Jessie and James remained at the water park for a while longer until they knew that there was much more to do, and Meowth was probably waiting for them. On top of that, they were starving and it was becoming late afternoon, so they soon saw fit to dry off and get dressed.
Jessie and James met at their locker, dressed and ready (hair spray and all, for Jessie) and wandered off into the crowd again in search of the arcade.
"I wonder if Meowth got bored of the arcade while waiting for us," James said. "Serves him right, though—he wouldn't even go swimming with us!"
"At least *he* didn't get sunburned," said Jessie. Her shoulders were what had been burned worst, though her face had a pinkish tint from the sun.
"Ah, there it is! Fun Time arcade." James was pointing to a good-sized building with a fountain decorating the front of it. "I hope he stayed there, 'cause I don't want to go searching for him all over the park!"
James and Jessie entered, where rows of games stretched out before them. They began to search the aisles for their Pokemon friend.
They soon reached the west wall of the arcade and turned into another aisle.
"Hey, there he is," said James suddenly. Sure enough, there was Meowth, quite engulfed in a game of Bust-A-Move.
Jessie approached the cat, James by side. "Sorry to disturb you, but we're back. Let's go." She tapped him on the shoulder.
"Ah, hey, ya messed me up! Red on green...ah, dere goes my perfect setup! And now da screen's lowerin'..."
Meowth cursed as 'Game Over' flashed over his screen.
"Can we go now?" Jessie asked dully.
"Ah, ok den. Let's gettoutta here."
"I'm sure you're hungry," James spoke up.
"Yeah, come 'ta tink of it," responded Meowth.
"I'm getting hungry too," Jessie told them as they exited the arcade. "Where can we get some actual food around here?"
James whipped out the wallet and peeked into it, thumbing through the money within.
"We're a bit low on cash," James reported. "Ok, *very* low. That elephant may have costs us a meal—"
"Oh, hush," Jessie commanded her partner, jabbing him softly in the arm.
"So, I guess dat means no dinna?" Meowth asked in a downhearted way.
"Let's just not talk about it...come on, let's at least do something to keep our minds off of food," Jessie advised.
"Sure," James agreed. The three Rockets strode away from the arcade and down the cement walkway.
"I don't think we've looked down this way yet," said Jessie. They were entering an area of ramadas and pavilions, and the smell of food loomed in the air.
"Ah, just work parties and family reunions..." James told her nonchalantly. "Nothing too interesting."
"Oh, but they're eating," Jessie said, leaning on a wooden fence and watching a group of people who were having a barbeque. "I wish I were them right now..." Jessie sighed and began to turn back toward the midway. "I can't stand the smell of food anymore. I'm outta here."
James thought a moment, then stopped her. "Wait a sec...I think I've got an idea."
"Oh, really?" Jessie said, turning to him, "Isn't that my job?"
"No, *really* — I think we _can_ be them!"
"...Hm?"
"Come here, I'll show you."
James led Jessie and Meowth to a pavilion where a family reunion was obviously being held. A table of food lay among many other tables of chatting people, and little children and adults alike were eating blissfully from plates loaded with food.
"Here we are," James muttered to his partners. "Why don't we just join this family for dinner?"
"Ya 'tink dey won't no'dice?" Meowth asked, licking his chops.
"Who cares? What can they do? Besides— doesn't everyone want a few members of Team Rocket in their family?"
Jessie smiled at him. "I never knew you were so devious, James."
"Come on...der's tons'a food just waitn' ta be eaten!" Meowth cried happily.
The made their way to the table.
"Excuse me...do I know you?" An older lady had come up from them, and her voice was full of suspicion.
James looked a tad concerned for a moment, than he suddenly spoke up.
"Why....Darla!" he said, reading the lady's name tag, "I can't believe you don' remember us! I'm your great aunt's niece's nephew's grandma's uncle's son's daughter's cousin's son! Come on, you gotta know me!"
"Er, well..."
"And, she's your father's mother's aunt's cousin's daughter-in-law's niece's mother's father's niece," James clarified, pointing to Jessie, and winking at her. A small smile took over her lips.
The lady, Darla, blinked, and looked plainly baffled. But, nonetheless, she said, "Oh, why, of course! I'm so....so sorry, my...my mind must have slipped or something. Go on and eat before all that food is gone!" She forced a nervous smile. "Great to see you kids again....you go on ahead and eat." She gave James a pat on the back and smiled again.
James nodded, and smiled at Jessie as the women left.
