to an Amusement park along with all the hostellers and warden and we must be in front of the hostel office at 7:40 with extra clothes and stuff. I was beyond surprised.

Grace explained that our Warden Mr Garvey joined them at the auditorium yesterday after I left and played games with them. Then some guys put forward to him the idea of going for a picnic from hostel. Surprisingly Mr Garvey asked them whether they want to go to the amusement park today. Everyone was surprised and loudly shouted ' Yes'.

So we 72 people who are currently in the hostel are going to the Amusement Park in a tour bus. And we don't need to spend a single penny from our hands. The expenditure for this will be taken from the school Hostel Fund.

Grace said, I was sleeping when she came back at dorm, yesterday night and I looked so tired that she didn't feel like waking me up. I only remember falling on the bed and breaking out into tears. Maybe I fell asleep soon.

Honestly saying, I was not in a mood to go to an Amusement Park. But which fool will kick away such a free tour opportunity? And what excuse could I possibly tell Grace ? She was already asking, why I suddenly ran out of the auditorium.

So I quickly got ready and packed an extra pair of clothes into my school bag. Then we skipped down the steps along with a few other excited dorm mates.

There was a big enthusiastic crowd in front of the hostel office. Miss Ross was taking down the names of the students in a paper. She too was accompanying us.

I saw Ethan and Gavin cheerfully chatting away with a few other guys. Ethan's bandage had disappeared from his head and his chestnut brown locks looked nice and soft, as he probably washed his hair with shampoo.

Gabriel and her team was standing a little away from them and she was stealing glances at Ethan. I was sure from then itself that I was gonna feel miserable the whole day and probably at night I'll end up crying, just like yesterday.

Not before long, everyone had arrived and Miss Ross had made the list. Then the mess bell rang indicating breakfast was ready. On weekends, food is only served in Dorm A's mess hall. So we all hurried over to there and quickly had our breakfast.

At about 8:30, after one final checking and making sure everyone was there, we walked to the big blue tour bus that was parked outside the hostel gates.

Gavin, Grace and I sat together in a seat towards the middle of the bus. Ethan sat along with a football guy on the seat just opposite to me. We both were in the seats near the aisle, so there was only that gap between us.

And then Gabriel and her two friends stepped into the bus and sat down on the seat just in front of me, Gabriel near the aisle.

During the whole one and half hour ride to the amusement Park, Gabriel was turning around and chatting with Ethan, offering him snacks and juice. I felt really angry and at one point felt the urge to yank the juice from Ethan and spill it over Gabriel. But I only knocked down a chips packet from her hands while she was about to offer it to Ethan. That time Ethan glared at me and I quickly turned my face after muttering a ' Sorry'. He probably might have understood I did it on purpose.

Once we reached the amusement Park, Mr Garvey gave us all arm bands and told us to go and enjoy any ride we want but come back in front of the Ferris wheel at 1 PM for lunch. Everyone agreed and scattered away in small small teams. Ethan was with us along with Gabriel and her two friends.

" Let's first ride that ! ", Gavin squealed Pointing at a ride. It was followed by loud gasps from Gabriel and her friends. I looked to where Gavin was pointing his finger and instantly my eyes went wide on seeing what it was. It was the freaking Tornado and it looked like death.

" Woah ! It's gonna be so thrilling. ", Grace squealed excitedly.

" Oh hell no ! ", Gabriel said shaking her head. " I'm not riding it."

" Oh..c'mon, it's not that scary. It's fun.", Ethan told her.

" I'm also n..not riding it.", I said.

" Don't tell me you are afraid, Nate.", Grace said, turning to me.

" Yeah..I'm s..scared.", I confessed. " I'm not riding that death ride.", I said sternly.

Gabriel and her friends agreed to ride it with a little coaxing from Ethan and Gavin. But I couldn't be persuaded neither by Gavin nor Grace. I had already made my decision and I wasn't changing it. Cause I knew that ride would only get me killed.

" So Nate, you aren't riding it ?", Gavin asked one last time.

" No.", I said. " I'll wait for you guys at the b..bottom."

" Then why did you actually come here ?", Ethan turned and asked me, irritably. He actually spoke to me without my initiation for the first time after a week. But it was to say a cold sentence. How gentle he was to me in the past ? And how gentle he was while coaxing Gabriel to ride the same ride ? Why is he behaving like this to me. What did I do ?

" C'mon..just ride it Michael. It'll be fun.", Ethan then said looking into my eyes. My heart fluttered at his now gentle tone. And he just called me Michael ! I kept on looking at him, wanting him to say more of such nice words.

" I'm scared I'll get a p..panic attack or pass out on it.", I said as he didn't say anything more.

" You'll be just alright. You can sit near me if you want.", he offered.

Should I miss this chance to sit with him ? But I'm really scared. I don't know what will happen to me if I ride this thing.

Yeah..let's ride it. It's okay if I die. I just want to sit near Ethan for once.

" Okay..I'll r..ride it.", I nodded. Taking the chance, Grace immediately grabbed my hands and started dragging me towards the death trap. " I'm riding it only if Ethan s..sit beside me.", I told her.

" Why do you want to sit with him ? What happens if you sit with me or Gavin ?", she asked.

" There's chance I g..get a panic attack. Only he knows to calm me.", I told her lowly.

