He let go of my hand, disappeared into the crowd of diehard riders, and I just stood there, my heart racing and my breathing hitched.
What just happened?
After I cleared my head, I walked over to Angelica and the purple shirts. Angelica was arguing with them.
“You can’t pull a train. I have an hour-long line.”
“It’s not safe, I’ll need to pull it. And don’t expect to get it back today. Maybe tomorrow.”
She huffed and stalked back to entrance position.
One train for the rest of the day. Maybe I’d be able to run the ride. That air- conditioned booth looked heavenly.
But I was not so lucky. I rotated through both loaders again and was sent over to Cyclops for a while. I hated that ride.
At 8:30 p.m., I was sick and tired of the big boat and Paris came to relieve me. “Lucky you,” he said and handed me the little paper.
“Controls? Yes!” I practically ran over to the Demon Drop.
“Hey,” Paris yelled as I skipped down the exit ramp. “Don’t I get a kiss or something for bringing you good news?”
I turned and grinned at him. “In your dreams, lover boy.”
Controls was fun and easy that night.
I was closing with all the girls on my crew and they pretty much ignored me. But even that couldn’t dampen my good mood. The line died at about 9:45 p.m. and we were able to close right after the fireworks, which was excellent because I was itching to go out with Dallas.
Angelica came into the booth with the height sticks.
“Don’t forget you have locks tonight.”
Damn. I’d forgotten.
“Will you come with me?” I asked. I’d never done locks at night by myself. Neither had anyone else for that matter. It was scary in the dark.
“No, I can’t, I’ve got to get out of here.” Oh.
Becca and Deanna poked their heads in the booth.
“You ready Gelica? We gotta go.”
I turned to Deanna. “Will you do locks with me?”
She frowned. “Oh, I wish I could but we really have to go. You’ll be fine. Don’t forget to wear your vest.”
Before I could grab anyone else they were all gone.
Damn. Damn. Damn.
I took my phone out and texted Dallas that I would be late.
The first two locks were in the queue line. I unlocked the pad lock, looped the chain through the fence, not around the gate, and relocked it. The next three locks were easy as well.
I crossed the road and fear crept into my stomach. Strange. Fear was something else I hadn’t felt in a very long time.
I made my way to the back of the ride. I had to cross a huge field to get to the last two locks. No one ever thinks about how long the rides actually are. I finished the lock in the middle of the ride and headed to the far lock. The last one. The one out back by the trees. The lock where I would get raped and murdered and then dragged into the woods where no one would ever find my body. At least then I’d get to see my dad. First thing I’d do is punch him in the face for leaving me. Then I would hug him and apologize for not saving him when I had the chance.
I heard what I thought was a cough and froze. No, that had to be my overactive imagination. And my crappy hearing. It was probably just a bird flapping its wings or something. There was no one there. There couldn’t be, I had a date tonight.
I arrived at the last lock when it happened.
The flashlight died. Went out completely. I couldn’t see anything.
I thought I heard shuffling behind me. I turned and stared at the trees. Were those eyes I saw?
Never again. I would never do locks again.
I set the flashlight down. No point holding a dead light. I fumbled with the stupid lock and finally got it. I watched the ground as I made quick steps across the field. I didn’t want to trip and sprain my ankle. Because then I’d be stranded out in the middle of the dark field and no one would find me until morning. I ran right into someone and stumbled backward.
“Boo,” he said.
I screamed and ran. But then I noticed a group of people surrounding me. If I had any semblance of situational awareness I would’ve seen them all coming. My heart raced and my hands felt cold. I clenched my fists, ready to fight if it came to it.
The field lit up with ten flashlights, and before I could process what was going on I was covered with silly string. Angelica shrieked with laughter and Deanna emptied her can on my head.
Paris put his arm around me. “You should’ve seen your face. That was priceless. I should’ve had my phone out.”
Even Becca smiled at me.
Angelica was having kittens in front of me, jumping up and down and clapping her hands.
“You’re almost officially part of the Demon Drop crew now. Come on, we’re all going to Perkin’s and we are going to get you a Tremendous Twelve. You have to eat all of it. That’s the second part of your initiation. Then you’ll be one of us.”
Covered in silly string, I was nearly in tears. The emotional roller coaster was exhilarating and frightening at the same time. They were so loud I’d almost forgotten what it was like to feel nothing.
I helped them carry back all the silly string bottles. Paris took pictures of the whole crew with me.
Dallas sat on one of the picnic tables. In all the craziness I’d completely forgotten about him. Despite my newfound acceptance with the group, I’d still rather go out with Dallas. Especially after his act this afternoon. I pulled Angelica off to the side while the rest of the gang headed to the lockers.
“Angelica, I forgot. I already had plans with Dallas, I can’t go out with you guys.”
“Don’t be silly.” She flicked her hair and put her hand on her hip. “You have to come with us. Dallas can come too. Becca’s got a crush on him anyway, she’ll be thrilled he’s with us.”
“Okay.” I tried to absorb that. Becca wanted Dallas. Dallas wanted me, maybe. I wanted Dallas. This was a recipe for disaster, kind of like putting chocolate with cayenne peppers and mint. Chocolate with either one was fine, but you don’t throw them all together into one truffle. I wondered if Angelica even registered the fact that I planned on going out with Dallas alone.
