𝙨𝙞𝙭

I watch as Isabella greets some of the little kids.

"Lift me up. I can't see!" Gray yells at me and I roll my eyes.

"I'm not Dad. And you're not five." He changes positions, running to take pictures of the triceratops.

"I can still ride the Triceratops. I'm 47-and-a-half inches." He begs and I cross my arms, Isabella stands by me again.

"This place is for little kids." I groan, walking past to the next stations.

"Yeah, I know. Wanna go on the spinning dinosaur eggs?" He asks, smiling hopefully at me and Bella. We both laugh to ourselves.

"Nope-sure" me and Isabella say at the same time, she looks at me with narrow eyes. I shrug and walk past her.

"Cover up your dork pouch." I punch the fanny pack that mom gave him and he tugs his shirt down. I hear Isabella whisper something to him and they both giggle. I look back at Zara. They both meet my side again.

"Because it's my wedding. No, Alec's not having a bachelor party. Because all his friends are animals." She goes on and on, not paying attention.

This is our chance.

"Scatter." I say, grabbing Isabella's hand.

"What?" They both ask and I begin to run, making sure Zara isn't looking.

"Go. Run. Go!" I say and begin to run as fast as I can, holding onto Isabella's hand, Gray close behind. Out of breath, we stop in the center where everything else is.

"The next T. rex feeding will begin in 10 minutes." The PA system announces.

"T. Rex! Come on, guys. Come on!" He runs into a building I look at Isabella and realize we're still holding hands. She laughs and begins to run again, still holding my hand. I smile, I really like her, she's cool.

•

Isabella and Gray struggle to look at the view, but it's just going to be a  T-Rex eating a goat. It's actually quite sad. But also, pretty damn cool.

"Parents be aware, this show may be disturbing for smaller children." I look around and my phone buzzes in my pocket, I make sure Isabella isn't looking. I'm sure she wouldn't be too happy about that. I see mom's name on the screen.

Shit I forgot to call her.

"Hey, Mom." I sigh into the phone.

You were supposed to call me when you landed, "when I don't answer she goes on, "Are you having fun?" She asks and I nod.

"Yeah, I guess," I kick a small pebble around on the floor, "Aunt Claire gave us passes, so we don't have to wait in line." I explain, looking at Gray and Bella gasping when the goat gets eaten.

"Wait, she's not with you?" She asks in a concerned voice. I make a confused face.

"N-no, she's working. I thought you knew?" I put my hand on my hip and look around the hall.

"No I didn't! Are you guys alone? Who's watching you?" She interrogates and I roll my eyes.

"Her assistant, we're fine mom, I promise." I say and she sighs, I rub my temples.

"I'm calling your aunt, have a good time honey, tell Gray, I love him." She hangs up.

"I see your on your phone," Bella laughs and I begin to apologise when she nods, "it's fine, I'm not your mother or something." She laughs and I nod.

"So what do you wanna do next?" I ask but Gray gasps.

"The Mosasaurus."

•

I take my seat next to Isabella and Gray. I look around and see people in ponchos. The show has already begun. Great. A woman is standing at the front, khaki's and all.

"The Mosasaurus was thought to have hunted near the surface of the water where it could prey on anything it could sink its teeth into," the announcer yells into the microphone connected to her ear, she looks up and a great white hangs from a crane. My phone buzzes, I pull it out quickly.

OliviaI'm at your house where are you?

MeWhy the hell are you at my house?

I type quickly, I'm tired of this bullshit.

MeLeave.

"Okay folks, let's see if she's still hungry after already eating today. She's a little shy so be nice and give her a hand when she comes out."

OliviaWhere are you?

MeNot there.

I get nudged hard by Gray and I look up quickly.

"Zach! Zach! The Mosasaurus!" He yells in my ear when it happens.

Suddenly, the big fierce reptile of the sea thunders out of the water and snaps its jaw onto the Great-White dragging it under the water within lagoon and sending a pool of water over all of us. I smile the widest smile I have since coming here, holy fuck. Everyone begins to clap, I look at Isabella who's just laughing, I laugh along. I begin clapping along as well,   unbelieved to what I've just seen.

"Okay, hold on tight. We're going to give an even closer look at our Mosasaurus." The seats begin seeping into the floor, we all gasp when we see the mosasaurus finishing the rest of the great white. We all clap, I realize I haven't stopped smiling.

"You guys wanna go see something else cool?" Isabella asks and we both nod.

"Yeah!" We say enthusiastically at the same time.

Maybe this place isn't as bad as I thought.

•

We find our seats on the monorail, I sit in the middle, Gray sits by the window and Isabella sits at the edge. Isabella sees one of her friends and greets them, she's incredibly kind. I'm mesmerized by her hair when Gray begins to talk to me.

"If Mom and Dad get divorced, will one of us be with Mom and the other with Dad?" He asks randomly and my heart drops.

He knows?

"What? Why would you say that?" I'm not the one thats going to tell I'm, that's up to mom and dad, this has nothing to do with me.

"Because they are." Are you kidding me?

No, they're not getting... They're not getting divorced." I lie, making sure my tone is firm.

"Look. You haven't been around long enough. They've always been that way. They get mail from two different lawyers." He insists and I give him a look.

"That doesn't mean anything."

"I googled. They're divorce lawyers." His face goes cold and I try to think of what the hell to say.

"All right, whatever. You know what?It doesn't matter, okay? I'm gonna be gone in two years anyway. I mean, all my friends' parents are divorced," I look at him and tears roll down his cheek, "Hey, knock it off. You're gonna cry-"

"What the hell Zach?" Bella scowls.

Shit.

"Can you switch seats with me," when I don't answer she looks at me like I'm dumbfounded... Cause I am, "please?" She says a little louder. I sigh and sit up and she quickly takes me seat. Gray looks away from her and out the window.

"Hey..." She puts her hand on his shoulder, "my parents are divorced," she tells him and I put my head against the seat, "I believe I was around your age as well, it was really really hard," he looks at her with crying eyes, "I had no one to help me through it, not a sibling, not a single family member was there for me. But I pulled through, I pulled through because I knew, both of them loved me to death. And they didn't do it out of hate, they did it out of love. Because if they hadn't, they would've had arguments and fights every single night. That wouldn't be fun would it?" She asks and he shakes his head. A small smile spreads across his mouth.

"No it wouldn't..."

"Exactly, they're doing it for you, not because of you," she smiles at him, "plus, you'll get two birthdays, two Thanksgivings, two Christmas's, see it's not that bad!" They giggle and she wipes the tears off his cheeks. He pulls her into a hug that she gladly accept. She turns her head and looks at me, narrowing her eyes. I give her an apologetic look. She just turns her head back and looks out the window.

And the best brother award goes to...