Listen girlfriend, can't you see? I'm all of the things that you'll never be

Instead of the two Dawns sitting on top of each other, which everyone agreed would look ridiculous and probably not result in a safe outcome.

Plus neither Dawn wanted to be the one on the bottom.

So with a little light negotiation with Nola, they decided shift the seating around slightly. Fortunately, the roller coaster cars were those special ones designed with a flat bottom instead of individual seats, which made the plan workable.

And that was how Nick found himself in a position that had been all too common today- squeezed between two cute cat girls with them clinging to him like… well, like cats to a curtain.

“This is gonna be so fun!” Bianca chirped, wrapping her body around Nick’s left arm.

“Are you sure this is safe?” Auburn asked tersely. She knew in the back of her mind that there was no way they would get injured, but sitting with one seatbelt wrapped over the three of them and clinging to Nick for safety didn’t embolden confidence in the situation.

Bianca rolled her eyes.

“You’re not going to get hurt on Harem Hotel, Auburn, you know that,” she scoffed, shaking her head. “Just have some fun like me!”

Auburn didn’t like being talked down to by herself. She hated it more than being talked down to by other people, for obvious reasons.

“I can have fun too,” she huffed, her tail flicking behind her. She tightened her own grip on Nick’s arm, as the ride jerked to a start.

The roller coaster started going, and both girls screamed with glee as they held onto Nick tightly. He could feel their nails digging into his arm, both his arms, while he gripped the safety bar tightly. A wild grin stretched across his face as a pair of matching voices howled into his ears.

It had been a while since he had this much fun on a roller coaster.

After a short time, it pulled to a stop, leaving two flustered and dazed cat girls rooted to their seats, hair ruffled and eyes rolling.

“…My glasses!” They both exclaimed simultaneously, tearing their hands away to fumble at their faces.

Nick looked up at Nola, who averted her eyes.

“Wait, did I forget to warn you girls about that?” She asked with a snicker in her voice. “Sorry, my apologies!”

Nick rolled his eyes. “Come on, Nola, we were having a good time. You shouldn’t-”

“Nick, come on, take it easy on her,” Bianca said, returning her hand to his and squeezing it. “That was the most exciting ride I’ve ever been on!”

“Yeah, Bianca’s right,” Auburn begrudgingly admitted, a little jealous that she hadn’t voiced her feelings first. “It was a lot of fun. That’s what matters, don’t you think?”

Nick blinked. The two girls didn’t seem too bothered. But maybe they were just riding the high of the roller coaster.

“Don’t worry!” Nola chirped. She held u two pairs of glasses and skipped over to the car, sliding them onto the cat girls’ faces. “We manage to retrieve all lost belongings on our rides!”

“Well, that’s good at least,” Nick said, sighing in relief.

Bianca and Auburn looked at each other around their date. They were both thinking the same exact thing.

“Can you put these on the storage shelf?” Auburn asked, taking her glasses off and handing them to Nola.

“Oh?” The leprechaun blinked.

“Mine too,” Bianca said, taking her glasses off as well and handing them over.

“Guys?” Nick looked at the two girls.

“I want to ride again!” Bianca said adamantly, squeezing him tighter.

“Same with me,” Auburn nodded. “It was fun. The most fun ride I’ve ever been on…” She echoed Bianca’s sentiments nicely, and the other cat girl nodded in agreement with her. They were both adamant about taking another ride on the roller coaster.

That was just how fun it was. Especially considering they’d never had anything like that before.

Auburn’s eyes started to water, and not just because her vision was blurring up. “When I was a little girl…”

“I watched the other students ride on the roller coasters,” Bianca finished. “Whenever we went to the Amusement Parks.”

“You remember too, don’t you, Nick?” Auburn turned to look at him. “Back when our class would go on field trips to the amusement park? I would always see you, riding the teacup rides just like I did, instead of going on the roller coasters.”

“Even though you were tall enough to ride them,” Bianca noted with a bit of playful accusation in her voice.

Both Dawns knew exactly what had happened back then.

Nick blushed. “Well… you both know I had a crush on Dawn back in those days.”

The two girls smirked. “Yuuuuuupp…”

His blush deepened. “…Okay, you’re right. The reason I was always hanging around, was because I wanted to spend time with you.”

