"Hurry up Pyrrha! We don't have all day!"

The ginger bounced excitedly, smiling broadly at her taller friend as she walked closer, slowly and calmly closing the distance between them. Next to her was grinning blonde girl, looking just as excited as the small ginger.

The ginger, Nora Valkyrie, pranced around her friends, Pyrrha Nikos and Yang Xiao Long. The three young women, seniors at Beacon High, had been planning this trip to Twelve Flags for long over a month.

The midday sun was beating down on them, heating the pavement beneath their feet, the amusement park already crowded with people.

Pyrrha had anticipated the heat and had bought three bottles of water and stored them in her bag. After much apologizing due to her companions' short patience, Pyrrha joined them on their treck through the rides and vendors, knowing they'd be thanking her later.

"Yeah Pyr," Yang agreed, her arms behind her head and a grin on her face, leaning back casually. "We wanna ride more than one ride today!"

"I'm sorry," Pyrrha said, smiling apologetically.

Nora groaned dramatically, tugging on Pyrrha's arm. "Less apologizing, more hurrying!"

"Nora's got her heart set on the Nevermore," Yang explained. Pyrrha walked at her side, their ginger friend pulling anxiously at their arms, trying to get them to hurry. "The line's already gonna be massive, Nor," Yang told her. "Just chill. We'll get there. There are other rollercoasters in this place."

"But the Nevermore is new!" Nora wailed.

"But the Destroyer is fun," Yang countered.

Nora huffed. "Fine. We Can ride the Destroyer. Afterthe Nevermore?"

"Of course, Nora," Pyrrha said reassuringly.

The three walked through the park, past jostling crowds of people, chatting and laughing happily, Nora pointing out every rollercoster as the passed it.

"Ooh that's the Future Coaster!" Nora announced, pointing to the towing ride. She giggled. "Ren got sick when we rode that one."

Pyrrha frowned. Glad we're not riding that one...

As if reading her mind, Yang grinned at her. "Maybe your first ride ever should be that one," the blonde nudged Pyrrha teasingly.

"No thanks," she said nervously. If Ren couldn't handle it, there was no way she was riding it.

"No way!" Nora replied. "The Nevermore's supposed to be wayscarier."

"Maybe we should try something... Less scary?" Pyrrha suggested.

"Nah," Yang laughed. "Your first rollercoaster had to be memorable!"

"Mine was the Siren," Nora recounted fondly. "Ren rode with me. That was before he grew his hair out." She smiled. "Now his hair gets even messier on rollercoasters."

"Do you ever stop thinking about Ren?" Yang asked, rolling her lilac eyes dramitically.

Not catching the jokingly annoyed tone in Yang's voice, Nora replied cheerfully, "Sure! When I'm sleeping! But sometimes he shows up in dreams so that's not true. In calculus I don't think about him. Usually."

"My first rollercoaster was the Skyfall. My little sister wouldn't ride it." Yang grinned at the memory. "Man, I was so bumbed when they tore it down."

"Why did they?" Pyrrha asked. "To make room for another?"

Yang winked at her. "It was unsafe.But, boy, was it a blast."

Unbidden thoughts of malfunctioning death traps filled the redhead's thoughts.

Suddenly, Nora's bubbly voice shouted, "There it is!"

Their eyes turned to the huge rollercoaster. Black metal towered high above them, hilighted in red and white, twisting and turning, looping and dropping, a wild ride of fear and exhilaration. Laugher and screams filled their ears, and Nora bounced in place next to them. "Look at it!" she cried. "It's so beautiful!"

"Geez Nor, it's just a ride," Yang laughed.

"I've been waiting months for this!" she said happily. She grinned wickedly at Pyrrha. "You ready?"

No..."Of course." Her voice shook.

Yang laughed. "You'll be fine, Pyr."

"I know that," Pyrrha replied.

"Yeah, it's not like since it's new they won't have worked out all the problems yet and we'll get stuck or something, right?" Nora asked helpfully.