He laughed as I approached him.
“What happened to you?” He pulled a piece of purple silly string from my hair. I shivered when his finger brushed my temple.
“The Demon Drop initiation. They pounced on me while I was doing locks. Apparently it’s not over yet. I have to eat something called a Tremendous Twelve at Perkin’s. I told Angelica that I already had plans with you, but she said you would just have to come with us. Is that okay?”
He shrugged. “Sure, but I want you to ride with me.”
I nodded and left to change. It took me forever to get all the silly string off me. Pretty sure I still had some in my hair. Oh well. It was worth it.
Angelica, Becca and Deanna came careening around the lockers in lavender and blue tanks and denim shorts.
“How come you’re not ready yet?” Angelica put her hands on her hips and mock-scowled at me.
“I had to explain the change in plans to Dallas. I’m almost done.”
“We’ll wait. You’re riding with us, right?”
“No, go ahead, I’ll meet you there.”
Deanna and Angelica left but Becca stayed behind. She didn’t look happy.
“How’d you manage to get Dallas to go out with us? We’ve been after him for weeks but he always claims he has other plans.”
I decided to be as honest as possible without revealing too much. That was a trick I learned from my dad; he was always upfront about the curse, but he managed to leave out the important details.
“I met Dallas my first day and I think he could tell I was having a hard time fitting in. We’re friends and we go out for ice cream or something quick after work sometimes.”
She seemed satisfied with that response, but I was sure I’d still be the topic of conversatio
n in their car on the way over. Probably something to the tune of that bitch stole my man. My stomach clenched. That thought bothered me more than it should have.
Dallas was waiting on our rock.
“Sorry our night got jacked,” I said.
“No problem. I like the Demon Drop crew. Besides, I owe Paris a drink. Though at Perkin’s that will have to be of the iced tea variety. Cheaper though.”
He laced his fingers through mine and we walked to the car. Holy effing butterflies. I didn’t think I could take it if he went cold again. So while I wanted this, I didn’t want him to lead me on and change his mind.
“Is this okay?” he asked, holding up our entwined hands.
“Maybe.”
He raised his eyebrows. “Maybe?”
“We’ve been going out for weeks and I’ve gotten the ‘just friends’ vibe from you. Why are you all of a sudden holding my hand and calling me hot and stuff? If you are going to hold my hand tonight and then not touch me tomorrow, I’m not okay with this.”
He grimaced. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to give you mixed signals. I’ve liked you since the moment I saw you sitting at Grant’s desk with that gorgeous shaved head of yours and that look in your eyes that said, ‘I dare you to like me.’” Dallas grinned and shook his head as he obviously relived the moment in his head. I still was not sure about this.
He dropped his eyes and wouldn’t look at me. “But Grant asked me to back off. He doesn’t want you getting hurt and he said you had a lot to deal with and didn’t need a handsome older guy breaking your heart. I tried for a while, but today I couldn’t help myself. You were standing there and I just had to touch you. I can’t explain it. I’ve never felt that way before. It was crazy. Am I freaking you out?”
Dallas wasn’t hanging out with me because of Grant. But I was still having a hard time believing him.
“You sure you aren’t just after the chocolate?”
He laughed. “Naw, it’s you.”
I felt like I was in a dream. A damn good one.
“I’m gonna kill Grant. He’s not my father and doesn’t have the right to playact one.”
“Don’t be too hard on Grant. He’s just being protective. I think he figures if he doesn’t look out for you, no one will. He’ll get over us being a thing. He’s concerned about the age thing, mostly. But I told him this afternoon that it wasn’t a big deal.”
“How old are you anyway?”
“Twenty-two.”
“You know I’m still in high school, right?”
“Yeah, Grant mentioned that. Let’s just see where things go. Right now, I’m happy just holding your hand. Maybe we’ll just be somewhat affectionate friends.”
Not if I had anything to do with it. Not after a revelation like that. But I didn’t say that out loud.
At Perkin’s, the group was sitting around a large table. There were two chairs left and they were not next to each other. One empty chair was between Angelica and Paris. The other chair was next to Becca. Of course. That wasn’t engineered at all.
“Savannah, come sit by me,” Angelica trilled.
I let go of Dallas’s hand and sat down next to her. I didn’t even bother to look at Becca. I didn’t want to see the sour look on her face.
Dallas leaned over and whispered something in Paris’s ear. I strained to hear it, but whispers and I didn’t mix well.
Paris grinned and got up. He sat next to Becca and Dallas slid into the empty seat next to me. He rested his arm on the back of my chair. I couldn’t tell if he was claiming me as his or allowing me to claim him. It didn’t matter. Either way was fine with me.
The Tremendous Twelve turned out to be three eggs, hash browns, four pancakes, a banana, and four strips of bacon. No way could I eat the whole thing. Thank goodness for Dallas. He ate more of it than I did. We ate and talked and laughed. Becca avoided my eyes and I avoided hers. No one else seemed to notice.
