THE FERRIS WHEEL INCIDENT

“You’re joking,” Noya whispered, feeling the slow creak of the Ferris wheel coming to a stop, giving a vicious jerk before stilling. “Oh my god.” He looked around, his black strands of hair moving as erratically as he was, his ponytail swished with him.

An audible groan rang from Derrick, the boy not at all pleased to be suspended with Noya. “This is your fault.”

“WHAT?!” Noya exclaims, whirling his head around to look at Derrick. He glared at him, his jaw clenching as he fumes beside him. “My fault? You’re the one who’s fat ass clearly broke it!”

“I am not fat.”

“As if, tubby. This is your fault!”

“Whatever. Ever since you entered my life that I feel like I’ve lost control of everything!” Derrick proclaims, scowling at him.

Noya rolled her eyes, “Why?”

“Well, it’s because—” To which Derrick was once again cut off.

“Just because I actually have a life and you don’t?” Noya huffs, sticking his nose up at him.

Derrick side eyes him, clearly agitated now as he had pinched the bridge of his nose. His mutters inaudible, but no less likely to be vulgar, based on how fast his lips were moving. He couldn’t believe this, stuck on a Ferris Wheel with the one boy that made him want to blow his brains out whenever he opened his mouth.

A sentiment Noya graciously returned, the two often bickering like cats over anything. Every time something went wrong, it was when they were together.

“I can’t wait to get off this shitty ride, being stuck with you is an absolute nightmare.” He grumbled, Noya’s legs swinging aimlessly as he looked over the edge. “God, I hope I don’t die with you.” He grimaced, fearing the worst.
“I can’t be that unlucky,” Derrick grunts, before pausing. His face paling slightly as if this were now a genuine concern to have as he shoved Noya. “Why did you have to say that Noya! Now I’m thinking about it too! Can’t you keep your big mouth shut!” He complained. Derrick didn’t wanna die. He hasn’t even had his first kiss yet. He hadn’t even gotten a girlfriend yet! “I don’t wanna die a virgin!”

“Oh please, you’ll die a virgin regardless. What girl would let you anywhere near her,” Noya grimaced. The shorter boy stuck his tongue out in disgust at the imagery. “I rather my last thoughts not be about you getting laid. Gross.” Noya gagged, shuddering slightly. It’d be a hell of a way to die. Though his mind immediately jumped back to the fact Derrick had shoved him. “And don’t shove me!” He proclaimed. The ravenette immediately shoved the taller.

This action activated yet another squabble. The two boys shove each other back and forth, causing their cart to shake slightly. It wasn’t until they heard a loud squeak of metal that they froze. Their hands were in each other’s faces, Noyas fist reeled back while Derricks had was shoved against Noyas cheek. They were frozen, holding their breaths with fear before slowly exhaling when they heard no other sound to indicate something was wrong.

“Good going Noya, you almost got us killed.” Derrick snapped, pulling away from the raven-haired boy as he folded his arms.

“Me? You started it! Nobody told you to shove me,” Noya snapped. His eyes rolling as he scoots to the far corner as well, grimacing yet again. This was perhaps the worst day of his entire life. Dying with Derrick? It even manages to top the time that Derrick gave him chicken pox because the idiot couldn’t keep his hands to himself.

“And my phones dead? Crap, what am I gonna tell my parents?” Derrick bemoaned. His fingers running through his dirty blonde curls, messing up his hair as he tugged at them with worry. “Give me your phone,” he demanded as he pivot back to Noya.

“What?! Like hell I am. I don’t need your dirty hands on my phone, I don’t know where they’ve been!” Noya squawked with disbelief.

“Shut up and give it to me!”

“No!”

“God Noya, I said give it!”

They started fighting again, Derrick reaching out for Noyas’ phone while the smaller boy held it away. Noyas foot pressed against Derricks chest, Derricks fingers reaching out for Noyas phone as both boys yelped when their cart screeched again. The sound startling Noya, who ended up dropping the phone as the device slipped from his fingers.

“No!” Both boys yelled, Noya devastated, while Derrick was panicked. They could only watch in horror as the phone broke, their hearts dropping in synergy at the sight of their last hope shattering against the metal bar of the Ferris Wheel.

“Dammit, Derrick! You owe me a new iPhone!” Noya wails, pressing his face into his hands.

“Are you serious? We might not even be alive for you to need one.” Derrick snapped. He massaged his temples, groaning lowly, “oh no, we are so screwed. So indefinitely screwed!”

Noya was still grieving his broken phone, complaining to Derrick who was by no means listening to the boy. Derrick was struggling, trying to figure a way out of this mess.

“God, if you’re listening, take Noya instead!” Derrick prays, putting his hands together and squeezing his eyes shut. A prayer that swiftly resulted in him being punched in the side of the head.

“No god, take him instead! I’m too handsome to die!” Noya yelled, looking up at the sky as if there was in fact someone listening.

“What?! Why should I die! I didn’t do anything wrong, and don’t pray to God, you’re an atheist!”

“Not an atheist when I’m about to die!”

“How does that even make sense—”

“YOU DON’T MAKE SENSE!” Noya cut in with a huff as he punched Derrick again, “don’t tell your god to kill me! Doesn’t he hate people who pray for shitty things, what kind of Christian are you!”

“The kind being abused by a non-believer who should be smited!” Derrick snapped back. Grunting faintly as he rubbed his arm, “that’s what you are, abusive.”

“I’m about to get real abusive alright, c’mere—” Noya started punching on Derrick again, squishing the blonde into his corner as he kept hitting him in the arm.

“OW! Noya stop it before you get us killed!” Derrick yelped, trying to push the shorter boy away from him. Their bickering caused their cart to rock back and forth. Not that it mattered, both boys were too distracted with each other to notice how intensely they were rocking. The metal bars once again began to screech under their shifting weights, causing them to stiffen when they felt the cart buckle.

“Noya… Don’t move a muscle.” Derrick whispered. As if afraid that even raising his voice too loud would cause the thing to fall off its hinges.

Noya held his breath, waiting as he strained his ears to listen to the cart before he lunged forward and punched Derrick one more time.

“NOYA!” Derrick screamed, their cart jerking once more. The sudden movement caused them to both scream as their cart jerked twice, then another time. “I DON’T WANNA DIE!”

“TAKE DERRICK INSTEAD!” Noya wailed, ducking his head as he waited the deathly drop.

The boys took cover the best they could, waiting for the hinges to break. Only for the cart to suddenly begin moving, the Ferris Wheel back in motion as it gave a few jerks, stopping and moving so as to let the passengers in the carts ahead of them off the ride.

“We didn’t die…” Derrick whispered, slumping in his seat with relief. He was quick to jump out, shoving past Noya and kissing the ground in relief, “Oh thank god!”

Noya rolled his eyes, grunting as he got out, side eyeing Derrick, “as if, stop practicing tongue on the ground.” He sneered before walking by with crossed arms. “You still owe me a new phone.”

Derrick stiffened at the reminder, grimacing as he finally followed after Noya, “can you put it on my tab?”

“LIKE HELL I WILL!”

The boys walked away from the ride, bickering loudly as the worker working the Ferris Wheel deadpans. “What a strange couple,” He mumbles, turning back to his wheel as the boys bickered off into the sunset.

Ashton Reyes comes from the state of Florida, with roots in the island of Puerto Rico. When they’re not writing, they can be found binge watching the show ‘SVU’.