She laughed faintly. "Right..."

The three girls stood in line, surrounded by people that shifted and laughed and complained about the heat and bumped into each other and talked over one another until you could barely hear the person standing next to you.

As they inched close, pushed forwards by anxious crowds behind and screaming riders before, the fear that had coiled in Pyrrha's stomach grew, clawing at her with each step she took.

"Why do they call it the Nevermore?" Yang asked curiously, her eyes trailing the dark, shining metal.

""Leave no black plume as a token of that lie thy soul hath spoken! Leave my loneliness unbroken! quit the bust above my door! Take thy beak from out my heart, and take thy form from off my door!" Quoth the Raven, "Nevermore,"" Nora recited wistfully.

Pyrrha and Yang shot her blank looks.

"What's that got to do with the ride?" Yang asked.

Nora shrugged. "No clue. But that's why the big raven's on it."

"Um, girls?" Pyrrha asked hesitantly.

"What's up, Pyr?" Yang asked.

Nora's gaze narowed as she looked up at Pyrrha. "You're not chickening out are you?"

"No, no, of course not," Pyrrha reassured them. "But the ride only sits two to a seat."

"So?" Nora asked.

Yang caught what Pyrrha meant. "There are three of us, freckles," she told Nora.

"Oh.Oh." Nora gave hesitant laugh. "Oops."

"Yeah. Oops." Yang replied, one corner of her mouth tugging down as she took in the situation. Suddenly she brightened. She pushed past Nora and Pyrrha, smiling broadly. "Hello boys. Any of you need a partner?"

Sun Wukong's day was going spectacularly. He had dragged his friends Jaune Arc and Neptune Vasalias on every ride he could find, and none of them had gotten sick yet, despite all the snacks the boys had wolfed down. Sure, Jaune had screamed like a girl and Neptune wouldn't let go of the bars, but still. Their lunch stayed in place.

Finally the trio had made their way to the newest ride in the park, the Nevermore. They stood in line, Jaune staring up at the daunting ride while Sun and Neptune pointed out which girls looked good and which didn't.

"What about the brunette?" Neptune asked, looking at a girl walking with her friends.

"In the blue?" Sun asked.

"Yeah."

"She looks kind of like Blake. Except not as pretty."

Neptune huffed. "Geez, Sun, you're no fun anymore."

"What?" Sun cried defensively. "I'm loads of fun! Who came up with this bright idea? Me."

"Who won't look at girls with me? You." Neptune retorted.

"You shouldn't be looking at girls in the first place," Sun reminded him. "Weiss'd have a fit."

Neptune scoffed. "We're not even dating."

"Might as well be." Sun rolled his gray eyes. "You flirt with her whenever you see her. You hang out. You went to the dance together. You go on dates."

"Not since she and Blake transferred to Beacon," he grumbled. "Now she spends all her time with that girl that got moved up. Rose, or something like that."

"Nep. Have you askedher to hang out?" Sun asked exhasperatedly.

"Yes! But she's always busy with Rose!" Neptune looked at Sun, his eyes narrowed. "Scarlet thinks she might be gay."

"Just 'cause she's busy with her friend does not make her gay," Sun sighed. "You two are ridiculous."

Neptune glared. "Fine. Whatever you say. But I swear, Sun, if she ends up with Rose I'm going to..."

"You're gonna what, smurf head?" Sun jeered. "Say you told me so?"

"Yeah. I will."

"You do that, loser."

Neptune huffed. "What about them?" he asked, gesturing to one of the girls before them.

"The blonde's pretty hot," Sun said.

"The ginger's okay. The short one," Neptune. added. "Jaune?"

Sun and Neptune looked at Jaune, who hadn't moved since they first got in line. Sun nudged him. "Hey, bud, staring at ride won't make it any smaller."

The blonde started, looking at Sun in surprise. He gulped and gave a wavering laugh. "I know that."

