ᴘʜᴏᴛᴏɢʀᴀᴘʜʏ ᴘʀᴏʜɪʙɪᴛᴇᴅ.

“Jurassic World? Which one’s that, like… The new one? Crispy Rat one?” Lana clarified, wriggling straighter on her stool so that she could set her elbows to the small table, scooping up her margarita with all the enthusiasm of a mother doting on her newborn. There hadn’t been a single moment, since arriving at Coney Island, that Lana hadn’t been at least tipsy. “He’s so, so ugly. I could sniffle into a hanky about it. I could honestly cry,” she dramatised, taking a generous sip from her glass. “It’s cool, I’ve already spotted a Popeye lookalike. Peg leg suspected, and everything. Kind of want to clack out a funky little tune, against it. Use it as a drum stick, against the boardwalk, for an In The Air Tonight solo.” She hadn’t spotted anyone of the sort, but sometimes Lana liked stories. They embellished things. “Think if I drink all of this in one, I’ll get such a bad brain freeze that my eyes pop out? Might be a party trick. I could, like… juggle them.”

“i don’t know, i only saw the meme,” kat shrugged as she took her seat at the high-top table, sliding her precious margarita closer towards her. leaning forward, she capture the straw between her lips and sucked in a big, much needed gulp. suddenly the margarita was worth fifty buck, as opposed to the ten bucks plus tips she’d already shelled out. “i was thinking more kokomo by the beach boys but artistic vision accepted. personally scouting out for a man that screams ‘yacht rock’. you know, sounds like he’s got a perpetual cold, but really it’s just an overdose of benjamin’s.” kat gulped up another large bit of her marg. if this night was to get started, she had some catching up to do. “if something’s popping out first, it sure as shit isn’t going to be your eyes. votes on your tit’s— which, by the way, that top is fucking rocking them.”

“I always feel like I’m in a bit of a hostage situation with you,” she said bluntly, eyeing the Cyclone as it roared past the lineup waiting for their turn. As she did, her gaze was somewhat weary - she hadn’t been on a ride since she was little, barely 10 years old, and the idea of taking on a coaster so large was terrifying, but she wasn’t about to tell Kat that, “It’ll be kinda fun if I puke all over you, though. You wouldn’t mind, would you?”

“fair enough,” kat nodded, before quickly lumping in, “i will accept ransom. venmo, cash, and vodka crans are acceptable forms of payment.” amusement parks were some of the highlights of kat’s childhood. looking back she’d been surprised her mother hadn’t had her on a leash. literally. those existed now. a kid with what looked like melted ice cream tugged forward past them, sights set on what looked like a balloon vendor. “if it’s inevitable, at least let a bitch grab a poncho first.”

“Yeah, you’re right,” Maggie said, taking out a candy to observe for herself. “If I act strange, just let my brother know. I’ve been told this stuff can be good or bad for me, depending on how I react,” she said with a subtle shrug of her shoulders, tossing a yellow gummy into her mouth. “Tastes kinda normal.”

“noted, i will snapchat him,” kat nodded, only to pause a second later, realizing that her phone had not received an invitation to this trip. while some might have snuck it, she’d opted for the unplug and left it at home, stowed in her dorm’s bedside drawer. “scratch that. we’ll resort to knocking on doors. but that’s a later issue,” she said, waving it off. “honestly been awhile since i’ve had edibles. hit’s me like a stack of bricks though, fair warning.”

“Have you ever had one of these?” Maggie asked, reaching into a small baggy of gummy bears and plucking out a green one. “It’s the THC ones… Someone gave them to me because they said it makes them paranoid… Interested? I’m scared to go on my own.” @xxsusts

kat perked up at the sight of the baggy. curiously, she stepped forward and took the green gummy bear from maggie’s grasp, giving it a none-too-thorough examination. deciding ‘what the hell,’ kat popped it into her mouth. “nope, but now i have.” a few chews in and she paused, eyebrow quirked. “apple? maybe kiwi. it’s good though. i say go for it. the kid down the hall’s pre-med so safety net is secure.”

