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He watched her as she stood by the long shelf next to the exit ramp, watched as she set down a black lace parasol and a black lunchbox covered in stickers that read "warning", "hazardous", "poison", and "I brake for forensics". He watched as she unfastened a wide, spiked collar and pulled her twin pigtails into one thick ponytail. By the time she'd finished and turned to claim a seat, the train was full, every harness locked down and restraint fastened. All of them except for the one next to him. The ride operator, uniform stained and wrinkled from a too long, too hot day, threw an exasperated glance to the control booth and started to tell the young woman that she'd have to wait for the next train. The code of taking your turn on a roller coaster always overrides the code of not speaking to strangers, and he called out from the back of the train. "Here! Seat here!"
She bounced in place, then trotted towards him, with a wide and toothy, red lipstick smile that seemed much too out of place with her skull-patterned shirt and multi-strapped pants. She settled into the seat beside him, bracelets jingling as she pulled down the harness. "Hi thanks I was afraid I'd have to wait for the next one and I'd already been in that line for so long can you believe it I didn't think they'd be so busy today that I'd have to spend most of my time waiting in line in those switchbacks which is a funny name when you think about it I mean they do switch back and forth so I guess it makes sense but it seems like kind of a silly name because switch implies change and back implies reversal so it's like they're expecting or even encouraging people to just give up before they reach the ride so why don't they call them something more welcoming like come-forwards or join-ins or--"
Her hands moved as she talked, switching from topic to topic like a black-feathered hummingbird, and she only stopped when the ride op yanked her restraint harness in a final check before holding up a thumb to the control booth. The train jerked and clanked as it ground into motion, and the girl ducked her head to make a high-pitched noise. After a few seconds, as the train left the loading platform and circled to climb the first hill, she raised her head. "I'm not actually scared just so you know I mean I've never been on this before I've ridden plenty of coasters before don't get me wrong I love them I've just never been on this one before but I'm not screaming because I'm scared I just like to scream it's kind of an endorphin rush you know get the blood pumping really get that heart rate up--"
She chattered the whole way up, but as the front of the train crested the lift hill, her hands shot into the air and her thick-soled boots kicked at the front of the car. She shrieked, her face shining. He grinned and raised his hands as well.
One minute and twenty-five seconds of screaming. Two thousand, two hundred and seventeen feet of screaming. One hundred and nineteen feet, nine inches vertical drop of screaming. Sixty-five miles per hour of screaming. They ratcheted into the end of the ride and to a halt, eyes watering, ears ringing.
Blood pumping.
He laughed as the girl beside him shrieked and applauded, grinned as they disembarked and she gathered up her belongings. She bounded out of the station at his side, down the ramps and out into the Midway, still chattering. "I'm going to the next one," he said when she finally, finally paused for breath. He looked at her and she tilted her head, her ponytails swaying. He'd thought to say his goodbye then, if by some miracle he could get a word in edgewise, but she had a look in her eyes that told him it would be a loss if he did. Besides, she was the first person he'd met so far that day who had seemed so happy to be on a coaster, and he wanted to know more about that lunchbox. What sort of forensics did she brake for? He gestured to the sign leading to the next ride. "Could use a ride partner if you're heading that way. Name's Gil."
Her smile brightened and she spun her parasol over her shoulder. She tucked her lunchbox under her arm and held out her hand. "Abby. Nice to meet you, Gil. Is that Gil with one L or with two like a fish not that you look like a fish my friend Jethro has two B's well not in Jethro obviously but in his last name look they took our picture while we were riding did you see a camera I didn't see one anywhere I did see a lot of lights flashing but I thought that was just me you know it was all sorts of flashy which was so cool hey you're smiling in this picture you look good--"