Afterward, Dallas drove me back to the parking lot so I could fetch my car.
Instead of waiting in his own car while I got into mine, Dallas followed me. I leaned against the door and looked up into his beautiful blue eyes. He leaned his forehead against mine.
“You should know, I’ve never had such a hard time pursuing a girl before.”
I smiled and felt my butterflies go berserk. He sighed. Then he leaned down and I had a small panic attack when I realized I could have pancake breath or bacon stuck in my teeth, but he shifted and whispered something in my ear. My damn hearing. It sounded like shh shh shh. I didn’t want to kill the mood by asking him to repeat it, so I stayed silent. Dallas paused for a moment, then pulled back and let go of my hands.
He forced a smile and opened the door for me. What just happened? I tugged down on my shirt and avoided his eyes. I thought of turning and asking him to say it again, but instead I climbed in the car.
“See you tomorrow,” he said.
I spent the entire ride home dissecting what had happened. Maybe I’d offended him when I didn’t respond to whatever he whispered. I replayed the scene again as I brushed my teeth and then climbed into bed. Nope, not a clue.
I had to know. I took out my phone and sent him a message.
You awake?
Yeah
Can I ask you a ?
Sure
You know how you whispered something to me while we were standing by the car?
Yeah
I can’t hear whispers and I have no idea what you said. Will you tell me again?
His response didn’t come right away. Did I offend him again? Maybe friend Dallas was better than boyfriend Dallas. Not that he was my boyfriend, but things were moving in that direction. Unless, of course, I kept doing stupid things. After a few minutes my phone buzzed again.
I’m such an idiot. You have no idea what I asked?
Nope. Not a clue. What was it? I won’t be able to sleep without knowing.
I asked if I could kiss you.
June 17
From: [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Princess,
You know, I always liked observing your summer romances. They always seemed so damned normal. From the thirteen year old boy at Disney World to the Dutch boy from the cruise. You’d preen in front of the mirror for hours and hold hands and probably kiss a little when you’d escape from under my watchful eye. But I always tried to watch so carefully. The first indication that anything was going wrong and I intervened. You may not know this, but when the boy from Disney World decided he liked the blonde girl from California better, I marched right over to his hotel room and told his parents off. They thought I was crazy, said that we were only in the park for two weeks and you two were in middle school.
I can’t do that anymore. I can’t protect you. I’m so sorry.
Missing you,
Dad
THE NEXT MORNING, I waited until we were in the car before I confronted Grant.
“So I heard you told Dallas to back off.”
He was quiet for a second.
“I take it he didn’t heed my advice?”
“That’s really none of your business. I can take care of myself. You and Dallas are friends. What makes you think he would hurt me?”
Grant sighed as we pulled into Bruegger’s Bagels drive-thru. He started to order when a voice crackled over the intercom.
“Hey, Mr. Haunted Valley, any chance I can score a couple of free tickets?”
Grant grinned.
“Probably not.”
“Aw man. Well, I already know what you want. Two coffees black, one plain bagel toasted with plain cream cheese and one onion bagel with butter.”
“Are we that predictable?”
“Yes. I can change the onion to asiago cheese if you’d like.”
“No, keep it the usual.”
Grant pulled up to the window and dug out his wallet. He pulled out two complementary tickets instead of cash and handed them to the kid.
&n
bsp; “Thanks, Mister.”
My anger with him almost dissipated. Almost.
After we got back on the road, I waited for him to answer my question.
“Are you and Julia doing anything for the Fourth?” he asked me instead.
“Don’t change the subject.”
He clenched the steering wheel. “If I don’t look out for you, who will? Dave? He doesn’t exactly seem to be the hands-on kind of stepdad. You were my brother’s baby girl. It’s sort of my duty.”
“That doesn’t answer my question. What’s wrong with Dallas?”
“Nothing, except he’s a few years older than you. You are just here for the summer. There’s no reason to get involved. You and Julia seem to be getting along so well. Why bother with anything else?”
“It’s not that simple. Plus, it doesn’t change the fact that it’s not your problem. I like Dallas.”
“I was fighting a losing battle anyway. I don’t know what you did to that boy, but he’s got it bad. Came into my office yesterday and told me the exact same thing you’re saying now. Except he was a little nicer about it.” He smiled. “Just be careful, okay?”
I thought about what he said. Why’d he have to bring up my dad? I’d barely thought of him in the last few days. Then I felt guilty. It was like I was leaving him behind. That somehow my happiness dimmed memories of him. I took off my watch and stared at my tattoo. I could never forget. Even if it meant being miserable for the rest of my life. We parked the car and I put my watch back on.
The park was quiet and the day was slow. It was nice. We ran single train all day on the Demon Drop and Cyclops only filled two of its ten rows. It was an easy day. I’d hoped to close the Demon Drop with my newfound friends, but Angelica sent me to close Cyclops with Becca. At least I got to work controls.
I found Paris in the control both singing Row Row Row Your Boat over the intercom. Some people liked to mess with the riders, but I liked sticking to the spiel. I handed Paris the slip that informed him he’d be closing Fast Lane and watched his face light up. He gave me a hug and raced away.
Bittersweet Page 9