"What do you think of the three girls in front of us?" Neptune asked.

"The redhead's cute," Jaune admitted, his voice dropping in volume so she didn't hear."

"Which one?" Sun asked. "The short one?"

"No, the tall one. In the red."

"She looks like she could kick your ass in three seconds, Jauney," Neptune laughed.

"So? She's pretty," Jaune said defensively. "You asked what I thought."

"Calm down, Jaune. Nep's just pointing it out, noodle-arms," Sun said.

The boys talked together for another few minutes before the blonde girl in front of them stepped past her companions, a friendly smile on her face as she addressed them.

"Hello boys. Any of you need a partner?"

The boys looked at her blankly.

"The ride's a two-seater. There are three of us. Three of you. One of us might be stuck together," she explained. "My friend Pyrrha will have to ride with one of you," she said, indicating the tall redhead at her left, who waved shyly, giving a small hello.

"She's single!" the short ginger added cheerfully. The redhead glared at her.

Sun, thinking fast, stepped in front of his friends. "Neptune and I are taken," Sun said, indicating the blue-haired boy, who began to protest before Sun cut him off. "But my buddy, Jaune," he continued, placing a firm hand on Jaune's shoulder and pulling him to the front as he yelped, "can ride with you."

Jaune's face turned red as he smiled hesitantly at the tall girl before looking back down at his feet.

"Perfect!" the blonde announced, clapping her hands together. "My name's Yang, by the way, and she's Nora." Nora leaned around the Yang to smile and save pleasantly at the boys.

"I'm Sun," he replied.

"Like the star?" Nora asked incredulously.

"Yeah, like the star," Neptune snickered. "And my name's Neptune. Like the god," he added, smiling and winking.

"Nerd," Sun jeered.

"Intellectual!" Neptune snapped back immediately.

"Next," the tired young man running the rollercoaster called. A worker ushered them forward into the ride, Yang with Nora, Sun with Neptune, and Jaune with Pyrrha.

Pyrrha sat, holding the bars tightly, her nervousness growing. There's nothing to be afraid of,she told herself firmly.

"Of course not," Jaune replied, giving Pyrrha a small, reassuring smile.

"Oh," Pyrrha said in surprise. She hadn't realized she'd spoken out loud. She smiled.

"Have you ridden this before?" Jaune asked.

Pyrrha laughed lightly. "No. Today's the opening day."

Jaune laughed, silent scolding himself. "Of course. Sorry."

She smiled back. "No worries, Jaune."

He looked at her for a moment before realizing he was staring and looking back at his feet, his cheeks reddening. Her eyes were a beautiful shade of bright green, her voice had a strange, lovely lilt to it, her smile was dazzling, and her laugh--

"This is actually my first time on a rollercoaster," Pyrrha admitted, smiling shyly.

"Don't worry. Its perfectly safe," he told her. Then he smirked. "Probably."

"I know it's safe," she replied.

"Well yeah. But fear doesn't come from what you know. Fear thrives on the what if." Be confident, be brave, tease her. Make her like you. Amethyst hasn't been wrong yet... "What if you get stuck way up high, far above the park? Or if the ride breaks down halfway through a loop, where you hang upside down until they can rescue you, while all the blood rushes to your head? Or on the beginning of a decent, when you're stuck on a decline so steep gravity is pulling you forward, trying to drag you down, down, down..."

His words and calm, reading demeanor mocked his true feelings-he was as scared as Pyrrha was. He despisedrollercoasters. He only came to hang out with Sun and Neptune.

And now he was stuck on the most terrifying ride in the park next to a pretty girl he was trying to impress.

"But don't worry," he added confidently. "I'll make sure everything goes smoothly. Wouldn't want anything bad to happen to someone as beautiful as you."

Pyrrha smiled, her face growing a fainter shade darker. "Oh really?" she asked, laughter tingeing her voice. "And how are you going to do that?"

"Hey, you're talking to Jaune Arc," he told her, grinning charmingly. "I can do anything."

