The Road Trip

Chapter 13 - Six Flags Over Drama

Chapter 13

Six Flags Over Drama

I wanted our first stop to be something special. Something fancy and extravagant, something we had never done before. But, me being the pushover that I was, had given in to the boys’ pleading. Our first stop was in Arlington, Six Flags Over Texas.

Sure, we had all been there before. Yeah, we probably should've headed straight to Oklahoma and not driven the extra twenty minutes out of the way to a theme park. But, because we all loved roller coasters, we decided Six Flags was a great place to start.

Holden wanted to drive, so we stuck Trent and Luke in the back seat. I sat up front, holding my boyfriend’s hand and doing my best to ignore the set of eyes that were burning holes into the back of my skull.

I couldn't help the smile that spread across my face as we drove down the highway. My parents had actually let us go by ourselves. I was going to Hawaii with my friends, without my parents; it was almost unbelievable.

"So, you're going on this big road trip," Trent said, watching me closely. "And you decide to go to Six Flags? Somewhere we went once a month as kids?" Turning, I rose an eyebrow at him suspiciously.

"Yeah, we haven't been together in ages. If we all have to go on this trip, then we might as well do something I know we all enjoy." I sighed. Trent was just trying to get under my skin, and I refused to give him the satisfaction.

Luke rolled his eyes, glancing at Trent. 'He's just upset because the doctors told him not to do anything that jolts his head around too much. In other words, he can't ride the roller coasters.'

Gasping, "Trent, I'm so sorry! I didn't know!" I exclaimed, quickly reaching for my phone. "Here, I'll find something we can all do so-"

"No," Trent cut me off with a smirk. "Screw the doctors, I'm riding the Titan." My gut twisted. Something told me that wasn't a good idea.

"But Trent, you-"

"I'm riding it." He sang.

"But-"

"No."

"But-"

"No."

"But, Trent I-"

“Addison,” He said calmly, folding his hands in his lap. “I’m riding it, and there’s nothing you can do about it.” My stomach was churning nervously as I stared at Trent, our gazes locked. He couldn’t ride the roller coasters, not if he wanted his head to get better. I should have known better than to agree to something like this.

“Trent, you can’t. You might have to go back to the hospital if-”

"Oh, for God's sake!" Holden yelled, making me jump. Up until that point he had been surprisingly quiet. "Let him ride the damn roller coasters, who cares if he makes his head worse?!" Heart pounding, I sat back in my seat with a frown. Even Luke and Trent looked a bit startled. Holden was out of line, that was for sure.

He had been giving me the silent treatment the whole car ride, and we only had a few minutes left. I had been ignoring him because he wasn't talking to me, but all that really got me was a ball of anger building up inside of me. Who cared if Trent made his head worse? I did! I was the reason it was hurt in the first place, and I felt like crap because of it.

Silently, Holden paid for the parking and parked the car. It was pretty empty for some unknown reason, for which I was grateful. Fewer people meant fewer lines. Usually, this place was packed. We parked on the Tweedy Bird row and started walking towards the front gates, Holden still scowling.

“Look Holden, I-”

“Don’t say anything, Addison,” He grunted, hands clenched. Trent gave me a curious look, to which I flipped him off. I gritted my teeth and walked a little faster so that I wouldn’t have to be standing next to my jack-ass boyfriend.

At the gate, I put my cell phone in the little bucket and stepped through the metal detectors. Nothing happened and they handed me back my phone. Holden was right behind me, giving the poor Six Flags worker crap about his metal belt. He glanced at me and didn't even smile; if anything, he still looked pissed off.

And suddenly, I snapped. My face turned red with anger as I stalked off into the crowd. That was enough, I had had it. He was being a jerk for no apparent reason, and if I spent the day with him, I knew I would say something I would regret. I just needed some time to cool off and would find him again later.

"Where are you going?" I jumped about a mile in the air, turning to see Trent smirking at me. He continued to follow me, dodging people left and right to keep up with my quick pace.

"To have some alone time," I said, glancing over my shoulder. Holden was looking around frantically, but he hadn't spotted me. If I was lucky, he wouldn't find me until later. I started walking away, pushing passed a fat lady that smelled like cotton candy.

