The Best Rides
I feel giddy.
Like what a child must feel like when they first see the fun-filled horizon of one of the most notorious land marks in Southern California. I stare out the window of the van as Dad navigates the behemoth into a giant parking structure about a half mile from the actual park. He says something about how Los Angeles has a million SUVs and no actual parking spaces large enough to accommodate them.
I glance beside me at Ashley and find that she is looking at me. Her expression is like a house cat's… mysterious and generally unreadable. Some days I'd give a million dollars to figure out what's going on behind that expression. Other days, Ashley is just prone to just tell me what's rattling around up there.
Today, unpredictable, house-cat Ashley is watching me curiously, gears churning, and I'm left to wonder.
What in the world is she planning? This is Ashley after all…
Glen, who ended up having to sit in the very back with us, leans to look past her at me.
"Hey, ladies. Could you break off your little staring contest and open the door? The van stopped moving. "He says this loud enough for everyone to hear and I can sense most of the eyes in the van on us now…I can practically feel my mother's disapproving expression grazing over us. Great. Everyone is watching us now… I know it. Well…maybe not Sean and Clay. They seem to be too busy bantering over what light setting Clay's camera should be on.
Glen seems very pleased with himself to make me and Ash the center of attention.
While I turn every shade of red there is, Ashley does what Ashley does best. She flashes him her devil-may-care smile and reaches for the door handle. "Sure thing, Glen." She opens the door and gets out. "Now don't forget to hold onto to an adult's hand in the park. This place is much bigger than Universal Studios. We would hate it if you got lost." She said this to Glen…all innocence… and then offers me her hand to help me out of the van and it doesn't occur to me not to take it.
When I step down out of the van Ashley leans in slightly so only I can hear her.
"Okay…If this is going to be remotely fun, we have to ditch the fam as soon as we get in the gates." She winks at me as I look like I'm about to object. I really don't think they'll go for us lighting out on our own. "Don't worry. You have a cell phone and I know all of the best rides."