text: [Themes: love & dating, romance, humor]
  
  "I think we should get on the Barf-A-Ton before anyone... Well, before anybody barfs on it."
  
  "Aw, fine."
  
  Ginny does not like spinning rides much, though I cannot figure out why. She still gets on them, but she never has that beaming grin whenever she is on a roller coaster (while I watch from a safe distance).
  
  We get in line while my friend shifts around nervously. I cannot help but ask, "Now who is the one that is afraid?"
  
  "Ha ha, shut up."
  
  "Ooh, no comeback?"
  
  Perhaps, I should have been kinder.
  
  "Ginny, we could do something else if you want."
  
  "No, I am fine."
  
  The ride stops. People get off, and one of them rushes to a trashcan before spewing out what appears to be popcorn into it.
  
  The line moves forward, and the two of us are the last to make it into the Barf-A-Ton. It is a massive circle with seats that, at first glance, appear backwards; however, after the ride starts, everybody knows why they are this way.
  
  Each of us put a buckle over our backs before the ride whirls to life. The Barf-A-Ton spins counterclockwise going faster and faster. Everybody gets squished into the front of their seats as people begin to yell and scream. Even Ginny gives out a high pitched yelp at one point. I just bask in this oddly wonderful feeling.
  
  Then, it ends.
  
  As we head off, I ask my friend, "So, what now?"
  
  "How about we not go on a ride for a while. I'm feeling dizzy."
  
  "Okay." I look around for a moment. "Hey, there is a big tent over there. We could go check that out."
  
  "What? Wouldn't you normally not do something random?"
  
  "Why not?"
  
  "Um, fine."
  
  I actually know that it houses jewelry, but I would not let Ginny know that. She tries to act like a tomboy all of the time, though I can see through her charade. She still loves to look at pretty things even if she never buys one.
  
  We walk into the quite populated tent, and I notice that it sells more than jewelry. There are a;sp trinkets and souvenirs of all sorts as far as the eye can see... They are probably all overpriced.
  
  Ginny seems content to look through the items, so I try to do the same. Bah, this is all boring stuff for me, but it is worth making her smile.
  
  "Is that your sister?"
  
  I look up to see an older man sitting behind a table. He probably saw us come in. It makes sense that he was watching us, for we are the youngest two in the tent right now.
  
  "No sir, but I get that comment frequently."
  
  "Well, would you like to give her something she'd like?"
  
  "Uh, we are just friends, and I spent all of my money on the tickets to get in here, anyway."
  
  "Here's a piece of advice, never stop something beautiful from growing. Here. Take this. I'll make it free for you."
  
  "Um, thank you, sir."
  
  He puts a small necklace in my hand. I read the inscription on the small, circular medallion. It says, "Forever."
  
  He probably gave it to me because it is too cheesy for anybody to buy... though it does not seem to be plastic.
  
  "Hey Ethan, let's go. I couldn't find anything. Hey, what's in your hand?"
  
  "Ummm."
  
  > Here. It is a gift.
  "It is a gift... for you. I think that you would like it."
  
  I hand her the necklace. Her face flushes into a slight red.
  
  "I don't wear jewelry. You shouldn't have bought it."
  
  "You do not have to wear it. Plus, I got it for free."
  
  "What am I supposed to do with this anyway?"
  
  "You could keep it in your room... It could be a memento of us. That way, you could..." I think for a moment to somehow tie in the word "Forever" into this. "You could always remember our times together... forever."
  
  "Ethan, I uh... Thanks. But, in order for me to keep this..." Her demeanor changes into her normal self instead of blushing. "You will have to go on The Widower."
  
  What?! That sneaky girl... Well, I do want her to keep it sooo...
  
  "Fine."
  
  > go to The Widower.
  We walk to The Widower while I try to convince myself that I will like it this time.
  
  "Ethan, did you know that the carnival will skip our town next year?"
  
  "No, how did you learn that?"
  
  "I read it in the newspaper."
  
  "I thought paperboys are supposed to deliver them instead of read them." Ginny understands my playful tone. She hates being called a paperboy.
  
  "Well, I do deliver them; however, this PAPERGIRL reads the one or two extra papers."
  
  "Okay, fine."
  