"Okay, where are we going first?" Trent asked, throwing his arm around my shoulder casually. I slumped under the weight but didn't shrug it off. Voluntary physical contact between us was weird, even if it was just a friendly gesture. It felt unnatural.

"Don't care," I muttered. I would've told him to go away, but I didn't have the energy. My dance competition had worn me out and the hot, Texas sun was already taking a toll on me. For a second, I felt guilty for leaving Luke alone with Holden, and he would yell at me later for it, but I really needed some alone time. I couldn’t feel guilty. I refused to.

We kept walking through the masses of people, Trent never moving his arm from around my shoulder. After a while, it started to feel natural and I was comfortable in his embrace. He was so much like my brother that it didn't seem too out of place. For people looking from the outside, he probably looked like my boyfriend, but just so long as I knew the truth, I told myself that I could deal with it.

"Let's ride that!" Trent exclaimed, pointing to the La Vibora. I c****d my head at it, trying to remember how intense it was. It was fast but pretty smooth, so it would be okay for Trent's head.

"Sure," I replied with a smile. The line stopped at the ‘10 minutes to ride' sign, so we stopped behind two emo teenagers who were making out. Suddenly, my phone started ringing. I reached into the pocket of my American Eagle shorts and Holden's name flashed across the screen.

"Why didn't you answer?" Trent asked as I ignored the call. I shrugged, scowling and switching my phone off. When I was ready, I would call Holden, but he needed to take a chill pill. He was the one who was giving me the cold shoulder.

"You might want to turn your phone off, too," I suggested with a sigh. "They're going to call you in a minute."

"Smart," He remarked, finally pulling his arm off of my shoulders so he would do what I asked. We were closer in line now, maybe only five people in front of us. "You better not scream like a girl, because I hate that." Trent joked.

"I'm not scared," I shoved him, attempting not to smile. Even if I wasn’t in the mood for playing around, I couldn’t help but laugh at my Six Flags memories.

When we were little, I had been terrified of roller coasters. I used to scream at the top of my lungs the whole ride, no matter how long it was. One time, I had even managed to make bloody fingernail marks on the back of Trent’s hand from clinging to him so tightly.

He rolled his eyes, ruffling my hair. He knew I hated that, and he knew I was in a bad mood, but he decided to annoy me anyway. I was about to tell him off when I heard someone groan loudly.

"Are you lovebirds going to get on or not? You're next." I opened my mouth to respond, fighting a blush, when Trent wrapped his arm around my waist.

"Sure thing," He said, pushing me forward so I got into roller coaster car.

"What the heck," I hissed at him, narrowing my eyes. He just shrugged. I was about to yell at him for basically calling me his girlfriend when the ride took off, sending us down the track. We rushed forward, jostling around slightly as we dove around every turn. The people in front of us had their hands up, screaming, but I just leaned back against Trent’s chest and waited for it to be over.

We reached the bottom way too soon and were forced to get out of the cart so other people could ride. With a pout, I walked down the ramp that lead to the street.

"What now?" I asked, just as my stomach growled. Loudly, I might add. Trent chuckled, rolling his eyes.

"Well, we're getting food," He said simply, grabbing my hand and dragging me. I felt myself blush because he was actually holding my hand, and he wasn’t letting go. I should’ve ripped my hand from his because only my boyfriend should hold my hand, but I was pissed off at Holden, so I couldn’t have cared less.

"Where are we going to eat?" I asked, struggling to keep up with his fast gate. He was practically dragging me through crowds of people. Suddenly, Trent stopped and looked at me like I was sick.

"Johnny Rockets, where else?" He laughed, and I smiled. Johnny Rockets was where we would always eat when we came here as kids. Not because they had the best food, but because Chris used had a crush on a worker there when he was thirteen. He had forced us into the restaurant multiple times each trip just so he could talk to her.

I snapped out of my daze as we walked into the crowded restaurant, getting hit by a blast of cold air. Trent didn't let go of my hand once we were in the long line, which puzzled me. If Holden walked in and saw us, he would throw a fit. I hoped Luke was smart enough to keep him away from good ol’ Johnny's.

