No Time to Love Me

Tuesday, March 9th

2013 NGP

(2145 AD)

The Merrytown Teacups made for a quaint ride in comparison to the attractions of Kidneyland, but Cheryl’s attention was mostly caught up on the person she rode with. That adorable attitude of hers, the way she still couldn’t hold eye contact, even just her lovely green hair… Everything about her was a distraction.

“Is this the scariest ride you’ve got?”

Without the deafening chatter of a larger park, it was actually possible to converse like this, calm enough to whisper on occasion. Frankie certainly wasn’t, however, as the girl left her cares long forgotten in the past of her few regrets and many happy memories.

“The ones in Fairytown are better.” She giggled. “Not many coasters here.”

Talking about rides was as mundane a subject as the weather, but the two had long since found that didn’t really matter between them.

“That’s okay. I don’t wanna have to scream for you to hear me.”

“Well… I wouldn’t mind you getting a little less quiet.”

“Okay.” The sharpshooter rolled her eyes. “You’re one to talk.”

“…For sure.” Frankie snorted.

Their pastel-shamrock teacup twisted leftwards.

“I, uh… saw the web page on your phone… Did you publish your book?”

“Oh! Yeah. I’ve got a copy for you at home. I might’ve… planned on that being a surprise, but oh well. I’ll be publishing the rest as soon as I can, too.” The author sighed, though didn’t let go of her smile. “Not really worried about being sued… anymore.”

“Can’t wait to read them. The original series was pretty good… y’know, for something you didn’t write.”

“…You’re sweet.”

Under the blanket of the blue sky and the pillows that were the clouds, the two were once again forced to grapple with that nagging sensation.

“Saint really wanted to see Katie… is she still not…?”

“No. Still not.”

“…I feel bad for her… I promised her a game, and now- the way things are, it’s like she doesn’t even wanna see another park again.”

“Mhm…” Biting her lip, Frankie turned her eyes downward. “I can’t express how wrong it feels, but she’s just not like that anymore. I don’t want to speak too soon, I don’t, but- I’ve started to consider that she might stay like this. …And, if that’s just a fact, like everything else- if there’s really nothing I can do about it, then… I’m okay with that. I’m okay with that… if it’s what she wants.”

Cheryl frowned.

“Is it really what she wants…?”

“Katie didn’t want any of this… but she would’ve had to face it eventually. She’s not… not alone in this.”

“…Yeah, but…”

The brunette’s eyes began to pace around all the families and kids around the two of them, enjoying their ride in peace.

“It really must feel like that… when nobody else has a clue what’s going on.”

“…I’m sorry for telling you.”

“Don’t be.”

Cheryl sat her hand on Frankie’s knee.

“I could speak my mind because I knew that if I kept it in any longer I might not have time to get it out. I could tell you how I feel because I knew that if I didn’t it wouldn’t be long before I lost my chance for good.”

Frankie tried to look away from her partner, but it felt like doing so made the tears swell more.

“…That’s not something anyone should really ever have to do.”

“…That’s something everybody has to do. If they want to live the way their heart tells them to.”

“I’m still sorry, Cheryl.”

She moved her face in front of hers.

“Don’t be. You gave me this.”

The two met lips on that ride, the rest of the world fading away for a breif moment.