rivals | colby brock ✔️

thirty.

"Hi El," I say, breaking the silence. 

"Hi guys," Ellie shyly says, tugging a loose strand of hair behind her ear. 

I am standing in the middle of the group, talking to the now outcast who used to be the leader.

It makes me uncomfortable. 

"What's up?" I ask with a smile, stepping closer, trying to trying to now break the ice.

"Well, you told me that you guys would be coming to the carnival on the boardwalk so I decided to not be a total loner and join my friends..." She replies in a hushed tone. 

"Cool, let's get going guys!" I cheerily say, everyone else nodding slowly. She joins our group and we walk down the boardwalk and stare at the neon lights and LED colors on the rides at the carnival section in the distance. I can overhear Ellie talking with Sam and Devyn, making small talk, and Colby and Brennen are whispering to each other and giggling like little girls. 

Then all of a sudden, Elton and Corey stop in the middle of the ongoing people traffic. 

"GUYS! THERE'S COTTON CANDY IN THE FLAVOR OF PIXIE STICKS!" Corey exclaims with Elton, jumping up and down. 

"No, Corey, I thought we were on a diet!" Devyn whines.

"Let me speak for my man," Elton says for Corey in Devyn's face, "Screw the diet."

And nobody noticed Brennen and Colby with Sam and Ellie already rushing inside and screaming like little children. 

"YA! CANDY!" Corey cries, skipping into the store.

"God, I'm not a sweet person Dev, so you're welcome. I'm more of a fatty junkie," I say, walking calmly by Devyn's side.

"Mmm, smart," She grins.

/////

After a good tasting spree of the different types of pixie sticks, we all conclude it's time to ride some rides before we all get hungrier and want to eat. 

Ellie was getting back into her groove. She was more alive than how she was just about forty minutes ago. 

We head to the carnival, running to get first in the ticket line before other random people. 

We all pitch in twenty bucks so we can try to ride all the rides, and as the mother of the group, I'm in charge of holding all the tickets. 

"So guys, what ride should we ride first?" I ask.

"Yo, that hang glider one. We'll start easy," Brennen says.

"Dude that goes upside down like twenty bazillion times," Corey points out.

"Yeah. Easy," Brennen laughs.

"Bro I'm gonna like, throw up my strawberry cotton candy pixie stick!" Corey exclaims.

"I'll hang with you man if you don't wanna ride, ya know cuz I can't ride anything but the fucking ferris wheel," Nik says, patting Corey.

"Thanks dude, 'preciate it," Corey says to Nik, dapping him.

"Nice moment guys, but let's ride this before the line gets any longer," Colby laughs, running to the ride. We follow his lead.

As we all stand, waiting, we find out that it's a two person per glider ride. 

Things got awkward. 

"Brennen, ya riding with me right?" Colby asks Brennen.

"I thought you were riding with your girlfriend..." Brennen snickers. Ellie overheard and she began to blush. Probably embarrassed because she and Colby haven't even made up yet.