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"It's a right of passage to throw up after a ride." Seline grinned and pulled on his sleeve, like she was his sister, too. “Come on. You’re coming. All of us. I want a group picture on the drop.”
“It’s the biggest in the whole world!” Marissa informed us.
"Close. On this side of the US," Seline corrected with a laugh.
"And this is supposed to convince us?" Tyson wondered.
"Come on." Seline folded her hands into prayer. "For the memories."
She nudged her buddy, but Marissa didn't need a second cue. She made her eyes big and her bottom lip stick out. "Please. You know I need memories. I don't have any friends yet to make them with."
My heart squeezed at the assertion, and Tyson let out a pained noise, but her brother made a face, knowing better.
"You've been invited to six birthday parties since starting school," he said in a bored tone. "You're not pulling one over me."
"It's not about the quantity but quality, Harry," she said without hesitation. "I can still be lonely in a crowded room."
Harry coughed, flabbergasted. "What have you been telling her?"
"Everything she needs to know." Seline shrugged and tossed her arm over Sage's shoulders. "Between the two of us, she'll learn how to have anyone wrapped around her finger."
"Personally, I always thought the lonely card was a cheap shot," Sage noted. "But, besides that, yeah. We'll teach her everything she needs to know."
I couldn't resist rolling my eyes. She could never play along without adding her two cents.
When Sage stumbled over her next words, I realized her gaze had strayed to me. There was a good chance she'd seen my eye roll.
"I…I think I'm going to take a rain check on the coaster," she said. Despite my wish to escape, my stomach dropped at her statement. When she left, her absence would make everything worse—at least when she was here, and I was hating her in person, she could witness it.
"Why?" Marissa asked with sagging shoulders. "You don't have to be polite. Just say what you feel."
Sage laughed. "I'm a lot of things, kid. Polite isn't one of them."
"If I have to struggle to keep down what's in my stomach, so do you," Tyson said.
"Next time," Sage promised. "I have an idea that's calling me, and I have to get it down before I forget."
"Boo, work." Seline made a face. "Go, go. If you're going to start talking about that shit, I don't want you here."
Sage laughed. "Send the drop pic to the group."
I expected that to be it for tonight. She'd say her goodbyes and leave in the crowd of people working their way to the exit. Sage did start with goodbyes, but she ended with me and a question.
"Can we talk?"
The blood drained from my face. I felt the gazes of everyone on us, but when I glanced at them, they turned away, pretending to have been looking everywhere but us.
"Uh…okay," I said, because what else could I say? 'No' felt too mean. Difficult. I could practically hear Amaya disagreeing, and she'd be right—I could say no and be done with it. I didn't owe Sage anything, but if I denied her request, I'd stay up late tonight wondering. I didn't want to wonder.
"I'll meet you guys there," I said before following Sage.
"Once we're through the line, we have to go on," Seline warned.
I nodded. "I won't be long."
We only walked a few paces away before Sage turned to me. "I'm sorry. I know what I did, and I'm sorry."
Her eyes searched mine, her expression as close to frantic as I'd ever seen her.