"I'm sure you can," she replied, her smile kind and sincere.

A loud noise filled Pyrrha's ears, and her heart nearly stopped. Excited voices filled the air, indiscernible from each other, a staticy announcement ringing through the speakers.

"Sorry about the delay. We had a minor malfunction, but we've fixed it up! Hope you all enjoy the ride, someone will come by to check your seatbelts in just a moment!"Pyrrha could see the worker from where she sat-a brunette that looked a few years older than herself, with honey-golden eyes and an easy smile. Enjoy it, Pyrrha scoffed silently. I'll be lucky tosurvive.

As the worker quickly checked each seatbelt, Jaune looked at Pyrrha. Noticing her discomfort, he put one hand over her own. Her eyes that put even the brightest emeralds to shame flashed to his in surprise, but she didn't pull her hand away. "Don't worry," he told her, lightly squeezing her hand. She smiled waveringly, returning the pressure. Thank you,she breathed silently. Jaune shrugged. "No worries."

Suddenly the ride jolted and Pyrrha's fingers crushed Jaune's own. Her eyes widened and she glanced down. Behind her, she heard Nora call happily, "Don't die!"

I'm not afraid,she insisted. I'm never afraid. Not of bullies, not of thugs, not of fights, and certainly not of rollercoasters.She could just imagine what Yang would tell their friends. "Geez, she can take on Cardin and his guys without worry, but stick her on a rollercoaster? You got a terrified Pyrrha Nikos."

"Just relax," Jaune breathed as the ride climbed up the tracks, the ascent agonizingly slow. The world below them shrank away before they were much higher than either of the two stuck together wanted to be and Pyrrha could see the drop--

The ride plummeted down, wind whipping their hair away from their faces and pinning them to their seats. A mix of exhilarated and terrified screams filled Pyrrha's ears and she held onto Jaune's hand, to afraid to make any sound besides the low cry of shock.

Jaune, however, was openly screaming, his voice easily matching the pitch of the girls' shouts in the seat behind them.

That sound alone broke Pyrrha from her fearful daze, looking at the handsome boy as he cried out. She laughed pleasantly, her fear replaced with something close to excitement, and she held Jaune's hand and acting as an anchor like he had for her. Adrenaline pulsed through her as the ride looped and dropped and twisted and soared-and then ended.

The ride pulled to a stop, back where they started, and the riders exited the ride, chatting to their companions. The six students joined each other, Jaune still holding hands with the redheaded girl, trying to steady his breathing. "Ah, yes, ground. How I've missed you."

Pyrrha's legs were shaky, her heartbeat slowly returning to it's normal pace, a broad smile stuck on her face.

"So Pyrrha, what did you think? Wasn't it too awesome for words?" Nora asked elatedly.

"Most definitely," Pyrrha laughed in agreement.

"Y-yeah, sure. Awesome," Jaune laughed shakily.

Pyrrha tightened her hold on his hand, and he glanced down. "Oh!" He pulled away suddenly. "Sorry about that."

"Don't worry, Jaune," Pyrrha replied.

"So, you losers up for another ride?" Sun asked. "You girls can hang with us still if you want."

"Thanks Sun," Yang said happily. "Yeah we'll ride with you."

Jaune wanted to decline. He wanted to be done. He wanted to keep his feet firmly on the ground until they got in Neptune's car and could drive back home, away from huge terrifying rollercoasters.

But Pyrrha looked at him, her expression filled with excitement and hope, and Jaune decided he'd rather get stuck on top of a metal heart-stopper than see any disappointment in that beautiful face.

"Sure," he said, and her smile widened. He looked at her and smiled shyly. "As long as I get to sit next to you."

The girls laughed, Sun and Neptune rolled their eyes, and Pyrrha blushed.

"I'd love to sit with you, Jaune," she smiled.

Nothing in the world would keep Jaune from riding every rollercoaster in the park now. Not with Pyrrha at his side.