“The itch is symbolic,” Elias clarified, shrugging his shoulders as he picked up a packet of sugar and ripped it open. He began to pour it on the table, lazily spinning his index finger around in it. “Anyway, that’s not a bad idea. Super safe… Love that. You’re an intelligent thinker, Kat,” he said, pointing at her with each word like he had to drive the point home. “Kinda wish this coffee had booze in it,” Eli complained. “Been sober one night and already bored as fuck.”

“nah, i just fucking hate cameras.” a shrug accompanied her words. kat didn’t hide her story but she didn’t declare it either. hating having your picture taken wasn’t so obsurd, even in this instagram generation. “sorry, i didn’t bring my flask with me today. wait— hold on.” kat sat up and turned her attention to her bag. a dated, white jansport backpack discolored by soda and wine spills and decorated with numerous sharpie doodles. after fishing around, kat finally retrieved a water bottle. uncapping it, kat gave it a sniff. then another before passing it over. “either my senses are broken as fuck or that’s rum.”

“Not to sound mad paranoid,” Elias said, shifting a little in the campus’ diner seat. “But do you ever just become super aware of the cameras? The surveillance? I feel itchy thinking about it right now, but I also want to take my dick out and jerk it to assert my dominance, you know?”

“is your dick included in that itch? because then we’ve got another problem on our hands,” kat countered, her body still hunched forward after leaning in to sip from her straw. orange soda. much needed. “seriously though i get what you mean. i mostly just settle for flipping them off. stickers are helpful too,” kat flipped her phone over, which had been sitting atop the diner table, revealing a star slapped over her selfie camera.

As if it were his own cup, Beau leaned forward and checked the inside of the solo cup, nose bumping into her wrist due to how close he was, “You sure? There’s, like, nothing in there? Not drinking much tonight? I can respect that,” he said quickly, flashing Kat a smile before standing straight again and out of her space, for the most part, “Worried?” Beau didn’t mean to sound like a broken record, but the idea of being worried hadn’t come to mind - should he be worried? It was rare that he ever was, even when the occasion called for it, “I didn’t think about that - I did look around for a bit. I think she took off, to be honest? Or she’s upstairs with someone, but I don’t like busting into the rooms, give people privacy, y’know? Plus I haven’t seen you in, like, forever. You’ve been keeping busy?”

as his nose bumped her wrist, kat drew her hand closer toward her. “no, i’m drinking. drunk is in fact the goal. i just prefer to get my own drinks.” her mom headed a lot of warnings, and this was one of the few kat latched onto. if she was going to get intoxicated, it would be her choice and by her hand. “alright then, scratch that.” kat drew in a breath. she hated how her therapist crept into her mind in that moment; she could practically hear him saying, ‘being social won’t kill you, kat.’ she’d questioned if he’d ever watched dateline. “define busy. because... yes, i have classes and homework... but mostly it’s been netflix and weird tiktok compilations.”

benji: damn okay well... that's easy

benji: maybe we just walk into the closest place then?

kat: i read that as closet at first

lana: DADDY DONATELLO

lana: wtf who the Hell and also Fuck is daddy donatello

lana: oh

lana: a turtle

lana: i mean i ws abt to say he sounds hot n honestly? mayb my comment still stands? mayb a ninja turtle can b hot every once in a while? who am i to oppress him?

lana: ya it's super crooked right?? i replied like "how come u jst tossed me a boomerang? it hit me in the eye?" n idk if he got it bc he ws all "i'd never poke you in the eye with my dick baby" which is jst kind of hive inducing anyways

lana: i've been thru a lot over this dick. feel like i need a margarita 2 recover

kat: the noncreative inverse of mama mia

kat: maybe he's the sugar daddy ive been looking for

kat: i mean

kat: at least he's got access to pizza

kat: BIG YIKES

luca: whats a papa frita?

luca: like a hash brown?

kat: french fries

kat: its the only thing i remember besides hello, cheese, and go away