I ordered my usual; a hamburger with a Dr. Pepper. Trent got chicken strips, and we would share them. That's what we had done as kids, so I guess some things never changed. We hadn’t even asked the other about it, we had both just assumed we were going to share.

When we finally found a table and sat down, the first thing Trent did was grab my hamburger and take a huge bite. I gaped at him as he laughed at my face.

"Trent," I whined, frowning at my burger. There was a huge chunk missing now.

"What?" He asked innocently, mouth full of my hamburger. "We always share." I scowled at him as he continued to laugh through the burger that was still in his mouth. Just because I had planned to share with him did not mean I wanted him to have the first bite.

Smirking, I grabbed a chicken strip, took a huge bite, and then licked the rest of it for good measure. His jaw dropped as he stared down at his food.

"Payback’s a b***h," I laughed, tossing the saliva-coated chicken strip back in the basket. Trent, being the stubborn, pig-headed person that he was, shrugged and stuffed the chicken strip I had licked into his mouth. I gaped at him, surprised. "You know I really did lick that, right?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Yes," He said, "And you know that we just swapped spit, right?" I choked on my burger, almost spitting it all out. Leave it to Trent to make something sound gross. "We might as well have just made out."

"Ew, Trent," I groaned, covering my face with my hands. "I still have a boyfriend, even if I'm ignoring him right now." I sipped on my Dr. Pepper, trying not to think about what he had said. Bad mental images!

"Yeah, what's up with that, anyway? Why did you ditch him?" He asked with a confused face. Well great, I didn't really want to talk about it. Mainly because I wasn't really sure.

I shrugged. "I guess because he made it sound like we shouldn't care about your head and he was acting like a dick." Whoa, did those words really come from my mouth? I was a bit shocked with myself, honestly.

"Aw," He cooed, leaning over to pinch my cheeks. I ducked out of the way before he could touch me. "Is little Addie saying she cares about me?" He smiled, trying not to laugh. He was failing though because his shoulders were shaking.

"Shut up," I muttered, bending my head down to hide my blushing cheeks.

“Is shut up the only comeback you can think of?” Trent teased, grabbing my burger to take another bite. This time, I didn’t protest but instead grabbed another chicken strip.

“No, there’s also the ever popular, your mom,” I said sarcastically. Trent shook his head, smiling at me. It was a genuine smile; one I hadn’t seen in a long time.

“I had forgotten how much I like being around you, Adds,” He muttered, looking at the table. I don’t think I was meant to hear it, but I did, and my stomach dropped.

“What?” I asked, not expecting him to repeat it. Sure enough, he just shook his head and stood up, grabbing my trash along with his own.

“Come on, let’s go ride some more roller coasters,” He said enthusiastically, turning his back on me. I tried to forget about what he had said, but my mind was reeling. I had forgotten how much I like being around you, Adds.

For the next few hours we went around, riding every ride I deemed suitable for Trent's head. That wasn’t very many, which meant we rode a lot of the rides over and over again, but that was okay. We were having a great time, and I was even able to forget about what Trent had said at lunch. Before I knew it, the sun was starting to set, and it was time to head out.

Even though the park was open until ten, we had to leave early. Our hotel was across the border in Oklahoma, so we still had a few hours to drive. I was starting to regret my decision of not calling Holden all day. I was surprised he hadn’t called the police, and I knew he was going to yell at me the first chance he got.

I was about to reach for my phone when Trent grabbed my arm and yanked me to the side. I stumbled into him so hard he almost fell over, and only caught himself because he gripped onto a lamppost. He laughed at me, placing his hands on my waist to pull me back up from my half sitting, half falling position.

"You're clumsy, you know that?" He asked, raising an eyebrow. I felt my cheeks flare red, so I ducked my head and mumbled a 'shut up.'

God, I really did need to think of another comeback.

"Here, watch," He said simply as he handed a guy a five-dollar bill. The guy behind the booth handed Trent three little darts and told him that if he popped three balloons, he could have any prize at the booth. I smirked; no way would be able to do it. Trent Daniels wasn't known for having the best aim.

"Five bucks you only hit one, tops," I laughed, leaning against the counter. Trent rolled his eyes and threw the first dart, which popped open a purple balloon. Lucky shot, or so I thought. He gave me a cocky grin before throwing the next two darts, one after the other. One popped a blue balloon and the other popped a green. He actually popped three. My mouth fell open in shock as I shook my head.