"Well, maybe you're more clever than I ever thought you were," Jessie told James in a low voice as she began to fill a plate.
"Yeah, well...I think I'm a bit smarter than you give me credit for."
Jessie looked up at him a moment, as if to speak, then stopped herself and returned to her plate.
"I'm just glad 'ya got us some food! I woulda starved if I hadn't eaten somthin' soon!" The cat was already eating, putting into his mouth whatever he could get his paws on.
After they had all packed their plates, they walked over to a vacant tree to eat their meal in peaceful shade.
"Aw, family reunions..." James said in a reminiscent way. "I never liked them, but that's just because my family reunions were just a bunch of rich snobs swapping recipes for caviar." He smirked, and ate a forkfull of food. "But *this*...this is a real family reunion. Five different kinds of potato salad...mmmmm, and not to mention bowl after bowl of pasta salad....and who could forget the fruit Jell-O?"
"Mmm, it *is* delicious," Jessie said between bites.
"But da best part," Meowth said, "is dat we made it 'ta da food without gettin' our cheeks pinched!"
"Good old family unity," James said, and headed back for more potato salad.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
The sky was becoming darker, the air was growing colder, and a soft breeze was wisping over the park as day turned to night.
Jessie, James and Meowth were beginning to notice that many of the rides were closing already as the sky grew darker, and they sat on a bench and again began to study the park map.
"Well," Jessie was saying, "I think we'll have to look at the rides and see what's still open." She folded the map and placed it in the bag. "The map doesn't say anything about how late the rides stay open."
"Yeah," James agreed. They all stood and began to walk again.
"Hmmm...we could go on— oh, wait, closed 30 minutes ago..." James kept looking around.
" Da Spiral Coaster's still open," Meowth told them. The other two just shook their heads and didn't respond. "Well? It is!"
"Meowth," Jessie said, waving them on, "I *still* haven't recovered from that ride. Let's not go on it again."
They soon came up to another ride that none of them had seen yet. It had seta of 3 seats that rotated at the end of 3 large rotating arms. The middle of the arms would move around, sending the seats spinning in circles over and over again.
Meowth seemed quite interested in this ride. "Hmmm...I've seen this before..."
"It looks like it could be fun," Jessie said as she watched the ride in action.
"Well, would you look at that," James said, his arms folded in a prideful way. "You wanna ride the 'Barf Bucket', I see." He had a curious smile on his face.
"This is the 'Barf Bucket'?!" Jessie asked in surprise.
"Yeah...see for yourself."
"Well, the sign says so; but somehow, I expected...more."
"Oh, well. I guess now that you know it's true identity, you don't want to ride it," James said.
"Well...I guess we could. It looks harmless, anyway. And the names are always over- exaggerated on these rides."
"Yeah! Yeah, dat's da ticket! Let's get in line, come on!" Meowth told them eagerly.
Jessie and James both shrugged.
"Sure...but it's not *that* exciting, Meowth," Jessie said.
"You bet it is," Meowth said deviously.
The three entered the line, which was moving pretty quickly, and they watched as the 'Barf Bucket' went about 2 more times before it was their turn.
"Who sits with who?" Meowth asked suddenly when it was nearly their turn.
"Guess it doesn't matter," James said. A smile came over Meowth's face.
"Ok den, you two sit together."
"Sure..."
Meowth's grin grew even more evil.
They were admitted into the ride's loading area and found their seats. Jessie and James sat in a green one, James on the inside, and Meowth found an orange one that was connected to a different arm.
"Why are you all the way over there, Meowth?" James yelled.
"Ah, I just wanna be able ta watch ya guys suffer!"
"Uh...."
The ride began to move slowly, the arms lifting slightly and rotating. It gained speed and within a few seconds, it was really starting to go fast.
For some reason, it hadn't occurred to James or Jessie what they had gotten themselves into.
James slid out towards Jessie as the ride picked up speed.
"Scoot over, James! Stay on your side," Jessie told him.
"I'm—trying," James told her, "but there's too much force! It's too fast!"
"Oh, no. . . the force *is* too strong...I'm being crushed over here, and I can hardly move!"
And so, the ride thus became a nauseating battle of James trying to hang on and not squish Jessie, and Jessie, in the midst of this, trying to push James back so he could grab onto the other side.
"James, just—hold tighter...!"
"Can't—"
Soon, their peril turned into both Jessie and James falling into a fit of giggles as they were hurled uncontrollably, James unable to go on any longer and ramming into Jessie. She, too, gave up on pushing him away, and let her shoulder go numb as it was pressed hard against the side of the seat.
