It's... not even surprising. Like, at all. If anybody'd get somethin' out of this thing, it'd be him. I mean, not that I haven't spent time on it, with the girls, but I just... can't see myself bouncing around on the fucking thing all by myself like that.
But that's the difference between me and him. He finds what's great about every fuckin' situation he's in, no matter what.
"You should've had your birthday here, man," I say, standing just outside and looking up at him with a smirk.
"Wouldn't have worked, mate," Chris replies, looking down at Neil as he continues to bounce. Truthfully, he's not entirely sure how to stop without looking special needs or something, so he's decided to keep at it for now.
"Wouldn't wanna waste good booze," I agree, my lips pressing together against a laugh while I watch him bounce around.
"So, you just find this thing?"
I can't even remember when it turned up. I know it hasn't always been here, but random shit just appearing out of nowhere isn't even strange around here anymore.
"D'you mean this thing's always been here?" Chris asks, genuinely surprised that he's missed it all this time. Granted, he's not been on the island as long as some people-- like Neil, who's been around fuckin' ages-- but a giant bounce house is something he should have noticed by now.
Marshall hadn't seen one of those things since a summer block party in their neighborhood when he'd been seven. Young enough to be expected to enjoy it, but even then, he kind of hadn't seen the appeal. That isn't to say that he hadn't run and jumped and played like any other kid, but being herded into an inflatable trampoline with a bunch of kids who'd already labeled him the runt of the bunch wasn't exactly the framework for an awesome time.
That didn't mean he had some kind of negative, trauma-induced reaction to seeing the thing, but it wasn't like he was hurrying to take off his shoes and climb aboard.
Still, Chris looked like he was having a good time, which wasn't unusual or anything, but still provided a decent enough excuse for Marshall to walk over.
Seeing Marshall standing there, Chris tries to stop bouncing, but it's easier said than done, really, and he mostly only succeeds in bouncing once on his arse before he's back to his feet again.
"Did you know this was here?" he asks, because Chris is still amazed that he's gone all these months without coming across it at all.
"I don't think so," he said, and it was kind of strange that he'd never noticed it before, but admittedly, the Rec Center wasn't a place he really frequented.
"Do you think it belongs to somebody? I mean, who'd just a leave an inflatable castle in the middle of the jungle?" What kept it from getting popped?
"Dunno," Chris says and give Marshall something as close to a shrug as he can while he's bouncing like he is. "Dunno if it really matters, anyway. It's not like it's got anyone's name on it, yeah?"
But to be honest, Chris likely would have kept on bouncing, even if it was obvious that it belonged to someone. What the fuck's a bounce house for if not for people to bounce around in it. It being empty's a fuckin' waste, it is.
Eduardo has passed by the bouncy castle before, but never when there was anyone using it. That alone would have been enough to get him to pause, but when he sees that it's Chris jumping around in it, there's no way he could walk past. He has no intention of bouncing himself, but it's an amusing sight, to say the least, and Chris is good company, anyway. "Hey, man," he calls, unable to help letting out a laugh as he lifts one hand in a wave. "You look like you're having fun."
"You've got to get up here, mate," Chris replies, because there's no excuse for Eduardo to be standing down there and not up and bouncing like Chris is. He doesn't get why people aren't always here, actually. There should be a fuckin' queue for something like this.
Not that they don't already have a trampoline up near the compound, but somehow this is loads better than that.
"You mean - come bounce?" Eduardo asks, eyebrows shooting up, though his expression doesn't stop being vaguely amused. It speaks for itself, of course, but his weight shifts back to his heels anyway, tongue pressing to his teeth. He doesn't really do that sort of thing, let go like that, but whether he stands here or whether he joins Chris, he's pretty sure that he's bound to look ridiculous either way.
"That's what I said," Chris replies, because he's not sure how what he said could have been unclear at all. What else would he be asking Eduardo to do? There's a bounce house, there's room for like... at least six other people, so the space is just wasted with there only being him inside.
"What the fuck is that?" To her, it's a legitimate question - she'd never seen one of those things before in her life. The kid inside sure seemed to be having a ball, but she still doesn't quite know what to do about guys who ain't trying to play it cool.
Her expression clearly indicated the negative, but it was mixed with a pretty clear curiosity. She was torn between playing it cool herself, and scoffing it off as absurd-looking, and giving it a try - it did look fun, after all.
In the end her playful side won out, and she drew in close enough to prod the rubber, or plastic, or whatever the thing was made out of. She looked up at the kid inside with a smile. "Room for one more?"
