“No! She can’t...oh tell me you didn’t! No!” she exclaimed, putting her free hand on her forehead. Then after a few seconds of silent nodding, “Okay, I understand. Yeah, I’ll talk to you later. Bye.” Snow White snapped her phone shut and turned to the rest of the waiting group. “Cinderella’s not coming. She’s grounded until school starts!”
“What?!” everyone shouted.
“Not only did Dana see us trying to sneak Dave out of her room, but then Cinderella chose tonight to come clean and tell her the truth about staying the night up in Logan too!”
“What do you mean, the truth?” Dave asked, nervously.
“She told Dana you guys lied to her about the weather being bad so you could stay longer,” Snow White answered. Her eyes narrowed in on Dave, who seemed to breathe a sigh of relief at Snow White’s answer.
“I didn’t make her do it!” Dave responded to her dirty look.
“Yeah, but you didn’t stop her either,” Snow White said angrily.
“There’s no use in pointing fingers,” Belle said, coming to Dave’s defense. Then turning to her cousin she asked, “Snow, why on earth did Cinderella tell her mom about that?”
“I guess when Dana started freaking out over Dave being in her room, she retorted by saying something about sleeping across the hall from him in Logan and nothing happening. Then she had to explain how they had lied about the building not being co-ed, which basically turned into the whole truth spilling out.” Snow White threw her hands up in the air and slouched down, into the couch. Then when she noticed Dave stiffen again, she added, “Don’t worry, she didn’t tell Dana about kissing your brother. She’s not suicidal!”
They started the movie, but no one was really in the mood to watch. Instead, it became background noise as the five of them sat in silence.
“This really sucks!” moaned Ariel, half an hour later.
“I know,” agreed Aurora.
“Is there anything we can do?” Dave asked.
“I think talking to Dana right now would probably just make her more upset,” said Belle.
“I don’t understand! Just because her mom saw me in her room, she’s grounded for a month?” Dave exclaimed.
“Yup,” said Ariel. “Plus the lying. She probably would only be grounded for a week if it were just about you being in her room.”
“I don’t understand! You were all there too! What did she think was going to happen?” Dave asked.
“It doesn’t matter. That’s just Dana,” said Aurora.
“You’re male and you breathe. That’s more than enough evidence for a conviction,” added Belle.
After a long moment of silence, Snow White was struck with a sudden realization. “What about Lagoon?” she whispered.
The Princess sisters, along with Dave, had been planning a trip to the local amusement park for the following week.
“Oh no!” they all said.
“Is there any way her mom would still let her come?” Dave asked.
“Very doubtful,” said Aurora.
“What if I go and talk to her, do you think that would help?” Dave tried.
“Not unless you want her to remove your need for wearing a cup! I would steer clear of Dana for awhile if I were you,” Ariel responded.
After the movie ended and the credits came up, the five of them still sat glued to their spots. Snow White sat quietly with her hands in her lap, looking down at them. It was hard to tell if she was crying, or just occasionally sniffing due to a runny nose. Ariel sat with her legs crossed, her back to Aurora, who was braiding her hair. Belle was next to Dave with her head resting on his shoulder. Dave had his arm around Belle but he sat up straight, staring ahead at the TV and not really watching it. When the credits finally came to an end and the menu screen appeared, the five of them jumped in unison. The sudden change in light seemed to release them all from their trance.
“I guess I better head home,” said Dave. The four girls waved good bye without uttering a word. After Dave had disappeared up the stairs, Aurora and Ariel got to their feet. Then someone finally asked the question they had all been thinking.
“So are we still going to Lagoon?” Aurora asked. Her question was followed by several seconds of silence. They all were looking forward to the trip and still wanted to go, but no one wanted to be the first to admit they were willing to leave Cinderella behind.
“I don’t want to think about it tonight,” said Snow White.
Belle looked from one cousin to the other before answering, “Yeah, let’s hold off and talk about it tomorrow.”