“Spend time around Dawn, you mean,” Auburn corrected him. “Not with her. ...Me.”

“You know, I don’t remember ever getting in the teacup with you back then,” Bianca mused, tapping her cheek thoughtfully.

“Okay, yes, do you want me to admit it?” Nick laughed, rolling his eyes. “I was a stalker back then, hanging around you like a creep.”

Auburn nodded. “We know.”

Bianca mirrored her nod. “But it’s fine.”

The two girls had grown up quite a lot. Or Dawn had. Either way, they didn’t mind it at all.

“The important thing, is that we get to relive our lost childhood here!” Bianca said with a smile. “And that’s something even Auburn can get behind, right?”

“That’s right,” Auburn nodded, giving Bianca the side-eye. “I’m fine with something like that. Don’t worry.”

“Then you guys want to just keep doing this?” Nick asked for clarification. “Just going on the roller coaster all day?”

“Yeah, that’s what I’d like!” Auburn nodded firmly.

“And if Auburn’s saying it, then you know it’s true!” Bianca agreed.

Both girls had a very direct way of saying things, that was for sure. And it was something Nick could really appreciate. He was glad that the two of them were finally getting along.

Riding a roller coaster was definitely an experience that brought them together.

Nola shrugged. “Well, it’s good to see you all getting along!” She chirped, skipping over to the control panel. “You can ride as much as you want!” She threw the switch, and the car jerked forward, starting up the ride again.

“Woooooooooooooo!” The two girls screamed, throwing their arms up into the air as the **** of the turns pushed their slender bodies up against Nick. Nick even got in on the cheering, crying out as well with a smile.

This was a great experience. He had no idea how many times they would want to go on the roller coaster, but he was fine to keep going on the rides as long as both girls wanted to.

Not only was the roller coaster fun, but when they were screaming in joy, they weren’t picking fights with each other.

“Whoa… hold on now…”

“Little dizzy here…”

Auburn and Bianca staggered off the roller coaster, their eyes spinning. They clung to the railing of the stairs leading down to the ground, practically incapable of walking a straight line. From where Nick was standing, it looked like she was drunk.

“Are you two okay?” He asked, handing the girls their glasses. They aligned them properly, but still looked dizzy.

Auburn and Bianca plopped down on one of the benches and let themselves just breathe for a little bit. They were run ragged by all the trips on the roller coaster, and both felt queasy, like they wanted to throw up. But they were having too much fun to stop at this point.

This was some of the most fun they’d ever had.

“I feel completely wiped,” Auburn sighed. “Have roller coasters really always been that fun?”

“We really missed out,” Bianca nodded in agreement, smiling at her counterpart. “I don’t think I can stand!”

“I can stand,” Auburn said, staggering to her feet. She had to hold her hands out to brace herself, because the park was still spinning around her. Even with all her experience in gymnastics she felt as **** as a newborn faun.

“Well, I can stand, too!” Bianca huffed, refusing to let herself get upstaged. She hopped to her feet and tried to balance as well, but she got up so fast she nearly fell over again. In the end, she **** herself to cling to her other self, and both girls nearly collapsed.

“You two just sit down,” Nick urged them, helping them back to the bench. “Let me get you some water to settle your stomachs, okay?”

“Thanks, Nick,” Bianca said, beaming up at him. “You’re so sweet.”

“Yeah,” Auburn echoed. “You’re really sweet, Nick.”

“Kind of my job here,” Nick laughed. He went to go get a couple bottled waters, and returned to the bench to provide the cat girls with their reward.

They both accepted the bottles gratefully, and took soft sips to keep from upsetting their stomachs too badly.

After a couple minutes, they had both recovered enough to feel hungry.

“I’m starving,” Bianca said, rubbing her stomach.

“Same,” Auburn agreed. She wasn’t happy that Bianca kept echoing her thoughts before she was able to do so. It made her feel like she was playing second fiddle to herself, which wasn’t a pleasant feeling in the slightest.

Does Nick like her more than me? There’s gotta be something I can do here! Auburn bit her lip, tightening her hands into fists.

“Well, it’s almost time for lunch,” Nick pointed out. “There are all sorts of restaurants we can eat at, if you girls want?”

“I want to eat!” Auburn blurted out, hopping to her feet. She was still a little shaky, but she stayed upright.

