As they step into Pier 95, the group takes in the vibrant surroundings, filled with excitement and possibilities.
"Carlos, it's your turn to choose what we do first," Mr. Mark suggests, his tone earnest.
"Why me?" Carlos replies, a hint of confusion in his voice.
"Because I feel awful about how Lucas treated you and your camera. I didn't intervene enough, and now you're upset about being away from it," Mr. Mark explains, his eyes filled with regret.
"With all due respect, sir, Ms. Knight was right; you share some responsibility for Lucas' actions towards me. You pressured me to let him use my camera, even after I clearly expressed my discomfort, and then you called me immature for standing my ground. That's not okay. You didn't even apologize for that insult," Carlos responds, his voice steady.
"I did apologize. Earlier at the tech repair shop," Mr. Mark insists.
"You said you were sorry for everything that happened, but you didn't clarify. What you should have said is that you regret spoiling your son to the point where he reacts aggressively when he doesn't get his way. You should have also acknowledged your failure to address his rude behavior towards me when you had the chance. You prioritized Lucas' feelings over mine, disregarding my refusal to share my camera. You're not being a good father. He's learning this behavior from you, and unless you change, he'll continue to act out," Carlos asserts, his conviction unwavering.
"You're absolutely right. Carlos, I am truly sorry for not respecting your feelings about sharing your camera. I should have been more assertive with Lucas instead of pushing you. I mistakenly called you immature when it was actually Lucas who was out of line. I realize now that I need to set a better example for him. I've been too lenient for far too long," Mr. Mark admits, a newfound understanding dawning on him.
"Thank you, Mr. Mark. I require a huge favor from you," Carlos says.
"Whatever you need," Mr. Mark replies.
"Please keep Lucas at a far distance from me. I absolutely do not want to be near him while we're here, and I refuse to let him ruin all the fun for me," Carlos insists.
"That's the plan. You can relax, I'll make sure you and Lucas are as far apart as possible. It'll feel like you're in a completely different world," Mr. Mark assures.
"To be honest, being on another planet would still be too close to him," Carlos quips.
His sassy reply leaves the others stunned, but they silently nod in agreement.
"Whoa, Carlos! I didn't know you were capable of such sass. I always thought that was Katie's department," James remarks.
"I wasn't trying to be snarky. I'm just incredibly furious about what Lucas did to me and my camera. If he had simply accepted my 'no,' he wouldn't be in this mess, but of course, he had to go and whine to Mr. Mark like he always does. Lucas, don't you ever get tired of being a tattletale like a little kid? Because I'm completely fed up with you running to your dad every single time things don't go your way." Carlos exclaims, letting out a frustrated sigh. "I'm going to pick an epic ride. Any objections?"
Everyone nods in agreement.
"Awesome." He beams. "The first ride I'm choosing is the Bay Plunge."
He gazes up at it, cringing slightly. "Are you really sure about that?" Logan questions.
"Absolutely! It'll be a blast. Come on, you can sit next to me if you're feeling jittery about it," Carlos reassures him.
"Good thing Camille isn't around to talk you out of it. She practically runs your life," James chimes in.
Logan shoots him an annoyed look. "That's not true! Watch what you say about her!" he retorts, fiercely defending his girlfriend. "You should be thankful she's not here to hear that; otherwise, you'd be in a headlock right now. You know how fiery she can be."
"Okay, you're right. I apologize," James concedes.
"James, please don't push Logan's buttons too much. We need to keep Carlos in good spirits about his camera. We can't handle both him and Logan being upset at the same time. That's just too much to manage," Kendall adds.
Rolling his eyes and groaning, James replies, "I said I was sorry!"
They all line up for the ride.