They all nodded and Snow White solemnly followed the twins up the stairs.
Chapter Eighteen
Tuesday, August 3rd
Aurora and Ariel skipped excitedly through the parking lot, past the enormous white wooden rollercoaster and towards the main entrance to Lagoon. Belle and Dave laughed as they followed the two dancers, who began twirling and leaping through the air past row after row of cars.
Snow White had gotten permission from Dana to spend the day in imprisonment with Cinderella while the others followed through with the plan to go to the amusement park. Dana felt bad about Cinderella missing the trip so it took little convincing before she gave in to Snow White’s plan. The fact that her youngest niece was willing to give up a fun-filled day with the others to keep Cinderella company pulled at her heartstrings so much she almost reconsidered the grounding. Almost.
As the four of them approached the ticket counter, Belle had to place a hand on her cousins’ shoulders to prevent them from bouncing through the glass.
“You guys act like you’ve never been here before,” Dave said with a smile.
“The last time we came I think we were all…what? Five?” Ariel said.
“Yeah, five or six,” Aurora added nodding.
“But you live so close!” Dave exclaimed.
“I know but our moms aren’t really the rollercoaster type. And until this year, we weren’t old enough to go alone.”
“Wow! I used to live an hour and a half from here, but I still made it at least once a year. I’m sorry, I didn’t understand. You may now resume your bouncing,” he said with a wink toward Aurora. She flashed him her most charming smile in return. Belle then grabbed the tickets from the girl behind the glass and pulled Dave toward the next line.
“If looks could kill…” Ariel murmured, but Aurora ignored her and proceeded forward.
“You know, I didn’t realize it before,” Aurora stated, catching up with Belle and Dave, “But this works out perfectly!”
“What?” Belle asked.
“Well there’s four of us, and most rides seat two or four people. If Snow White had come, we’d be odd numbers.”
“Are you saying you’re glad Snow didn’t come?” asked Belle.
“No,” Aurora said, “I just meant it worked out is all.”
“We knew what you meant,” Dave said. “And you’re right! This way no one will ever have to sit alone.” Aurora gave him an appreciative smile.
“So what’s up first ladies?” Dave asked, displaying the sites before them with his outstretched hands.
“You’re the one who knows the park so well,” said Belle, nudging him with her shoulder.
“You can be our tour guide!” Ariel squealed, clapping her hands together.
“On your left you will find Dracula’s Castle, a haunted house of sorts where you ride through the dark as you witness various spooky depictions,” Dave said, mimicking Ariel in an equally high voice. The three girls froze and looked at Dave. He gave them a very cheesy smile and they all burst out laughing.
“You did that so well!” laughed Ariel.
“Almost too well,” said Belle, wiping her eyes.
Dave grinned and continued to walk a pace in front of them, pointing out each item with his outstretched palm as he described them in his best tour guide voice.
The line for the spook house was very short and it wasn’t long before Belle and Dav
e were seated in their little car, preparing to enter through the dark doorway.
“Bye-bye. Bye-bye now,” Dave said, waving to the twins as the ride whirred into motion.
“He’s so funny,” Aurora said, shaking her head as they climbed in the next car and prepared to follow the other two.
Aurora and Ariel joked as they rode through the dark castle and occasionally let out a fake tiny scream at the mannequins in their various “scary” scenes.
“I think this ride is for kids,” Aurora said.
“I bet it was scary last time we were here,” Ariel added.
“That’s what I mean. Oh no, he’s going to get us,” Aurora exclaimed, putting her hands on her cheeks as they rode by a coffin that was opening and closing.
“Stop it!” Ariel said, shoving her sister.
“What?” Aurora asked.
“Stop breathing on my neck!” she said.
The girls both turned in their seats and screamed for real this time. A worker stood on the back of their car, his head bent low between the two of them. As soon as they discovered him, he jumped off the back of the car and disappeared, laughing, through an employee door. The twins burst into giggles and continued laughing until they emerged into the sunlight once again.
