Keychains ✔

XV

We leaned against Hannah's car, idly breaking off bits of cotton candy to share between the three of us. The parking lot had a glittery view of the lit-up rollercoasters, rides, and glow-in-the-dark memorabilia held by people peeling out of the entrance. As night fell in Canada's Wonderland, a lurkwarm November breeze tousled our hair. Tai brushed his bangs from his eyes. Hannah rescued her wavy locks into a ponytail. I spat out my hair strands before hooking a gloved finger to tuck them beneath my jacket collar. Another raindrop appeared on my cheek, and I warily observed the overcast sky. Having the same thought, Tai held out his palm.

"The rain's stopped," he said thoughtfully, "but it'll start up again in an hour. I have my umbrella though."

"I thought you can't drive in the rain? We don't mind driving you home as long as you're safe," I told him, concerned.

"The rain isn't supposed to be that bad, and I don't mind waiting outside."

I admired his patience. "That solves the guessing-game, then. Either we're waiting for one more hour, or Danielle and the others get drenched without us." 

Hannah smiled. "I'm sure they're still at the arcade. Eddy and Ella are having the time of their lives, and Tomas seems competitive."

She leaned her head and waved. A car beeped behind me. I followed her gaze to where Vihan and his fathers were getting in their car, ready to go home. Emmanuel seemed to have patched things up with Vihan. After learning that Hannah planned to pass down ownership of her business to Emmanuel, I had wondered if that was the reason why Vihan acted on edge. I sensed a disconnect between their personal interests. The root of the matter was likely far deeper than that. Whatever it was, we were happy to explore Canada's Wonderland together. I hadn't had the chance to properly thank Vihan for finding me, or thank Emmanuel for giving me the vase of pumpkin spice potpourri that was left at my condo's doorstep. The arrangement reminded me of a three-tier cake, and I want to ask where he learned the art of potpourri. If it were any other day, would Emmanuel, who I was not necessarily close to, do something so thoughtful? But I resolved to not leave it alone. I needed to make my feelings clear, instead of avoiding them. Once I returned home, I promised myself.

Home could wait. Sharing cotton candy between myself, Tai and Hannah was equally relaxing. Actually, the entire day was spent just unwinding with friends. Like Tomas suggested, the falsely predicted rain—a lucky guess on our part; what would we have done if there were showers?—had discouraged the weekend crowd. Ella and Eddy were free to run amok without getting lost among hundreds of other park goers. We took our time riding rollercoasters, wandering the expansive park grounds, and munching on deep fried food. It wasn't all perfect. By the day's end, my butt was damp from the soaked rollercoaster seats. But was one of the most memorable days I've had, spent with people I cared about. People that cared about me.

Fortunately, it wasn't too cold for us to crawl back in our cars just yet. While we waited for the others, Hannah, Tai and I exchanged snippets of conversations—echoes of what had transpired in the park, but repeating them made the experience more real. Bafflingly, Hannah preferred the dizzying rides that spun you until your brain was reduced to scrambled eggs. Tai had a hidden talent for whack-a-mole that was slightly concerning; he didn't miss a single mole despite the ridiculous speed, and won a small Pokémon plushie at the end. My greatest achievement was riding the Leviathan with my hands in the air—though as Hannah noted, I would not have done so if it wasn't for my co-workers' dare.

Now we lapsed into silence. The adrenaline hadn't quite worn off yet. My mind buzzed with the fading excitement like summer fireflies. Sneaking a glance at Tai's shadow, I hoped he felt the same. He rocked on the balls of his feet, occasionally throwing his plushie in the air—Charmander was its name; a small fire dinosaur—before catching it. I was surprised when Tai accepted my invitation. Amusement parks tended to be boisterous. But Tai said that with the rain and reduced crowd, the sensory feedback was refreshing rather than overwhelming. Besides, he wanted to see as much of the Greater Toronto Area as he could, he'd explained to me. He was staying for a music gig. He wasn't inclined to talk more about the job itself. When I asked, he steered the topic to music theory before lapsing into pensive quiet.