"Are you kidding? There's room for like... at least five more," Chris responds, his grin widening, if at all possible. If she hadn't asked about coming up, he would have offered anyway. It's bollocks that he's there bouncing by himself, there should be loads of other people there with him.
Truthfully, the bouncy castle is one of Olive's favorite things about the island. It's not so much that she likes to use it - though she has, on occasion - but just the fact it's there, sitting out in the middle of nowhere, a little faded from the sun but still in decent working condition after God only knows how long, absolutely tickles her.
She hadn't planned on stopping today, but when she sees Chris there, somehow she's not even surprised. That kind of just seems inevitable. And since he's already bouncing, well, she can't just walk past or stand there. "Chris," she calls out, kicking off her shoes before pulling herself up inside. It takes her a little bit to get her legs, but soon enough, she's bouncing with him, grinning. "Is this not like the best thing ever?"
That's one of the best things about Olive: before he can tell her that she's coming in to bounce about whether she likes it or not, she's already climbing in, bouncing right along with him.
"How long's this even been here?" he asks, because it's mental that he's been around so long and hasn't done this. He should always be doing this. It should have been down in the cave for the party, for fuckssake.
"Uh, forever and a day," Olive says, jumping up and twisting around in the air, although she only manages to get about halfway around before her feet hit plastic again. Even if it doesn't last long, she enjoys the sensation of being up in the air, hair flouncing around her shoulders, a grin firmly in place. "I don't know, man, I was out walking and there it was and that was, like, months ago. I think it's been here a while."
"That's it," Chris says, "You're gettin' the silent treatment or something, 'cause you knew this was here and kept it all to yourself. That's what they call selfish, Olive."
The look on his face is serious and joking all at the same time; even if he thought that Olive had kept the bounce house a secret on purpose-- the idea of that happening's bollocks anyway-- he wouldn't have been angry about it. Because they're here, they're bouncing now, and everything's fuckin' brilliant as far as he's concerned.
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But that's the difference between me and him. He finds what's great about every fuckin' situation he's in, no matter what.
"You should've had your birthday here, man," I say, standing just outside and looking up at him with a smirk.
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"Everyone would have spilled their drinks."
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"So, you just find this thing?"
I can't even remember when it turned up. I know it hasn't always been here, but random shit just appearing out of nowhere isn't even strange around here anymore.
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"Fuckin' mental."
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That didn't mean he had some kind of negative, trauma-induced reaction to seeing the thing, but it wasn't like he was hurrying to take off his shoes and climb aboard.
Still, Chris looked like he was having a good time, which wasn't unusual or anything, but still provided a decent enough excuse for Marshall to walk over.
"Hey, Chris," he said with a wry smile.
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"Did you know this was here?" he asks, because Chris is still amazed that he's gone all these months without coming across it at all.
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"Do you think it belongs to somebody? I mean, who'd just a leave an inflatable castle in the middle of the jungle?" What kept it from getting popped?
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But to be honest, Chris likely would have kept on bouncing, even if it was obvious that it belonged to someone. What the fuck's a bounce house for if not for people to bounce around in it. It being empty's a fuckin' waste, it is.
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Not that they don't already have a trampoline up near the compound, but somehow this is loads better than that.
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"What the fuck else have you got going on?"
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"Haven't you ever seen a bouncy castle before?" he asks her. But at least he's not the only one who's missed this thing being where it is.
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In the end her playful side won out, and she drew in close enough to prod the rubber, or plastic, or whatever the thing was made out of. She looked up at the kid inside with a smile. "Room for one more?"
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She hadn't planned on stopping today, but when she sees Chris there, somehow she's not even surprised. That kind of just seems inevitable. And since he's already bouncing, well, she can't just walk past or stand there. "Chris," she calls out, kicking off her shoes before pulling herself up inside. It takes her a little bit to get her legs, but soon enough, she's bouncing with him, grinning. "Is this not like the best thing ever?"
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"How long's this even been here?" he asks, because it's mental that he's been around so long and hasn't done this. He should always be doing this. It should have been down in the cave for the party, for fuckssake.
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The look on his face is serious and joking all at the same time; even if he thought that Olive had kept the bounce house a secret on purpose-- the idea of that happening's bollocks anyway-- he wouldn't have been angry about it. Because they're here, they're bouncing now, and everything's fuckin' brilliant as far as he's concerned.
At least for right now.
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