what's simple is true
[ chapter 21 ]

“you...are so...dead,” taylor breathed as he finally met up with sutton in the line for the swinging trees, out of breath. “you know how hard it was for me not to lose you in all of these people? what if we got lost from one another or something bad happened?” he said, and kiddingly shook her shoulders. “and i thought you were worried about me getting noticed!”

“i’m sorry,” she laughed. “it was too good of an opportunity to pass up.” they quickly followed the short line into the ride and picked out the same swings they had used before.

“you’re just like a little spark of fire,” he said and swung back and forth, waiting for the ride to begin. “i think it must have been the hurler, you probably secretly enjoyed it.”

“oh i did, taylor. lets go on it before we leave.” she shook her head and reached out her arm towards taylor as the ride slowly began.

“i bet the lines will be short.”

“the only other rides i want to go on are the merry go round and the ferris wheel. and maybe a couple of the smaller roller coasters, but that’s it. despite what you think, i’m kinda worn out.” sutton grinned as she held onto taylor’s hand and they flew through the air on the swings.

“the merry go round? the ferris wheel?!” taylor cried and jokingly smacked his forehead. “sutton, what has happened to you?”

“don’t kid yourself taylor, i know you want to go on it too. Its a classic. you have to go on the merry go round whenever you go to a county fair or amusement park, just like you have to go on the ferris wheel.”

“fine, fine,” he sighed and looked over to sutton. “you know you are really soaked.”

“despite that fact that you were the one that got drenched by the huge waterfall,” she grinned and released her hand from taylor’s as her swing parted from his, and she held her arms out and let the wind blow through her hair. taylor looked over at her and laughed, and then did the same.

when the ride ended, the two teens jumped out of their swings, and headed towards the center of the park that was filled with a couple small restaurants and dozens of food vendors. they passed by them and near the smaller, ordinary rides. as they passed the bumper cars they both immediately stopped and looked at each other.

“bumper cars?” taylor said in a huge grin.

“race you there,” sutton said, but was held back by taylor before she could run to the line.

“no, no, no, you’re not running away from me again,” he said as they weaved in and out of the roped off lines. “we’ll get in the next round,” taylor commented as they stood behind half a dozen people.

“i want that green car,” sutton said and pointed to one of the cars.

“i want the red one,” taylor grinned. “christmas colors.”

as the cars slowly came to a stop and the people vacated the floor, sutton and taylor rushed in with the people in front of them, and crawled into their respectable cars. sutton’s car was in front of taylor’s facing the wrong way; facing him. she smirked at him as they both put on their seat belts and pressed on the gas, ready for their cars to start.

“you better watch out, sutt!” taylor called. “i’m gonna run right into you when we start.”

“you better not!” sutton said, all smiles, as their cars were initiated and she tried to swerve away from taylor’s car. He unfortunately bumped right into her, pushing her body forward into her steering wheel. she quickly turned her car away from him and began driving around the course, trying to stay away from him as she laughed, looking behind her shoulder.

while trying to bump into sutton, taylor accidentally bumped into a car filled with a dad and a younger child. “sorry!” taylor called as he quickly turned sharply to the right and sped around the course to where sutton was slowly driving along.

“what’s up with your car, sutt?” taylor laughed as he moved beside her.

“shut up! i just had to get one of the slowest cars, this sucks.” she said as taylor sped past her. she stepped on the gas repeatedly and pushed it to the floor as she turned the circle and met up with taylor again, and bumped him in his back bumper.

“ah, i got you!” she grimaced and let him speed away from her.

“yeah, yeah!” taylor cried from in front of her and bumped into several more cars. sutton shook her head and laughed as their cars slowly stopped and she released her seat belt. she grabbed her camera that had fallen out of her pocket and quickly took a picture of taylor in his bumper car before he got out.

“come on, you,” she laughed as she held out her hand to help him out of his car.

twenty TWO