“There’s something I’ve been meaning to do for a while, but I’ve been too afraid to go by myself.”
I quirk an eyebrow, curiosity piqued. “What is that?”
“Jane told me you helped her with her fear of heights by taking her bungee jumping. I’d like to try that.”
Shit. He’s a minor. No operator will allow him to jump without one of his parents present. I’d hate to disappoint him though.
I stop next to my car and wait for Ben to reach the passenger side to break the bad news. “You need parental consent for that since you’re under eighteen.”
“Got it.”
I frown. “You did?”
“Yep. It’s all square with the place we’re going.”
“Okay then. Let’s go.”
As Ben’s turn to jump approaches, I can tell he’s getting visibly tenser. It doesn’t help that quite a few people had the same idea to jump today. There’s a group of guys—probably seniors in high school, judging by their letterman jackets—making a ruckus as they wait in line behind us.
“It’s okay, Ben. Try not to think about how high you are. And before you jump, don’t look down.”
“Okay.”
A few minutes later, Ben is all strapped up and ready to go. Right before he steps on the platform, he glances over his shoulder, eyes wide with panic. “I-I don’t think I can do this.”
“Nonsense. You got this, buddy. Remember, don’t look down and let go.”
He nods and steps forward. The operator gives him more encouraging words, and after a few more steadying breaths, he jumps with his arms wide open as if he’s really letting go of his fear and fully embracing the experience. He shouts in excitement as he drops and doesn’t stop hollering when the cord recoils, sending him flying upward again. I take the stairs to wait for him at the bottom. He keeps bouncing up and down for another minute until he eventually loses momentum and swings to a stop.
There’s a group of ten kids waiting there as well, and after hearing pieces of their conversation, I realize they’re from the same high school as those guys waiting in line with us. This is a senior year dare.
Ben finally comes down, and as the operator helps him out of the harness, I notice a dark stain on the front of his khaki pants.
“Oh my God. Dude! Did you piss yourself?” a guy shouts, pointing at Ben.
Laughter follows and I get ready to step in, but Ben looks down at the mess and, to my surprise, bursts out laughing too.
What the hell?
“I did! I peed in my pants. But it was so awesome!”
A few guys break from the group to high-five Ben, making me relax a fraction. I still eyeball the rest to make sure they aren’t talking smack about Ben.
“Hey, Troy. Can you take a picture of me?” he asks.
“Sure.”
I snap a few photos, even a few with the guys who high-fived him. We move on when someone else jumps.
“Hey, I have a pair of sweatpants you can borrow,” I tell him.
“Okay. Cool. I didn’t want to soil your car seat.”
“Are you sure you’re okay?”
“Yeah. Normally, I would be so embarrassed, but maybe I’m still riding on adrenaline. It’s my fault for not going to the restroom beforehand. I usually have to pee when I’m nervous.”
“I think everyone does.” I laugh.
“Do you ever get nervous before you have to do something?”
I grin. “Heck yeah. I get jitters before every game. But it’s also such a rush.”
“I get that now.”
Back at my car, I open the trunk and pull out the sweatpants from my duffel bag. “Can I be honest with you?”
“Sure,” Ben says as he takes the pants from me.
“I’m terrified of going to LARP.”
“Really? Why?”
“I had a really embarrassing moment during a school play when I forgot all my lines. I’ve avoided anything remotely related to theatrical performances ever since.”
“That’s the beauty of LARP. There aren’t any lines to memorize. It’s all improv. All you need to know is who your character is, what he can do—such as special powers—and then react to the situation given. It’s super fun.”
I nod. “All right. If you say so.”
Ben heads back inside the building to change. While I wait, I snoop on Charlie’s social media profile to check her pictures of past LARP events. It backfires royally when I find way too many images of her with that stuck-up ex-boyfriend. I should put the phone away, but I’m a glutton for punishment and keep scrolling down until I finally come