At long last, Jessie and James could feel their seat slow, and the stress on them receded. James found that he was able to move a little again.
"'K, James..." Jessie said, "you can scoot back to your side now."
"Rather not...I'm pretty comfy here." He was still leaning on Jessie.
Jessie sighed, thinking of *shoving* James back to his side, but then deciding against it.
They stopped moving, and Jessie opened the lock on their seat. She and James stumbled out.
"Well, it would seem that Meowth was trying to fool us into sitting together so I'd get crunched," Jessie said as they met up with the cat. He was looking quite green.
"I 'tink I'm gonna th-row up," he remarked, swaying as he walked.
"Heh, too bad you went on the ride alone, Meowth," James said. "At least I had a pillow to cushion me from all the jolty spinning."
"Yeah, yeah, 'ya win, already," Meowth said, looking greener every minute.
"You had a pillow, James, but pillows have feelings, too," Jessie remarked, massaging her aching shoulder.
"Sorry," James said with a slightly red face.
"Well, looks like the 'Barf Bucket' got the better of Meowth," Jessie said as they watched him run for the nearest bathroom.
"Serves him right," James muttered. "It would seem that we were the only ones to make it out alive..." he went on dramatically. "No hurling for us!"
"Well, James— if you're feeling so brave, than maybe you're ready for a real challenge," Jessie said, playing along with he jest, "let's try— the Ferris Wheel!!"
James put his hands to his mouth in mock astoundment. "No....no....anything but...the Ferris Wheel!"
Jessie found herself giggling.
"Seriously— why don't we, James?" Jessie leaned against a tree, looking over the giant wheel.
"Sure, if it's open...and, if it's not too much for you, that is."
Jessie smiled, and nudged James playfully as they walked off.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
"I can't believe that cat was too sick to even go on a Ferris Wheel," James commented, standing in line by Jessie. She shrugged.
"Who knows. Pokemon are odd creatures, and Meowth is no exception to the rule. He's odder than most, might I add."
"He would've complained, anyway," James said. "He's good at finding something to whine about."
"He's more like you than I thought, then," ventured Jessie. James shot her a semi-hurt look, but she patted him on the shoulder, saying, "But it's kinda cute, to be honest..."
The sun was down behind distant mountains, and now twinkling stars shown through a veil of dark sky.
"We're next," James said. They moved up to the front of their line and leaned against the gate, waiting.
The wheel spun about halfway around, then stopped. An employee began to open different gates, boarding people into circular, bowl-shaped seats. A bench inside the bowl circled all around the inside , a plastic parasol covered it, and a sheel in the center of the bowl could be turned to rotate the bowls.
A lady came up to Jessie and James and opened their gate, directing them to their seat.
"Please, no spitting or throwing objects," she was saying as she locked the door to their bowl. "You may stop at any time and possibly be up there for a full 20 minutes. Enjoy the ride!" She smiled and walked away.
The ride didn't start immediately, but after a couple of minutes, it finally began its ascent.
James sat back on one side of the seat, his arms around the back of the bench, while Jessie sat across from him on the other side. She tried to sit back and be comfortable.
"Hm...there's a lot a vandalism on this thing," Jessie said, trying to break the quiet moment with some thin conversation.
"Yeah. Guess people get bored up here, and it's not like you'd get caught....especially if you *were* stuck at the top for 20 minutes." James was looking at the wheel in the center of their bench, which was covered in names and initials among other writing. "Here— hand me something sharp."
Jessie reached into the bag and withdrew a pocket knife. She handed it to James.
James began to scratch into the white paint of the wheel, making a slight scraping noise as he did. A minute later, he looked up again.
"Aw, see? Now I'll never be forgotten." He turned the wheel, the whole bowl rotating with it, so that Jessie could see where had carved his name. It simply read "James".
"Very nice," she told him.
"Why don't you add a "+ Jessie" under it or something?" James asked with a smile.
"I dunno, James," she answered, "I know you're nuts, but I don't want to— well, *imply* anything."
Silence pierced the air as they circled around for the second time. The wheel slowed, and stopped about half way to the top.
It was very strange that there was such a tense silence between them. James tried to look out at the scenery, but his head shot right back.
"Jess," he asked suddenly through the quiet, "why have you been so nice to me today? I mean, no fans, mallets, anything." Jessie was looking at him now. "I know I've gone a bit over the line, but...but...well, you didn't stop me, and you always have before."