"The black and green teddy bear, please," Trent said, pointing to the cutest little bear I had ever seen. It was black with green paws and huge, round green eyes. The guy handed it to him, and I started to walk away, my arms crossed. Now I owed Trent five dollars, and he wouldn't forget. He wasn't that kind of guy. "Hey, Adds!"

"What?" I sighed, turning back around to face him. He smirked at me, thrusting the teddy bear into my hands. I blinked at it, confused.

"I won it for you," He explained, chuckling at my confused face. "And keep your five bucks, your shocked face was worth it." Slowly, I looked up at him. Yeah right, this was Trent, he didn't do things without prices. At least not for me.

"What's it cost?" I asked, c*****g my head. It was a tough decision. On one hand, the bear was really cute, and I already loved it. On the other, Trent would have something up his sleeve. I wasn't that stupid. He took a step back, placing a hand over his heart.

"I'm offended!" He exclaimed, but he was smirking like usual. "Me, Trent Daniels, ask for something after winning a pretty girl a teddy bear?"

"Yeah, what do you want?" I could hear him chuckle, but I stared intently at the bear in my hands. It was so cute, although I think I've said that a few times before.

He walked to where he was basically touching my whole body and whispered, "A kiss." Shock coursed through me and I jumped back, eyes widening in panic. No way I heard him right. No way, not Trent! He hated me. Besides, I had a boyfriend. But when I saw the look on his face, I knew he was serious. He was just doing this to mess with me. "A peck on the cheek, Adds, that’s all." I wasn’t that desperate for the bear, but I didn’t want to give Trent the satisfaction of beating me, either. Suddenly, I had an idea.

"Fine," I huffed, taking a step closer. I reached up on my toes, inching closer to his cheek. The second before my lips touched his skin, I jumped back and sprinted away. People were everywhere, it was hard to dodge them, but luckily, I managed not to knock anyone over.

"Addie!" Trent yelled. I laughed. I was pretty sure he was chasing after me, and he would catch me any second, but I kept running. I ran beside the Aqua Man ride and glanced at it. I was almost positive I saw Holden standing by the gate, arms crossed and looking furious. My heart froze.

Suddenly, two arms wrapped around my waist. I squealed, jumping about a mile in the air. Trent twisted me around so that I faced him, one hand was wrapped around my waist and the other was pressed firmly on my upper back. I glanced at where I thought I had seen Holden, but there was no one there.

"That wasn't a good idea," He clicked his tongue. I could feel his heart beating in his chest from how tight he was holding me to him. I glared at his blue eyes, unable to move. My hands were pressed against his hard chest from where I had been holding the bear. “Give me a kiss, or I’ll take the bear."

I held my breath for a moment. This wasn’t really about the bear, and we both knew it. He was messing with me to see how long he could push my buttons before I would snap. I wasn’t going to snap.

"Fine," I huffed, blowing a strand of my curly, blond hair out of my face. "But Holden never finds out." He nodded his head, turning his head sideways so I had clear access to his cheek.

Dear God, what was wrong with Trent today? This was more like how we used to act. I'm not saying I didn't like it, because I did, it was just confusing. One second, he was acting like my best friend, and then the next he was acting like a scorned little brother.

I reached up, ready to kiss his cheek. It's like kissing your brother, I told myself. I always kissed Alex on the forehead or cheek, but he was four. It was slightly different, but not a lot. Kisses on the cheek were harmless.

The last second before my lips touched his cheek, Trent turned his head. His lips collided with mine, and I froze. I was so shocked I didn't do anything for a split second. My heart seemed to stop as my eyes fluttered closed, hands shaking. He moved his soft lips firmly against mine, one hand trailing up my back to cup the side of my cheek. When he pulled away, I was breathless, frozen in place.

Before I could say anything, he pulled his phone from his pocket. “Now, let's call that boyfriend of yours." He said, turning on his phone as he walked away.

I found that it was hard to move my legs. Slowly, I lifted my fingers to my lips and felt them gently. They were tingling from the force of his kiss.

There was definitely something going on with Trent.