“My heart is still racing!” Aurora said as they climbed out of the car and joined Belle and Dave who sat waiting for them.
“What?” Belle asked.
“There was a guy riding on the back of our car and he scared the crap out of us!” Ariel said, still laughing. “But it totally improved an otherwise boring ride.”
“Really?” asked Belle. “I didn’t think it was so bad,” she said, looking over at Dave.
Ariel hadn’t noticed at first, but now that she looked closer, both Belle and Dave appeared to be a little flushed. She glanced sideways at Belle, who grinned back at her cousin. But before either of them could say a word, Aurora and Dave were pulling them towards the next line.
***
The hot August sun beat down on them as the afternoon grew later. The twins’ happy, excited skipping of the morning turned to slow, heavy steps as they dragged their feet through the park.
“I think it’s time we got wet!” Dave exclaimed, leaning against the metal gate of The Samurai as they stood waiting in line. He immediately jumped forward again, rubbing his newly burned back with a sweaty palm. The previous ride ended and they all rushed forward to find a good seat. Dave waved the girls towards the nearest of the six long arms that extended from the center of the ride. They situated themselves in their row and waited for the ride attendant to lower the harnesses tightly against their chests.
“This feels too tight,” Aurora said as she tried to shift slightly in her seat.
“You’ll be grateful it’s tight,” Dave said. “Trust me.”
The attendant gave his spiel, said “Enjoy your ride” and The Samurai slowly began to lift off the ground. At first they moved slowly, the arms rotating like a giant windmill. The girls all laughed as they went from sitting upright, to lying on their left sides, to being completely upside down. As the ride gained momentum, they couldn’t help but let out an occasional scream of delight mixed with terror. Their arms and legs, which hung loosely from the harness, were being flopped around like a rag doll’s as the ride continued to spin and throw them in every direction. They began slowing down and Belle exclaimed, as she tried to catch her breath, “Holy cow that was fun!”
“Just you wait,” Dave responded.
The ride began gaining speed again, only this time it was moving backwards. Belle, Aurora, and Ariel all squealed as the ride tossed them about, unsure of which direction was up. Then it was clear the ride had ended when the arm began to slow down and their feet slowly returned to the ground.
The breeze that had cooled their faces while the ride was speeding around in circles stopped with the ending of The Samurai.
“How ‘bout that water ride?” Dave asked as soon as they felt the severity of the sun beating down on them again. The other three didn’t even respond, they simply nodded and Dave steered them toward a new part of the park. They knew on a day like this there would be a line for Rattlesnake Rapids, but nothing could have prepared them for the snake of people curving and twisting their way along the fence, well past the ride’s entrance.
“Excuse me?” Aurora asked the family waiting at the end of the line, “Do you know how long the wait is?”
“Probably at least two hours,” the dad responded before turning back around.
“Two hours?!” mouthed Ariel to the others.
“I could wait,” Belle said. “I could use the break anyway.”
“Yeah, as long as we don’t melt before we get there,” Aurora said.
“Oh no! It’s starting already!” Ariel said. “I’m melting…melting!” she shrieked as she pretended to melt into the gravel.
“Save my spot, I’ve got an idea,” Dave hurriedly said, walking away.
Ariel popped back up as Dave left and they had to move forward. The line actually progressed at a fairly good pace and it even took Dave a little while to find the girls upon his return. He was carrying two large, frozen lemonades and four spoons when he approached.
“My hero!” Ariel swooned.
“You are brilliant!” Aurora added.
Belle took one of the cups to relieve his full hands and gave Dave a kiss on the cheek. “Thank you,” she said.
Dave looked at her in surprise. “You’re welcome,” he said, looking behind them at the progress they had made. “I would have brought us each one,” he added, “But I didn’t have enough hands.”
“This is perfect!” Aurora said before taking a large bite.
