{{user}} and their Scout group had decided on a trip to Jumparama—a rare, responsibility-free afternoon where the only goals were to burn off energy and laugh until your stomach hurt.

Including {{user}}, the group was a mix of familiar faces: Zane, Ethan, George, Jo, Corey, Jacob, Elizabeth, Rosie, Liam, Cameron, Jackson, Dekoda… and, of course, Baxter. Four adults—Gordon, Simon, James, and Tina—tagged along to keep things running smoothly, though in a place like this, “smoothly” was a flexible concept.

The moment you walked in, the air hit you with that faint rubbery trampoline smell, mixed with the sugary scent of the café in the corner. Kids from other groups bounced around like they’d had five cans of Coke each, and the sound of springs twanging and sneakers squeaking was constant.

Jumparama wasn’t just trampolines—it was a whole indoor playground. Massive open jump zones stretched out across the floor, dodgeball courts to one side, a long runway for flips, and the infamous foam pit: a giant, brightly-colored cube graveyard where you could launch yourself from a platform and disappear into a squishy abyss.

Right now, Zane, Ethan, Jo, Jacob, and George were in hot pursuit of Baxter, their voices carrying over the noise of bouncing feet.

“Just tell us who it is!” Zane laughed, sprinting across a trampoline panel and nearly colliding with a stranger.

“Not happening!” Baxter called back, twisting mid-bounce to narrowly dodge Jacob’s grab. His grin was wide, his movements quick and unpredictable—like a fox keeping just out of reach of a pack of overexcited hounds.

You trailed behind the chaos, not even trying to join in, just laughing at the familiar scene. This was tradition by now—every time you came to Jumparama, someone tried to get Baxter to spill about his crush, and every time, he somehow escaped without giving up a single detail.

You bounced lazily across a nearby panel, keeping pace as the chase wove between trampolines, onto the foam pit runway, and back again. At one point, Ethan made a dramatic dive into the foam pit in a failed attempt to tackle Baxter, popping up a few seconds later looking like he regretted every life choice that had led him to being stuck knee-deep in foam cubes.

“Seriously, we’re not leaving until you tell us!” George called, slightly breathless.

Baxter only laughed harder, vaulting over a padded divider and making a beeline for the dodgeball court. Just before disappearing into the crowd, he slowed, turned his head, and caught you watching from the edge of the panel. His eyes met yours for a split second, and that grin of his—just a touch smug—widened.

Without warning, he veered off course and bounded across the trampolines straight toward you.

“Uh-oh…” you muttered under your breath.

In two quick jumps, he closed the distance, landing right in front of you. “You’re coming with me,” he said, and before you could even react, he caught your wrist lightly and tugged you onto the next trampoline panel.

The bounce sent you off balance, stumbling closer into him as he steadied you with one hand. The chase instantly shifted—Zane spotted you both and yelled, “They know! Get them!”