  Eventually, we get on the ride. I feel more relaxed than last time, but I still do not want to do this. I am silent as we are pulled up the first hill.
  
  "Hey, put your arms it. It'll make it more fun."
  
  No, I will not do something so crazy...
  
  > do it.
  I might as well impress her. I raise both of my arms into the air and confidently grin at my friend.
  
  We go down the first drop, and my arms instinctively lower. I force them back into the air. They will not go down. I will not allow it.
  
  What? Did the ride just stop?
  
  I see Ginny unbuckling. I look around and realize that it is over... That was sort of fun.
  
  I quickly unbuckle and follow Ginny. I am having a great time...
  
  > Eventually, you have to leave.
  I look into the sky and see the sun setting in the distance.
  
  "Ginny, I think it is time to go."
  
  "...Okay..."
  
  "Is everything okay?"
  
  "...Ummm..."
  
  We walk in silence for a minute; however, she speaks again as soon as we exit the carnival.
  
  "Ethan, that might have been the last time we ever go to a carnival together."
  
  I never though of it that was before. We have always gone to the carnival whenever it comes to town...
  
  "Thank you for that happy comment."
  
  "Be serious, bro."
  
  "Well, at least we will have memories."
  
  Ginny stops in her tracks and shakes her before she continues, "I don't want to live in a memory, Ethan. Promise you won't either."
  
  "Er, I promise..."
  
  "Also promise me that you will take me here at least one more time in the future."
  
  "I do not want to make a promise that I might not be able to keep."
  
  "Ethan, please... My time here is so fun, but it is only with you."
  
  "I... I will."
  
  "Thank you."
  
  She then hugs me. To others, this may seem normal, but Ginny never hugs people... not even her own family.
  
  "Ginny."
  
  "Yes?"
  
  "I promise. Distance may separate us, but you will never leave my heart." Wow... she will ridicule me for saying that.
  
  "Same here, bro."
  
  We both grin.
  
  > Five years later. Original/Unpopular ending
  I look in my car's mirror at myself. I have changed so much since Ginny last saw me three years ago.
  
  I went to a college far from my little home town on a massive scholarship. Ginny, not ever wanting to let me beat her in something like that, skipped twelfth grade and went to another college. We graduated in the same year. She became an English Major, and I majored in Creative Writing.
  
  The last time I saw her was on Christmas break. Our parents were still neighbors back then, but now my folks moved to another town. That did not stop me from writing to Ginny though. How else could I have scheduled a get-together at the carnival to celebrate our graduations?
  
  Well, I did write to her about more than going to the carnival. We would write a letter as soon as we reviewed a new one... In fact, I would say that I looked more forward to those letters than anything else especially since we could not use pay phones due to their price on long-distance calls.
  
  The letters, I suppose, were my only true link to my childhood. I was in a new place and met new people, but we remained steady.
  
  On second thought, I did have my parents as another anchor to who I once was... I also wrote to and talked to her father many times, but that was a correspondence that was more terrifying than anything. I believe that I was justified in my terror because I wrote a letter and my response a phone call that begins with "You want to do what!?" At least it worked out well in the end.
  
  I have changed so much...
  
  I finish checking myself in the mirror; everything looks fine. I doable-check that my gift to Ginny is still in my pocket. It is, so I head over to the front of the carnival and look at my wristwatch finding that she should arrive in twelve minutes.
  
  I constantly scan around me looking for the girl that I have known since she was born. My heart-rate quickens, and I begin to sweat even though it is not too hot today.
  
  I hear a familiar voice say, "Hi, Ethan."
  
  I turn to my left... wow.
  
  "You... you have changed."
  
  "So have you... Is it in a good way?"
  
  "Yes."
  
  I am no longer friends with a girl, for I am now friends with a woman.
  
  "Have I changed in a good way?"
  
  "Yes, you just seem different."
  
  "How?"
  
  "I can't put my finger on it. I guess you are more... certain. It's as if you are sure of what you are doing."
  
  "Well, do you want to go inside?"
  
  "Sure."
  
  I purchase two tickets, and we enter the carnival.
  
  "So bro, what do you want to do?"
  
  > Would you want to go on the Barf-A-Ton?
  Eh, I can stall a little before we go on The Widower.
  
