(this is parts of the story) taking the plunge

you can't really see the bolts when you're on the ground, which isn't surprising if you consider how far up i am — at least halfway, meaning roughly five meters. what is that in feet? unfortunately, i can't ask ms. snyder, since she's roughly five meters down and about 30 feet away. i'm not sure how many meters there are in 30 feet, but i can estimate: if i'm five meters up, then she's got to be about twice as many meters away, which means it's about 10 meters. anyhow, there she is, about five meters down and 30 feet away, buying an orange cream ice pop, and if i could remember that theorem named after the greek guy, i could probably calculate exactly how far away ms. snyder and her orange cream ice pops are.

man, i should pay more attention in ms. snyder's geometry class. then i'd know how far away she is "as the crow flies," like people say. do crows really always fly directly? if i were a crow, i'd fly directly toward ms. snyder and grab her orange cream ice pop; although, in that case, maybe i'd better be a magpie, seeing as how they steal things.

anyhow, you can't see the bolts in this diving platform from the ground, which is good if your objective is to get more people to scale this crazy tower because those bolts are pockmarked and look wounded, like they’re bleeding rust, which doesn't inspire copious amounts of confidence. i can't see ms. snyder anymore because we've rounded the central column of the platform, and now all i see are the feet of the people above me on the stairs. it’s like they’re inching along a malfunctioning assembly line that’s churning out mismatched pairs of feet: here comes a pair with mauve nail polish on the toes, and now a couple with aqua socks, now some with hairy toes, now an ankle with a tattoo, now a bandaged heel. i'll bet you one orange cream ice pop that bandage comes off upon impact with the water.

honestly, why do places always seem higher when you're looking down from them than when you’re looking up at them? i can't turn around now, though, because if i did, i'd force 25 people to go down with me. i mean, i could try to just squeeze past them, but the stairway is too narrow for that, and i'd likely send several of them plunging into the roiling abyss. right now i can see a boy who looks like he's about 10, with spindly legs like a colt’s, whom i'd almost certainly take out, which would be horrible…and embarrassing. who are all of these people who want to leap off of a 10-meter diving board, anyway, and what's wrong with them? don't they know how far 10 meters is? it's like 30 feet or something! what did they do, just start indiscriminately following each other? you're in the wrong line, lemmings! the line for the orange cream ice pops is over there; just follow the hypotenuse from me to ms. snyder.

i've come to the final step, but i still haven’t reached the board—the three people ahead of me are waiting to make their final ascent up a stainless steel ladder, which is covered in little rust freckles. apparently, you've got to walk the lonesome diving board by yourself. nobody here can traverse it for you. i just heard the elastic, reverberating clack of the board and got a partial view of someone hurtling toward the water, and although i couldn't tell exactly, since he was sort of a blur, i think it was the guy with the bandage, which is a pity. i guess i won't be able to cash in on my orange cream ice pop bet.

it's just you and me now, diving board. i've reached your brink, eddies swirling in the nebulous void beneath you, and all i can hear is a piercing ring. you're just staring at me, maybe through me. can i ask you something? do you like orange cream ice pops?

what effect do the words "orange cream ice pop" have on this story?
they make the story more ominous or menacing.
they convey the narrator's indifference.
they reinforce the anxious tone.
they create a humorous tone.

also what is the theme