Carson
Yeah, there’s no way in hell I’m going on that.
All ten of us are standing right outside theRevenge of the Mummyindoor rollercoaster. The moment I saw the sign, I instantly took a step back from the rest of the group, which led to a lot of complaining.
From the guys, except for Jake, who doesn’t care. He’s probably the only one who knows why I’m not hesitant about avoiding the rollercoaster.
“Carson, it’s in the dark!” Enzo’s been trying to persuade me to go on with them from the beginning. “You won’t be able to see the mummies or anything.”
“There’s still the bugs,” Emma points out.
“That’s not what I’m worried about,” I say. Indoor rollercoasters in the dark are still rollercoasters, and I draw the line at them.
“Well, I’m going on,” Jake tells the rest of the group. “Anyone else joining?”
Everyone hums in agreement, except for Diana. Her head’s tilted slightly downwards at her boots and for the second timetoday, she looks a little pale. Her beautifully tanned skin went about five shades lighter and is about as pale as I am.
Okay, she’s still tan but metaphorically speaking, she’s as white as the bandages that are probably on the animatronic mummies I don’t ever plan on viewing.
Diana and I stay in place while the others head in line for the mummy rollercoaster. This is the second time we’ve been left alone together, separated from each of our respective friend groups, and of our own choice. The circumstances were different last time but now? She chose not to stay with the group.
But with me.
After a minute of awkward silence that sits between us, Diana finally speaks up. “Why didn’t you go with them?”
I shrug. “I’m not good with rollercoasters,” I answer and leave it at that. The real reason behind that is so damn embarrassing that only Jake knows.
“Me neither,” she says meekly. “So, what do we do know?”
I swivel my head around the area. I’ve visited this park so often in the past twenty years that I should know the entire place with the back of my hand. Somehow, I come up empty.
“I’m at a loss,” I admit to her. “What do you want to do, birthday girl?”
“I don’t know. It’s my first time here.”
My jaw drops slightly. “You’ve never been here? But you’ve lived in LA for a couple of years, now.”
“Not to this location,” she explains hastily. “The Orlando location is a lot different.”
“Right.” She did bring that up in the car ride over.
“Also, can we just not make my birthday a big deal right now?” She suggests. “It’s just a hang out with all eight of our roommates.”
I shake my head, holding back a laugh as we walk farther away from the rollercoaster and toward the center of the lower lot.“I can’t. Diana, this is the one day a year where everything is literally about you. Wait, when is your actual birthday?”
She mumbles something I can’t understand.
“Can you repeat that?”
The mumbles are a little louder but still incoherent.
“Diana—”
“It’s on Thursday!” She finally blurts out and I now understand why.
“But that’s Halloween,” I point out.
She sighs. “No kidding. I hate having it on a major holiday.”
