"Is it just the two of us?" Evan asked, glancing around as they entered the amusement park. He sounded genuinely surprised, expecting to see a few more faces.
Tessa grinned. "Yep! Just us. I thought it'd be more fun this way. You don't mind, do you?"
Evan shook his head. "No, not at all. Just… unexpected."
She nudged him playfully. "Come on, let's start with something wild. Roller coaster?"
Evan hesitated as they approached the towering ride. "Aren't you afraid of accidents on roller coasters?" He tried to sound casual, but his eyes lingered on the twisting tracks.
Tessa laughed, shaking her head. "Not at all! Do you know how safe these things are? The basic components are just car trains, tracks, circuits, motors, and consoles. This is a classic roller coaster-a gravity-inertia pulley with a circular track. The odds of an accident are about one in 1.5 billion, maybe even less. Honestly, you're more likely to get into a car accident on the street than have something happen here."
Evan raised his eyebrows. "Wow, you really know your stats."
She winked. "I like to be prepared. Let's go!"
As the roller coaster began its slow ascent, Evan stared ahead, gripping the safety bar. "You sure you're not nervous?" he asked, glancing at her.
Tessa grinned. "Nope. Are you?"
"Maybe a little," Evan admitted, trying to hide it.
"You'll be fine. Just scream if you need to," she teased.
The ride plunged down the first drop, and Evan's thoughts scattered. By the end, his hair was a mess and his heart was pounding.
Tessa raised her arms, laughing. "That was amazing! What did you think, Evan?"
He smoothed his hair, catching his breath. "Not bad. I think I survived."
She nudged him again. "You looked terrified. Want to go again?"
He shook his head quickly. "Maybe later. What's next?"
Tessa checked her watch. "It's not even noon. Let's play some games!"
They wandered over to a shooting game booth. The stall owner spotted them and grinned. "Hey, beautiful, want to show off your boyfriend's skills? The prizes are great!"
Tessa rolled her eyes but smiled. "Evan, want to try? Win me something big?"
Evan hesitated. "I… guess I could try."
The stall owner leaned in. "Come on, strong guy! Give your girlfriend a surprise!"
Evan shrugged. "Alright, I'll give it a shot."
"Five bucks for ten shots," the stall owner said, holding out his hand.
Before Evan could reach for his wallet, Tessa handed over a five-dollar bill. "I got it. Just win me that big bear," she said, pointing at the largest teddy bear at the back.
Evan blinked. "You beat me to it."
Tessa grinned. "I trust you."
He loaded the toy gun, aiming carefully at the number for the big bear. "Don't worry, I'll try my best."
He squeezed the trigger-boom! The shot hit number 38, right next to the big bear's number 39.
Tessa clapped. "So close! You almost had it."
The stall owner chuckled, settling into his chair. "Keep going, kid. Nobody ever wins the big bear."
Evan fired off a few more shots-boom, boom, boom! He missed a couple, but on his eighth shot, he hit number 39 dead center. The last two shots were just for fun.
The stall owner's eyes widened. "Congratulations, young man!" He handed over a huge teddy bear, nearly as tall as Evan.
Tessa's face lit up. She hugged the bear with both arms. "It's mine now! You're the best."
Evan laughed. "But it's going to be tough to carry around all day."
Tessa shrugged, already pulling out her phone. "That's why I came prepared. Come get this for me," she said into the phone.
Two burly men in plain clothes appeared a few minutes later.
Evan blinked. "They've been here all along?"
Tessa nodded. "They were waiting outside. I called them to help with the gifts."
The bodyguards gathered the prizes and left. Tessa checked her watch again. "It's getting late. Ready for lunch?"
Evan nodded. "Definitely. I skipped breakfast."
She grinned. "I know a great place. Follow me."
They walked down the street, chatting about the games and rides. Soon, they reached a cozy restaurant. Inside, they ordered a huge seafood platter and juice, settling into a booth by the window.
Tessa leaned forward. "So, Evan, do you like machinery?"
He propped his head on his hand. "I do, but I'm not exactly good at building things."
She looked intrigued. "You've tried, though?"
Evan nodded. "Yeah, I spent half a year building a little robotic arm, but it never worked right. It just kept wobbling."
Tessa smiled. "It's probably a problem with your power system. Maybe the motor wasn't strong enough or the balance was off."
Evan shrugged. "Maybe. I didn't pay much attention to the details at the time. I just wanted it to move."
She laughed. "Well, you tried. That's more than most people can say."
Their food arrived, and they dug in, talking about everything from favorite movies to school drama. Tessa told stories about her family and her dreams. Evan listened, sharing a few stories of his own, careful not to reveal too much about his powers.
After lunch, Tessa left a generous tip for the waiter. They stepped outside, the afternoon sun warming their faces.
Tessa glanced at Evan. "You know, I had a really good time today."
Evan smiled. "Me too. It was nice to just hang out."
She bumped his shoulder. "Let's do it again sometime."
He nodded. "Definitely."
They reached the parking lot where Tessa's car was waiting. She turned to Evan, her expression soft. "Thanks for today. I needed this."
Evan shrugged, a little shy. "Anytime."
She got into her car, rolling down the window. "See you soon, Evan!" she called, waving as the car pulled away.
Evan watched her go, feeling a strange mix of happiness and exhaustion. He wasn't physically tired, but after a whole day of talking about machinery and keeping up with Tessa's energy, he was definitely mentally worn out.
He shook his head, smiling. "If she wanted to talk about machines so much, why didn't she just go to the exhibition? Maybe we would've run into Peter."
When Evan got home, he called out, "I'm back!"
Aunt May was tidying up the table. She looked up. "How was your day?"
Evan dropped his bag by the door and stretched. "It was good, but pretty tiring."
Ben was sitting in his usual chair, reading the newspaper. He glanced up. "It's good to get out more. As soon as Peter gets home, he said he wants to see you."
Evan looked surprised. "Me?"
Ben nodded. "He seemed excited."
Aunt May moved toward the kitchen. "Want something to eat? There's pizza. I can heat it up."
Evan shook his head. "Thanks, Aunt May, but I'm full. I'll go upstairs."
He made his way up, knocking on Peter's door. "Peter, you wanted to see me?"
Peter looked up from his desk, eyes bright. "You're finally back! You won't believe how many cool photos I took today with the camera you gave me."
Evan grinned. "Really? That's awesome."
Peter nodded. "Thanks! Where did you go today?"
Evan sat on the edge of the bed. "Amusement park."
Peter's eyes widened. "Amusement park?! You actually went? I should've asked you to take me!" He shook his head, laughing. "I mean, I loved the mechanical exhibition, but honestly, a day at the Amusement park sounds more fun."
Evan chuckled. "Next time," he promised. He didn't want to be the third wheel between these intelligent people.
Now, all Evan could think about was the upcoming technology exhibition.
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A/N: Hey Everyone, If you like the chapter please share your reviews and feedbacks. Thanks for reading.