Violet, wearing a white sweater, skinny jeans, tan boots, and a sheepish expression, met Noah the following morning. She hadn't told him Nathan was coming because she thought it was too late to text him.

He didn't seem surprised; he understood the dynamics between her brothers regarding her time and attention.

When her brothers' backs were turned, she mouthed "Sorry." He simply shrugged. At least he wasn't mad—it took a lot to anger Noah.

"I'm going to win you something, Vi!" Nathan declared. "What kind of prize do you want?"

"Uh…" she stammered, "A keychain?" It was the first prize she'd seen at the carnival games—the ring toss offered keychains as the lowest-tier prize.

"I bet I can win it first," Kaleb boasted, a challenging glint in his eye. "I'm not a professional pitcher for nothing."

Violet rolled her eyes and watched with Noah as her brothers competed. "You're not joining the battle for my affection?" she teased.

He laughed. "Are you kidding? I'm terrible at those games. Besides, nobody beats your brothers in determination. It's more fun to watch."

He was right. It was amusing watching them waste twenty dollars on rings, growing louder and more aggressive with each failure.

Violet struggled to suppress her laughter, finally losing it when Kaleb nearly nailed a ring, missed, and nearly tore his hair out. Seeing her amusement, his anger melted, and he smiled fondly.

Meanwhile, Nathan won the keychain, crying out triumphantly and waving it. "I did it! Take that, Kal!"

To avoid taking sides, Violet thanked him and attached it to her keys. Kaleb was grumpy, but his mood improved at the Cyclone roller coaster.

The early hour and cold weather meant a short line. They easily secured the front car. Nathan, the keychain victor, insisted on riding in front with Violet; Noah and Kaleb sat behind them. The ride was jarring but fun.

Violet found the ride photo hilarious—mostly Nathan's expression—and bought it. A bug had flown into his mouth, and he was clearly trying to spit it out. Everyone laughed.

Kaleb, still smarting over the keychain, posted the photo on Instagram. Nathan wasn't pleased. As a public figure, Kaleb had many followers.

"You're the worst, Kal," he grumbled. "If I go viral, I'll kill you."

Kaleb grinned.

They continued playing carnival games until lunchtime. Violet eyed the hot dogs longingly; she'd packed a healthy sandwich to appease her dietician (red meat was forbidden). However, she did sneak a bite of Noah's strawberry shortcake funnel cake—strawberries were healthy, she reasoned. It was just one bite.

Kaleb, also with dietary restrictions, rationalized a cheat since the off-season had just begun. He planned to return to healthy eating after Christmas. Violet envied him; there was no off-season for ballerinas.

After lunch, Kaleb grabbed Violet's wrist. "Come on, I couldn't convince you to ride this as a kid, but we're doing it today."

Violet eyed the slingshot ride with trepidation. She wasn't afraid of thrill rides, but this—being harnessed in a cage and flung 150 feet—was excessive. She'd always avoided it because she knew she'd scream, and she never screamed on rides.

"Do I have to?" she asked.

"Yes."

Violet sighed. What Kaleb wanted, Kaleb got. She didn't see him often, so she'd be a good sister.

Before they entered the queue, she bid Nathan and Noah farewell, just in case the bungee cords snapped. She was nervous; the ride didn't look safe.

"If I die, blame Kaleb in my eulogy," she said flatly.

Nathan laughed. "Here lies Violet Hale, whose twin brother was an adrenaline junkie who dragged her down with him."

Violet glared; he fell silent. Noah squeezed her hand.

"You won't die. Make Kaleb ride the carousel as retribution and video it," he suggested.

It was a brilliant idea; Kaleb hated "girly" rides. He hadn't ridden a carousel willingly since he was six.

(The final paragraph is removed as it is promotional material and not part of the original text.)