STORM

-sixteen-

As it turned out, Storm was a lot braver than Gabriella. Though she could handle most roller coasters, the ones with loops scared her to death. Maybe it was her fear that it would stop halfway through the loop that kept her from going on one. In her eighteen years of life, Gabriella had never once stepped foot on a roller coaster with loops.

Storm seemed to want to change that.

"No way," Gabriella protested when Storm led her to a terrifying-looking roller coaster. "I am not riding that."

"C'mon, why not?"

She gestured incredulously to the roller coaster, giving Storm an 'are you dumb?' look. Just the idea of getting on that thing had her shuddering.

"How can you even be asking me that? Look at the fucking size of it!"

"That's the fun of it."

"You have a warped sense of fun."

"No, you're just boring."

Gabriella gasped in mock-offense, placing a heartfelt hand on her chest. "I am not!"

"Prove it, then."

Narrowing her eyes at her, Gabriella glanced back and forth between the roller coaster and Storm. She knew this was a tactic to get her to want to prove she wasn't boring and hence ride the roller coaster, but Gabriella was not having it.

She shook her head. "No, I'm not stepping on that just to prove a point. Na-ah, there is no way I'll ever ride that. I'm not doing it." Gabriella shook her finger to emphasize her point.

"Mhm, okay. I can be very convincing."

"Pigs will fly before I do."

***

Ten minutes later, Gabriella was on the roller coaster, cursing Storm out. No one had convinced her to ride a roller coaster like that before, which proved just how convincing Storm really was. She regretted succumbing to her ways the moment she sat down.

"If I die, I will haunt you."

"You won't. By the end of this, you'll be thanking me for making you go on it and want to ride it again and again."

"Don't hold your breath."

"Well, I did already make pigs fly, didn't I? So I'm sure nothing is impossible."

"Oh, fuck off. I hate you right now."

"You could never."

"I guess we'll s-"

As the roller coaster started moving, she abruptly shut up and gripped Storm's hand in fear. In turn, Storm grinned widely. She made a mental note to personally murder her when this was done.

When it was nearing the top and they were soon to plunge to their deaths, Gabriella squeezed Storm's hand even tighter. Apparently a bit too hard because Storm hissed at her to loosen her grip. However, Gabriella was too focused on the roller coaster to pay any notice to her.

It dropped and Gabriella screamed at the top of her lungs. The sound mingled with everyone else's screams and the wind, drowning it out. Next to her, Storm didn't seem bothered at all, not looking the slightest afraid. As much as the drop was scary enough, the loop almost made Gabriella piss her pants right then and there.

However, as her brain processed that she would probably be fine, Gabriella found herself almost enjoying the rest of the ride. When it was done, she was somehow quite sad it was.