Monkey on the Roller Coaster

I bite on the straw of my drink irritably and kick at the ground, “Are you guys done yet?”

Besides perching aimlessly in the middle of the path blocking others’ way, my oh-so-decisive dear classmates are busy flailing their arms wildly around as they go on debating if we should go on the rollercoaster.

One would’ve thought that the boys would be the ones who make the girls do it, but it’s the other way round with my classmates.

“Guys, you know, actually, it’s scientifically proven that going on a rollercoaster ride is skin-ageing,” Gregory explains enthusiastically, “Because when you’re tensed, your skin gets taut, and…” he snaps his fingers, “…..THAT’s when the wrinkles come in.”

Gregory’s buddies nod vigorously, muttering an agreement.

Finally not able to wait any longer, I get the others to move along and stand in the waiting line, leaving Gregory and the boys behind. Daphne shakes her head and bounces from feet to feet, “Gregory’s so adorable.”

“Like what? A timorous mouse?” I turn around to see Gregory walking up to us, his face stern. “Decided to man up?”

He huffs, shoving his hands into the pockets, “Just a rollercoaster ride. What’s the big deal?”

By the time we make it to the front in line, Daphne and a few other girls seem to have suddenly taken an interest in playing with their nails and rubbing their eyes a little too often. And as expected, Daphne whines, “I think I’ve got enough wrinkles, San, so……”

After they make a bail out of the waiting line, it’s just me and Gregory the monkey and a few other football jocks.

Buckling my belt and leaning back in the seat, I watch as Gregory clumsily climbs in to the empty seat next to me, his face hesitant. He’s got his phone in a hand, and his sunglasses are hanging by the collar of his shirt. I couldn’t help the smirk that’s creeping onto my face. This monkey clearly has never really been on a rollercoaster ride before.

The thing starts moving. I glance at Gregory. His phone is still in his hand. I let out an evil chuckle, fishing out my phone myself. I hold my phone at arm’s length so that Gregory’s face appears in the camera as well.

“What’re you doing?”

I sink down on my seat, my other hand gripping the safe bar in front, “Recording a video.”

This monkey’s face is gonna be so hilarious when the thing starts his nightmare. Who brings glasses onto the rollercoaster? Even a loon knows that the glasses are gonna get whipped off by the violent rush of wind later.

Gregory makes a sound of realization, “Hey great idea. I’ll need to post this thing up after the ride,” he starts his own recording while fixing his hair, which is kinda pointless.

The rollercoaster gains speed, making its way up steadily onto the fake hill around us.

“You don’t wanna do that,” I warn.

“Why ever not?”

I gesture at my phone, “I’m doing this because I’ve done this hundred times. You don’t wanna lose your phone during the ride.”

In his own way of thanking me, Gregory blows a raspberry at me like a five-year-old before turning his head back to his own camera.

If that is what he want.

I adjust my own camera, hooking a thumb towards the monkey beside, “Action.”

The coaster ascends, the ride going steeper by the passing seconds. Everything is quiet except the constant creepy squeaking of the wheels below. I stretch my neck a bit and wave at my friends below. I could make out Daphne shaking her fist in the air dramatically.

I laugh and look back at Gregory, only to find him all stoned. His knuckles are white from his excessive grip on the safe bar, and his face looks like it’s been given a paralytic serum. But that’s not what caught me, his sunglasses did. He’s had them back on again.

My eyes widen, “It’d be clever, if you take off the shades, Gregory.”

And that’s when the catapult launch starts. The roller coaster shoots upwards, slamming us back onto our seats. Horrified shouts break out, before a series of giddy cheers tag along. I join the merriment frenzy, yelling and whooping along while grasping at my phone as tight as possible.

The cries get louder when the thing makes its steep descent, and something, which I assume is Gregory’s hand, grabs onto my wrist as if it’s trying to squeeze the life out of me. And when the roller coaster lurches into the pit-black cave, all the thrilled hollers are instantly overshadowed by the terrified screams, with Gregory’s being the loudest.

I yell over the wind, my voice trembling slightly, “Shut up! You’re damaging my ears!”

The coaster makes a hard left, and Gregory’s screams turn into something skin-itching. He sounds exactly like an electrocuted cat.

After a few more exhilarating loops and curves and dives, the coaster slows to an end before it finally lets out. I turn to my camera again, smiling and whooping, “Cut!”

I drop my phone onto my lap, wiping my sweaty hand when I notice that my other hand is still in toil thanks to Gregory. I slap his hand away, “You’re cutting off my blood flow, you monkey!”

Flexing and rolling my wrist, I turn to glare at him, and widen my eyes further into a full-out glare when I see his askew shades stuck halfway across his face, dangling from one of his ears, and his stray hair only makes him look more like a Komondor.

He’s actually already lucky that his shades didn’t flick off into the air and hit the others behind. I shrug, “Told you not to do that.”

Letting out a frustrated snarl, Gregory begins combing both his hands through his hair madly before tugging the shades back onto his collar. I stare at him in amusement, trying not to burst out.

Gregory pats his pockets, and whips his head around, “Where’s my baby?”

“Baby?”

“My phone! Where’s my phone?!” he pats the seat nervously.

He turns to me and we both gape at each other in realization. I’m the first to shut my jaw, “I warned you about it.”

“Yeah well but you didn’t stop me!”

“What?”

“You’re gonna pay for that! It was still new!”

“I have absolutely nothing to do with this, you monkey. If there’s something it’s that you should thank me!”

“You were the one who started the video thing, grimalkin!” Gregory leaps up from his seat, flouncing out of the coaster.

I scoff at the air unbelievably. What just happened?

Normally, I’d have just punched both his front teeth out, but today, after the draining ride, I decide for once, to play fair.

It takes no more than one minute to post my new roller coaster video onto our school’s Facebook page. I sum it up in just a few words lazily- #ontopoftheworldwithpussycat