Chapter 79 - The Third Wheel (1/2)

”Oh, wow,” Claire exclaims, gazing at the fantastic world of lights and sound before them. ”I've never been to an amusement park. I've only seen them in pictures.”

”Are you serious?” Miguel says? ”You've never tried riding on a rollercoaster, or the horror booth, or one of those great slides that make you feel like you're about to die?”

Claire laughs. ”Oh, no. Never. Never had time for it. Never had someone to bring me to one.”

”Well, now you have me,” Miguel says, laughing. ”Right, Gabriel?”

Gabriel smiles and nods. No talking, right?

Claire looks at Gabriel, who seems to have become weirder and weirder, but decides she should let it go. If she calls him out, Gabriel might only become more embarrassed.

”So where shall we go first, my Princess?” Miguel says playfully as he curtsies.

”Stop that,” she says. Then she turns to Gabriel. ”What do you think I should try out, first? I'm an Amusement Park Virgin, mind you.” She giggles; it's the kind of childlike playfulness that almost melts Gabriel's heart.

Yet, Gabriel shrugs, and points forward with his mouth. As if saying, let's walk along and see what stands out.

Miguel throws him a meaningful glance. ”Maybe,” he begins, thinking about what Gabriel would want to revisit most. ”Maybe we should try the shooting gallery, right, brother?”

Gabriel smiles and nods.

”So who's the night's sharpshooter, eh?” the gallery's host says, handing Miguel a loaded air rifle.

Miguel accepts the rifle and examines it. He tests its heft and feel, like some shooting gallery connoisseur. ”Showing off,” Gabriel thinks. Miguel aims the rifle at a random target, but eventually decides to hand the rifle to Claire. ”Do the honor,” he says.

”I don't know how to use this,” she says, but even so she takes the rifle.

”You just aim it at those balloons, then pull the trigger. That simple. Don't worry, it's not a real gun. It only shoots pellets.”

”I'm not sure if I can hit that,” she says.

”It doesn't matter. Just start shooting,” Miguel reassures.

”Yeah, just aim at 'em balloons and let 'em pop, then you get one of these nice fluffy things,” the gallery host says.

”Well, I…” Reluctantly, she lifts the rifle, but she does so awkwardly.

”Wait,” Miguel says, then he brings her arms around Claire in order to ȧssist her aiming. There's an awkward expression on Claire's face for a moment, surprised at Miguel's body's closeness to hers, like he's actually hugging her tightly. ”You hold the handle here,” Miguel says, closing his hand around her hand. ”Then you use this to guide the sight. There, aim. Wait, hold your breath.”

Gabriel watches it all in silence, but in his mind, he almost protests. Miguel's doing all the sneaky moves in the book, and Gabriel could almost read Miguel's next plan. There's nothing Miguel can hide from him. It's so goddamn obvious. If this were not his brother, he would have strangled him.

Claire holds her breath, but as she does so, Miguel also holds his breath, his face almost right next to hers. She could smell his cologne, some expensive-smelling perfume not unlike what Gabriel uses. She feels awkward, and her aim worsens because of it.

”Now, pull the trigger,” Miguel says.

Claire closes her eyes as she pulls the trigger, which is, of course, a mistake. She hits nothing but wall.

”Alright, let's try again,” Miguel says. ”Point it at that big red balloon. Then don't even think. Just pull the trigger.”

Claire takes a deep breath. She aims down the barrel, then pulls the trigger. But like the previous one, she hits nothing but wall. Then before Miguel could speak, Claire unloads her bullets in quick succession, trying to hit at least one of these balloons.

Unfortunately, she runs out of bullets without hitting anything. She turns to Miguel, red in the face. ”I told you, it's my first time.”

”That's okay,” Miguel says, smiling. ”Here, let me show you.”