She then looked a bit worried. "Nate, if you think you can't do this, you don't need to ride it for us."

" No..I'm doing it.", I said and tilted my face to look at Ethan. He was actually looking at me but quickly turned his face away and started talking with Gabriel who was walking beside him.

We soon reached the monster ride and surprisingly enough, there was no line. Cause who with a sane mind would want to ride this death contraption ?

Anyway soon I was sitting in the front part of the giant cart with Ethan beside me and Gabriel on his left side.

Ethan pulled down the large steel bar in front of us and told us both to buckle the seat belts whilst buckling his own. Gabriel was facing problem fastening it or I guess she pretended like she couldn't strap it, wanting Ethan to help her. And Ethan of course turned and helped her, safely strapping the two belts on the waist and chest.

" You aren't a bit afraid, Ethan ?", Gabriel asked him once he finished securing her. belts.

" Not actually. Cause two Angels are sitting on my right and left.", he chuckled.

" But you'll have to make sure the angels are still on earth after this ride.", She said. Ethan started laughing at that.

No wonder why Ethan liked this girl. She is not only beautiful but also smart and witty. I can never compete with her.

Ethan then turned to me and glanced at my two belts, probably making sure I fastened it in the right way. " Don't need to panic. This is a very safe ride, okay ?", he told me. I nodded my head. But I don't honestly think this is a very safe ride, seeing the curved rails in front of us and considering this big steel bar and this suffocating belts we are wearing. My heart is already beating twice the rate than normal.

Soon the man who was operating the buttons came around and checked our bars and belts, making sure we are all safely buckled in. When he confirmed we are, he closed the gate and suddenly a red light lit on the front part of the cart. Then there's a voice.

. " Welcome to Tornado. Your ride will be five minutes duration. Do not unbuckle your seat belts or unclasp your bars during the duration of the ride. Please keep your hands and feet inside the cart. It can be fatal if you don't. Thanks for riding."

My heart started thudding uncontrollably after hearing it. I bit on my lip, praying for my dear life. I need to somehow survive this ride, at least for my parents.

Ethan then held my hand and my heart skipped a beat as he intertwined our fingers. He is holding my hands after a long time. I couldn't help but smile at him. There was suddenly a glow in his eyes and his lips threatened to curl upward. But he quickly looked away brushing his other hand through his hair. The tip of his ear was a little red.

I think he still likes me.

Suddenly the cart jerked. Then the earlier voice came on. " Your ride will start in 3..., 2.., 1..."

Soon our cart was dashing forward through the rails and I made my grip tight on Ethan's hands and the steel bar in front of me. Fear raised from the pit of my stomach on seeing the cart was going up a really steepy hill and then it will have to go down. Within moments it was flying down the hill and all the people including Ethan was screaming. I couldn't scream or utter a syllable. I closed my eyes and leaned against Ethan's shoulder, making my grip more and more tight. Soon the cart was going straight and I opened my eyes, feeling a bit relieved.

But then I could hear the railing scrap and like spark, making me think it will break or something. But then it didn't and it again shot up a more sharp incline, climbing up slowly and then sudden fall ! I screamed out this time. Gabriel was screaming like crazy at the top of her lungs asking to stop the cart.

If it wasn't all that bad, the cart suddenly turned upside down and the thing started spinning like crazy, while we were all hanging down. I thought I was going to die. But then I didn't die and the cart turned us back up and it pretty much went up and down a bunch of hills. But it wasn't actually that horrific until it suddenly shot straight through a long winding tunnel like thing which was completely dark. Panic stroked me at it's maximum.

" Nate, you are alright, right ?", Ethan shouted.

I couldn't speak. My heart beat was increasing uncontrollably. " Michael, speak..! Are you alright ?", Ethan screamed, his voice revealed panic.

" Y..yeah..", I managed to speak out. Ethan then untangled our fingers and I screamed. But he then threw his arm around my shoulder and pulled me close to him. I closed my eyes and breathed huskily against his chest. " This will be over soon. Don't panic.", he murmured in my ear. I nodded against his chest.

Very soon the cart came to a still and I opened my eyes to see myself clutching Ethan with my both arms. And we had reached back at the place we started our ride from. " Hey ! It's over. ", Ethan said shaking me. But I wasn't ready to leave him. He was warm and smelled nice. I wanted to stay like that, hugging him as long as possible.

" Hey ! C'mon..it's over.", It was Gabriel's voice. She was now standing in front of us after unstrapping her seat belt and the steel bar.

I finally pulled away from Ethan, wiping the tear stains from my cheeks. Gabriel laughed at me while Ethan was unbuckling my seat belts. " You got scared at the mildest part of the ride." , she said.

Ethan then looked up at me and smiled. My heart again fluttered. " Did you get really scared ?", he asked. I shook my head, smiling at him.

" Wasn't that kind of fun ?", he asked keeping his beautiful grin.

" Uhm...yeah..", I nodded. He laughed at me and cupped my face, wiping the area under my eyes with his thumb, causing butterflies to erupt in my tummy. I was so freaking surprised at his sudden change of behaviour. I then found Gabriel frowning at us.

" Ethan ! "

It was Gavin. Ethan quickly withdrew his hands from cupping my face and a shocked expression took over his features as he looked at Gavin and Grace who were now standing beside Gabriel. He then hastily got up and hurried out of the cart in a slight freak out mode.