…Until she didn’t.

“Wh-whoa!” Auburn stumbled forward, losing her balance. She clung to Nick’s shirt to keep from falling over, and buried her face in his shoulder.

Nick was surprised, but Bianca was even more surprised. She stared at Auburn with wide eyes, and nearly fell off the bench.

That girl… she… I can’t believe she did something like that! Bianca’s eyes widened even more. She had intended to stand up, and stumble forward to clutch onto Nick’s shirt herself, as an act to appeal to him more.

If Auburn thought the same, and she would have, since they had the same brain, then that meant…

A sly smile crept up Bianca’s lips. Delight blossomed in her chest. Clever girl! Acting all sneaky with Nick like that! Well, two can play at that game!

“I want to eat, too!” Bianca hopped up from her seat, and froze.

The world was still spinning around her. It wasn’t a trick. The next thing she knew, she was leaning against Nick and Auburn, having almost collapsed. Her eyes fluttered and she looked up to see her own frantic face looking at her.

“Whoa, are you okay?” Nick asked worriedly. He was holding onto her along with Auburn, both of them looking concerned.

“Yeah, just… just a little lightheaded, I guess,” Bianca said, rubbing her forehead. “I think I overdid it a little bit…”

“What do you mean?” Auburn helped her other self over to the bench. “You’re me, you know. You should have the same resistance to getting dizzy and riding roller coasters. I’m feeling fine, so why would you…?” It didn’t make sense.

“Wait, Auburn, you feel fine?” Nick asked, confused. “You nearly fell yourself.”

Auburn blushed. “W-well, that was…”

Bianca shrugged and shook her head vaguely. The world was still spinning a little, but she giggled, amused by Auburn getting caught with her pants down. Her ears wiggled and her stomach soon settled down.

“I think I know what the problem is,” she said, hopping up. She was feeling a lot better now that she had recovered.

Auburn looked at her questioningly.

“What’s the problem, then?”

“I’ve been running everywhere!” Bianca pointed out. “Auburn, you’ve been going at a calm, regular pace. But I was so excited I put my all into everything! So I must have run out of energy first, that’s all it was!”

Her cheerful smile quickly shifted to a look of concern. “But we do have a problem here,” she said seriously. “If I nearly collapsed like that due to just exerting myself a bit more than you have, then you must be almost drained yourself.”

Auburn nodded. She couldn’t argue with that. “You’re right,” she agreed. “In that case…”

“In that case,” Nick stepped in, “we need to get some food into you two.”

“Agreed,” Bianca nodded. “You know what I’d like? A nice, juicy sausage. Or maybe a big, thick banana. They say potassium is good for you, right?”

She fluttered her eyelashes at Nick as Auburn’s face turned red.

“W-wait!” She exclaimed. “You… you can’t just say things like that!” She was horrified to hear her own voice saying such lascivious things. True, Dawn was no prude. And that meant Auburn wasn’t, either. But she wasn’t the kind of person to make innuendos and proposition people in the middle of the day like that!

…Except, if Bianca was an indication of anything, yes, she was.

Auburn was aghast.

Nick wasn’t exactly willing to play along, though.

“Gotta agree with Auburn on this one,” he said, shaking his head. “After a wipeout like that, how about some real food?”

Bianca smirked. “Well, if you say so,” she shrugged. “Time to eat!”

“We should prioritize eating food that will be soft on the stomach,” Auburn suggested. “I want to go on the roller coaster again after this, and if we eat something too heavy then we’ll just end up throwing up.”

Considering her penchant for oily Chinese take-out, she might have to adjust her diet a little bit today. Get something modest.

“What were you thinking then?” Nick asked. The girls were right outside the food court- in fact, it seemed to have suddenly appeared right across the way from where they were sitting.

Almost like Dakota was listening and had moved a couple things around in the Amusement Park for their sake.

“Thanks, Dakota,” Auburn said, scanning the different stalls and food trucks as she approached. Her voice sounded sardonic but she was truly sincere. “The less walking we have to do, the better.” She rubbed her belly thoughtfully.

“…There,” she decided, pointing at a stall. Unlike the other greasy and oily foods, it was something simple, even if it wasn’t her usual fare. Chicken strips and fries. A staple food of carnivals, fairs, and amusement parks the world over.