  I say, "How about we go on the Barf-A-Ton?"
  
  "Yes, it probably would be our only chance. I think they are going to shut it down soon because people continously hurl on it."
  
  We walk over to the ride; however, I see that it is closed. A whole bunch of very unhappy workers are cleaning up an inhuman amount of vomit off of the ride.
  
  "Well Ethan, I can say that we won't be getting on that any time soon. What should we do now?"
  
  > Can decide, Ginny.
  "You can decide, Ginny"
  
  "Well... Would you want to go on The Widower?"
  
  "Sure, roller coasters have grown on me. I now love them."
  
  "Great, let's go!"
  
  We both run like children to The Widower. Things are working out even better than I expected.
  
  After a few minutes, we both have our arms high up in the air as the ride swooshes up and down hills. I actually end up laughing most of the time, but my joy does not come from the ride. It instead comes from being next to my dearest friend that I ever had... I never want to leave her again.
  
  When we get off the ride, we are both ecstatic.
  
  As we walk away from the ride, Ginny asks me, "What do you want to do now?"
  
  "Hey, are you listening to me?"
  
  "Oh, sorry..." Where is that bench? I have everything planned out... Okay, I see the tent where they are at. Ah, there is the bench just to the left of the tent. "Hey, let's sit down for a moment to... discuss what we do next." Arg, I should have said that better.
  
  Ginny playfully asks, "Okay, you aren't tired from that little ride now, right?"
  
  "No."
  
  > go to the bench.
  We both sit down at the bench, and I discretely glance backwards. My heartbeat begins to race faster than even the first few times I went on The Widower.
  
  I begin my speech.
  
  "Ginny."
  
  "Yep, what's on your mind?"
  
  "Remember that one time when we were kids when you said that you would rather live life like a roller coaster?"
  
  "Yeah, I was trying to get you to start liking them. At least it worked in the long run."
  
  "Well, as time went on by, I began to realize that life is best when it is like a roller coaster. How can I truly experience the happy times of life when I never knew the sad moments? How can I experience love without being separated from it first?"
  
  "Ethan, what are you saying?" I can recognize from her tone that my dear friend understands what I am saying.
  
  "After I realized that I want to live life like a roller coaster, it dawned on me that one thing was missing. Life is so much better when I can share it with somebody... Somebody I know, somebody that I can call a friend, somebody who has always been there for me despite our distances away, somebody I love."
  
  I take the small, black box out of my pocket and kneel on one knee. My dearest friend that I will ever have begins to tear as she puts her hand over her mouth.
  
  "Ginny, will you marry me?" Please say yes.
  
  "But... my father... he will have to approve."
  
  "Already done."
  
  "Are you being serious?" Her voice begins to tremble along with her body.
  
  "More than anything else I have ever done."
  
  "Ethan, then of course I accept!"
  
  From out of the tent rushes a barrage of happy friends and family. Ginny hardly manages to put on the ring before they reach us... I did it...
  
  Months of planning in advance, countless questions being asked by her father (even though he knew me since I was a boy), and her mother's difficult job of finding Ginny's finger size... It all worked.
  
  "Hey Bro, you look as if you are in more than a daze than me."
  
  I stare at... at my fiancé for a wonderful moment before I answer, "Yes, yes, I am. This is all just so lovely."
  
  "Ethan, I love you."
  
  "So do I."
  
  > Epilogue
  My eyes open. I awake from the dream.
  
  I turn to my side in my bed; however, I realize that it was not a dream. It was all real, for there is Ginny sleeping peacefully beside me. She is still as beautiful as she always was.
  
  I slowly get out of bed and quietly walk throughout our house. I look out the window for a moment to admire the moonlight on the hills and the forest below. I check on little Jenna's room and happily find that she is sleeping peacefully. Finally, I begin thinking about the drunk guy because Ginny and I are trying to create a personality for our book's newest character. Oh well, I should get off to bed.
  
  I slip under the covers again and gaze at my sleeping wife. We write our books together, we bought a house together, we had a kid together, and we are going to grow old together.
  
  This is a roller coaster that I never want to get off.
  
  I fall asleep again gazing at Ginny's face; I love her so much.