Jessie bit her lip, looking almost like she'd love to run away at that moment. But she couldn't.
"Because I...I didn't..." Jessie stopped. Another silence. James waited, his eyes still questioning.
"Because," she continued at last, "I was tired of seeing you get hurt, because you're the last person to deserve it." She looked away as soon as she had said it.
"You didn't...want to hurt me?" asked James, leaning a bit forward. "You really didn't want to hurt me?" His face seemed concerned, but there was a twinkle behind those green eyes.
Silence. The wheel started up again.
"If you don't want to talk about it," James began, but he never finished his sentence.
"James," Jessie said as though it were painful, "I always act like I hate being with you, beating you up and stuff, taking charge...but I don't hate you. It's more the opposite." She almost smiled. "I guess...you could say...I like you more than I let on..."
The ride stopped after turning around once more, at the very top of the wheel.
James seemed thoughtful as he sat there, looking at the floor. Jessie seemed nervous, and she tried to stop her eyes from staring at James.
"Jess," James said, looking up, "maybe I shouldn't, but I think I can clear things up...can I do something I've been dying to do for a very long time?" He was staring at he face eagerly.
"Yeah, sure, I guess," Jessie replied. She looked almost embarrassed.
"Ok. But you have to promise that you'll close your eyes when I do it and you won't try to stop me."
"Uh, ok..."
"Close your eyes," James told her. She submitted.
James leaned forward, touching his hand to her soft cheek, and kissed her on the lips.
He pulled away. Jessie was staring at him, obviously surprised, though looking somewhat satisfied.
James smiled at her. "Thanks," he said.
Jessie smiled, and scooted over the his side. She threw her arms around him.
"Thanks?" she said quietly. "No, thank *you*. Thank you, James, for breaking the ice I've been slipping on all day." They looked at one another, nearly laughing, and James put his arm around Jessie.
"I think we're seeing eye-to-eye now," James said. He turned the wheel with his free hand so they were looking over the lights and sights of the park below them.
"You're not as shy as I thought, James, really," Jessie said. "I didn't know if I wanted you flirting with me and stuff because you'd never really done it before...but then, today I realized that I like that side of you. I like you a lot more when you're not cowering in fear from a mallet...you're a lot of fun." She rested her head on his shoulder gently. "Thanks for being so bold, James."
"My pleasure," he told her. They both grinned.
The Ferris wheel circled again.
Jessie eyed the wheel right in from of them, and James' name on it.
"James," Jessie spoke after several minutes, "will you hand me that pocket knife?"
James mocked concern. "Don't do it, Jessie! Suicide isn't the answer...and just after I tell you how I feel about you."
Jessie shook her head, taking the knife.
She leaned over and scratched something into the wheel. When she sat up, they both looked at what she had written:
James
+
Jessie
=
Forever
"That's more like it," James said, "and all it took was a kiss."
Jessie leaned back into his arms again.
As the ride started again, it went around one more time, then slowed as it reached the bottom.
An employee came and let them out of their bench.
Jessie and James, arms around one another's waists, exited the ride, both considerably more happy than when they had entered.
"So, Jess," James said, "Whaddaya say we buy a frozen lemonade to share before we find Meowth?"
Jessie nodded, still smiling. "Fantastic idea."
The two merged into a throng of people and disappeared into the crowded midway.
~`~`~
High above the mid-way lights
High above the rides, you, me and the sky
The whole world looks small tonight
And you said that we could never really fly
Well if you're right and we're nothing at all
Tell me why did I keep thinking 'bout you calling
If you're right and we're nothing at all
Tell me why do you keep thinking that you're falling
Swaying, sighing at the skywheel top
Then you say that I can never make you mine
Well lights, rings, constellations turn and stop
Kiss me once again and change your mind
If you're right and we're nothing at all
Tell me why did I keep thinking 'bout you calling
If you're right and we're nothing at all
Tell me why do you keep thinking that you're falling.
~`~`~
~`~`~`~`~`
The End
~`~`~`~`~`
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Ok, I know this was a bit different than my usual stories. I tried writing it in a sorta different style this time, so if you liked it or hated it, let me know. I wasn't totally happy with it, and I may yet go back and change things a bit, but this is it for now. Please leave reviews! Thanks!
Also, the song lyrics at the end are 'Falling' by Semisonic. They seemed to fit the story , even though it's not a songfic. --StarGlider
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