The Boardwalk- Chapter 4

Inu-Yasha staggered out of the ship ride, his white hair rumpled and sticking up all over the place. Swallowing weakly, he tried to keep down the sour digestive sauces that were gurgling around in his stomach. Everything kept spinning nauseatingly, he couldn't figure out why, and it was making him dangerously dizzy.

Kagome was right in front of him...He put out an arm and leaned on her unsteadily. Kagome smiled...no, she snickered. "Think you barfed enough there, Inu-Yasha? Geez, that was disgusting!"

A janitor rushed quickly past them and started mopping at the slushy throw-up splattered over half of the ship's heavy plastic seats.

"All those poor people!" she continued to comment as Inu-Yasha regained his balance. "Couldn't you have at least tried to aim to the side or something? Well, at least you didn't splash any on me-" She laughed out at his wrathful eyes, glaring daggers through her. "I was just playing around! Don't take everything so seriously all the time!"

"Playing around, eh?" he croaked, then immediately clapped both hands over his mouth. Kagome patiently directed him to a garbage can and patted his back as he hunched over it. When he had finished, he scowled at her again. "We'll see who's playing around when I'm done with you, wench!" he said.

"Tsk, tsk...threatening, are we? That's not very nice," said Kagome brightly, almost skipping alongside him as they walked.

"Feh. My becoming ill makes you so happy?"

"Yup!" Winking at him, she led the way to a food stand. "Want something to eat now?"

He watched her as she paid the cashier and came out with a warm bowl of something. "No thanks...I don't feel much like eating."

"Are you suuuuure?" she asked. She held the bowl temptingly close to his nose and waved it around. The smell made his saliva start to pour.

"Oh!" said Inu-Yasha. "Ramen!"

"Heheheheheh!" Cackling evilly, Kagome produced a pair of chopsticks and dug into the noodles with a relish. "Too bad, Inu-Yasha. You're too sick to eat anything! Mmm...mmm!" She made exaggeratedly slow eating motions, bringing the ramen to her lips, slurping it down slowly...

Inu-Yasha lunged for the bowl. "No! No I'm not! I changed my mind! Give it! Give it!"

"But I already got my nasty germs in it! You wouldn't want that!" said Kagome, holding the food high above her head with one hand.

"I don't care! Gimme!"

"Are you sure you want it?"

"Yes! Yes!"

"Suuuuuure?"

"Yes!!"

"Okay." With a loud, wet plop, the bowl landed upside-down on Inu-Yasha's head. Shrimp-flavored soup streamed down his face, and strands of squiggly noodle decorated his hair.

"That's for the ice cream," she said smugly. She ran before he could say anything.

"Aaaaaaaaarrgh!" Shaking off the bowl, Inu-Yasha raced after her. He dodged and shoved madly past people, trying to keep Kagome in sight. She made a sudden turn, and without thinking, he followed her. All he could think of was to catch her...

She was among a group of people, pouring into an enclosed area that held a cluster of tiny cars. As they started to whiz around him, he realized he was the only one not riding a car. Leaping into one nearby, he tried to imitate their movements, turning the wheel, stepping on something in the bottom. No sooner had he begun to inch forward when someone slammed into him from behind, jolting him. He wheeled around. Kagome.

"Hahah! Try to hit me!" she teased. Her car sailed off in the opposite direction.

Erg... Inu-Yasha was filled with an overwhelming frustration. How do you get this darn thing to move forward? He kicked his foot angrily and jerked the wheel to the side. Suddenly his car did begin to move...in a circle. Twirling around and around. Faster and faster.

"AAAAAH!" he yelled. "STOP THIS THING!"

"Take your hands off the wheel!" called Kagome. He did. To his relief, the car stopped spinning, but it didn't stop completely. Instead, it surged ahead – and crashed straight into Kagome.

"Gotcha!" said Inu-Yasha.

She stared at him for a moment, then bursted out laughing. Inu-Yasha joined her. The two traipsed away from the bumper cars, cracking up, oblivious to the looks and gapes of passersby.

"Let's go on that!" suggested Inu-Yasha, pointing to a rotating ride with the words "Whirlwind" printed across the entrance.

"Wow, that's the first time you actually volunteered to ride something!" said Kagome. "Let's go!" They strolled quickly up to the gate, entered, and found seats. There were several stations, groups of seats arranged in a circle, suspended in the air and attached to one large machine in the middle. When everyone was seated, the ride began to whirl like a carousel, but faster.  

Kagome smiled across at Inu-Yasha, and he smiled back. "I'm glad you're finally starting to enjoy this place," she said.

He said nothing, but inside, he was plotting wickedly. There was a reason he'd chosen the Whirlwind. From a distance, he had watched other people on this ride, and he now knew how to operate it. He grasped the large, round, disc-shaped wheel in the middle and pulled at it. It turned easily, and so did the circle of seats they were sitting at.

"Oh no..." breathed Kagome. "Don't..."

"Yes!!" Inu-Yasha flung himself at the wheel, turning it as fast as he could in one direction. Their ride spun rapidly too, making everything outside into one big blur.

"I...don't really like spinning rides!" she called out.

"Oops! I missed that!" he said, spinning faster than ever.

"Ugghh!! You...!!" Dizzily, Kagome pushed his arms down. Before they even had time to slow, he started spinning the wheel again. She shoved him to the side. No use...he popped back and resumed spinning. "Don't make me have to SIT you!" she said. "It would be pretty painful in this...oh..."

The ride was slowing down, and Inu-Yasha was wedged painfully into his seat, his face mushed against the wheel.

*****

Hmm...this thing is becoming quite long...I think should wrap it up soon. Any suggestions? Comments on how I'm doing? Review! ^_^