“You wanna get that?” Bianca rolled her eyes. “Come on, that’s so bland!”

“It’s healthy for you,” Auburn replied. “…Well, I mean, comparatively speaking, anyway.”

There wasn’t a single stand in the plaza that served anything a respectable doctor would consider “healthy”.

Nick could recognize that.

Auburn got four chicken stripes, an order of fries, and some ranch dressing to dip in.

Bianca decided to get six, and went for barbecue sauce instead.

“Are you sure you should be eating that much?” Auburn asked, concerned.

“We have the same taste buds,” Bianca pointed out. “You would like the flavor of barbecue sauce, too. And it’s gonna taste so good, I’ll want more chicken!”

Auburn shrugged. She couldn’t parent Bianca. If that’s what her other self wanted to eat, who was she to say otherwise.

Nick ordered the same thing as Bianca, though, which left Auburn feeling a little miffed. She looked down at her own basket, which was almost empty. She felt a slight rumbling in her stomach as she ate the last of her fries, and realized she was still a little hungry.

Maybe I was too conservative, she thought. But no way was she going to say that! If she went and got more chicken, that would be tantamount to admitting that Bianca was right!

Auburn would rather go hungry than lose to her other self.

“I’m still hungry!” Bianca said when she finished off her basket. “Time for dessert!”

Auburn frowned. “Are you sure about that?” She asked, nibbling on a fry that Nick had smuggled her under the table. It was sweet of him to pick up on how hungry she still was. “You ate a lot.”

“I’m still hungry though,” Bianca repeated. “And there’s something I’ve always wanted to try! I always told myself- err, Dawn always told herself that she shouldn’t get it, that it was too bad for her, that it wasn’t ‘appropriate’ or whatever. But I’m not going to live in fear!”

She put her hands on her hips and shook her head firmly. “I want to do what I want to do!” She declared. “I’m not going to be scared off!”

Auburn was impressed by her other self’s resolve. But she felt jealous at the same time. Bianca was living a bold life, not holding back. And she seemed to be having so much fun, too.

She wanted to say something, to caution her, but she held her tongue. If she voiced her concerns, Bianca would just accuse her of being a buzzkill again.

And she didn’t want to look like a wet blanket in front of Nick, especially when he seemed so supportive of this behavior from her other self.

Does he really like me better this way? Just doing what I want?

Auburn looked at Nick and saw him looking at Bianca. Did he ever look at her that way? He was admiring her, but at the same time, she could see hesitation and concern in his eyes.

“What did you want for dessert?” Nick asked.

“A deep-fried twinkie!” Bianca declared, gesturing to the stall.

Auburn felt her stomach churn.

“…You can’t get that.” She shook her head, all prior concern about looking like a buzzkill going out the window as she stared at the heart attack in a paper pan on the sign.

Bianca rolled her eyes. She didn’t even dignify Auburn’s legitimate concerns with a response.

Auburn glanced at Nick as Bianca went to go get her food, and she could see he was just as uncertain as she was. But neither of them found it their place to say anything.

Bianca returned with a plastic tray stacked up with a grilled and chocolate-drizzled chunk of dough covered in powdered sugar.

Auburn couldn’t hide the look of nausea on her face. At the same time, though, in her heart, she felt envious. Bianca was right. As much as she knew it was a bad idea to eat that, she couldn’t deny the fact that she really, really wanted to.

But she fought off her urge to buy one herself- she had to be the mature one here, and think rationally.

“Delicious!” Bianca gushed, devouring the snack in a couple bites. Her face was glowing. “You’re really missing out here, Auburn!”

“…Yeah, I’m okay with missing out,” Auburn said, cringing a little. That twinkie would be sitting in Bianca’s stomach all day.

“Now, back to the roller coaster!” Bianca declared, patting her stomach.

Auburn was wrong. The deep-fried twinkie didn’t sit in Bianca’s stomach all day.

“BLLLEEHHEEEUUURRRGGGHHH!” Bianca curled over the trash can as she vomited her guts out. One ride on the roller coaster and she was finished.

“I tried to warn you,” Auburn sighed, shaking her head in exasperation as she watched her immature self puking up bile. Nick rubbed her back to try and soothe her stomach, but the barfing continued.

Auburn was astounded she could hold that much puke in such a small body.