With the line moving at a steady pace and after rehydrating themselves, the foursome seemed to be in much better spirits. They laughed and joked and even had a moment of silence for Cinderella upon seeing a young man wearing big black boots. The silence didn’t last long, of course, as Dave started making faces at Aurora who burst into giggles. He claimed innocence, however, when Belle and Ariel questioned Aurora, who could only muster up enough control to point in his direction.
The subject was quickly dropped as they got closer to the ride and Ariel realized what Rattlesnake Rapids really was. The ride consisted of a large man-made river and large, round rafts floated down it, tossing and turning in the rushing water. The people riding in the rafts were splashed as they hit the wall bumpers and moved about in the rapids.
“You know, I’m not that hot after all,” Ariel said, backing away from the railing and turning from the horrifying scene below.
Dave noticed her wide eyes and he placed his arm around her trembling shoulders to keep her from fleeing the line.
“Come on,” he coaxed, “remember the Surf and Swim? This is nothing! You’ll be safe above the water the whole time.”
“Yeah, those rafts are way bigger than the other ones. Besides, we’ll all be right there next to you,” Aurora chimed in.
Ariel shook her head. “I don’t think I can do it.”
“Do I need to work my magic again?” Dave asked.
Ariel blushed slightly and with her face buried in the palm of her hands, she finally nodded. “Okay, but don’t let me look at the water before we reach the ride or I might change my mind.”
The others grinned and promised to keep the ride from her view. Finally after two hours, eighteen minutes and forty-three seconds, according to Ariel who had decided to keep track, they stepped from the last stair leading down to the ride and onto the moving platform. Aurora was mid-sentence as they stepped onto the moving floor and she toppled right into Dave’s arms the moment her balance was compromised.
“Nice catch,” she said, recovering herself quickly.
“Nice fall,” Belle smirked as she followed the attendant toward the next raft.
Dave followed Belle closely, climbing into the raft behind her. He then turned around and offered a hand to both Ariel and Aurora as they came do
wn the slippery step. Ariel began trembling again, but Dave pulled her down onto the bench seat and told her to look down at her feet instead of at the water rushing around them. The seats were already wet, soaking their butts immediately. The raft finished its course around the platform and was released into the rushing water. Water splashed over the sides each time they bounced against a wall and the girls all screamed when they got hit with the icy liquid. Ariel seemed to loosen up as she realized there was no way the raft could tip over; they were secure inside its rubbery walls.
“I thought you wanted to get wet!” Dave said as a particularly large wave drenched Belle and Aurora’s backsides. They both jumped up screaming and then slowly sat back down on the dripping bench, panting.
“We do!” Belle said. “But that doesn’t make it any less cold!”
Dave stretched his legs out on the bench in front of him and placed his folded hands behind his head, leaning back and trying to look casual.
“Well I think it feels good,” he said. Just then the raft hit another wall and began spinning around in circles. Belle saw what was coming up and she pointed it out to the other two, motioning for them to keep quiet with her pointer finger against her lips. Aurora stifled a giggle and Ariel shook her head, her face growing pale. But Belle nodded her reply and Ariel crossed her arms over her chest and sat back in defeat.
“So you think the water feels good?” Belle asked Dave.
“Yeah, in this heat, it’s very refreshing,” he said, still relaxing against the back of the raft with his eyes closed. The raft then spun right under the waterfall the girls had seen, soaking Dave from his face and open mouth to his stretched out legs on the bench. He yelled loudly and leaped from his seat to the other side of the raft, sputtering and trying to catch his breath. Belle and Aurora laughed and Ariel couldn’t help but join in.
Belle lay back in mock copy of Dave. “You’re right, this is refreshing,” she exclaimed.
“Ha ha,” Dave said as he tried to wring out the corner of his drenched T-shirt.
The raft continued to move along the windy course. As they turned the final corner, the line for Rattlesnake Rapids could be seen above them, still long as ever.
The Princess Sisters (The Princess Sisters Series) Page 11
