Hey my brother actually Beta Read this for me. Who knew right? Love you broski!
The field that the Kingdom Keepers were relaxing in got colder as a wind blew in stealthily. The girls put on the sweaters wrapped around their torsos, but the boys decided to suffer rather than put on any extra layers of clothing.
They settled into the order previously set with Maybeck as the start of the circle and Finn at the end. Finn hid how cold he actually was by putting on some shades and speaking in a really slow voice, intentionally mocking cool people. "Yeah guys, we're almost done here. 'If you could make one character from a book, movie, or play come to life, who would it be?' Maybeck, man, you're up…" He nodded with a smirk on his face, meeting Maybeck's stunned, unamused expression. Finn frowned in response and stuck his tongue out at his naturally cool partner. The other members of the group laughed at this uncharacteristic humor coming from Finn.
Maybeck found the question extremely ironic and snorted. "You're kidding man. I think we've all had enough of characters coming to life." Another few giggles were omitted at this statement and the group nodded knowingly.
"Fine," Finn said good humouredly. "Let me change it to 'what's the good Disney character that you want to meet on our expedition to save the world as we know it?'"
"Nice," Philby commented. Finn winked at him.
"Hercules. He's a hero," Maybeck remarked and winked at Charlene. "Like me."
"Pocahontas. She does what she thinks is right."
Philby glanced at Charlene, seemingly surprised that she didn't say Cinderella. "Tarzan. Only he could make monkey sounds look good."
"And loincloths," added Willa with a smile and a push to Philby's shoulders. "I'd say Belle. She's actually smart, in comparison to many other princesses."
"I agree with Willa, but I'm going to say Mulan. She'd be really good in a fight, we could use her," Jes said.
"We have used her," Finn added with a smile. "But I agree it would be nice to fight with her again."
"Kim Possible is really cool," Amanda added. "I don't see why they don't play all those old shows on Disney Channel anymore… I'd watch them again."
Finn nodded in agreement. "Me too. I'd have to say Mickey Mouse. He'd be the ultimate to meet." The rest of the Keepers agreed, looking sheepish for not having thought of him themselves. "Now, onto the next question!" he announced importantly. "'What's the one thing you wish had never been invented?'"
"You," Maybeck said, obviously bored. Finn gave him a stern look, but was obviously amused.
Charlene hit him in the shoulder. "Cheerleading sterotypes."
"Nuclear bombs," Philby said importantly. "They don't help anyone."
"Cigarettes," Willa nodded, agreeing with Philby.
"Foster homes made for the unusual," Jes said with a strange expression on her face.
Amanda agreed. "That and illegal drugs. Like, unnecessary ones."
"Frankenstein. That dude scares the living daylights out of me!" Finn finished while rolling his eyes. "Almost done guys! 'What school subject leaves you bored out of your gourd?'" Maybeck, Charlene, and Jes answered with math while Amanda answered science, Willa and Philby both said health class and Finn decided on history. "'If you had vanity license plates, what would they say?'"
"Foxy," Maybeck repeated while raising an eyebrow that seemed to be questioning of Finn was actually joking or not.
"Okay Maybeck," Charlene said while shaking her head. "Fabulous, like Sharpay!"
"Nerd Power, only spelt nrdpwr to save on space."
"How clever," Willa praised while patting him on his back. "I'd probably go with Disney Babe only spelt DsnyBbe, to save on space."
"You guys are brilliant," Jes said sarcastically. "Awesome, hold the 'e' and the 'o'."
"Princess."
"Of course," Finn smiled at her while Maybeck gagged behind his hand rudely. "Super Finn, spelt suprfin. Now, only four left guys! We're doing good here!"
"We should go out for ice cream afterwards," suggesting Charlene.
"Good idea!" Philby agreed wholeheartedly, his teenage eating hormone acting up again.
"Okay guys, Magic Kingdom?" Finn asked. When he saw nods from all around he picked up another card. "'Who would you like to trade places with for a day?'"
"Michael Jackson, dude," Maybeck commented casually rubbing a hand up and down his arm to show how cold he actually was.
"He's dead," Philby corrected quietly.
"I know that!" exclaimed Maybeck, affronted. "When he was still alive, Dumbo."
"Next time, clarify that," scolded Charlene. "I'd be Reese Witherspoon."
"Harrison Ford," Philby replied with a smile.
"He's so old," Maybeck gagged disdainfully.
"He's not dead," Philby pointed out. Maybeck had no answer to that so he sulked behind his hand.
"Jennette McCurdy," Willa said thoughtfully after a moment of pause.
Jes rolled her eyes. "Elizabeth Gillies." A large sigh escaped the lips of the Keepers.
"Selena Gomez, so then I could date Justin Beiber," Amanda teased while a great number of the group gagged and pretended to barf.
"Oh- kay," Finn answered slowly. "I'd be cool to be a baseball player or something." He glanced down to the remaining cards in his hand. 'If you could go back in time, where would you go first?'"
"When I was born to now, so I can observe my own self growing up to the handsome lad I am today." The girls shook their heads in an amused impatience.
Charlene thought. "The first Olympics by the Romans would be pretty cool to watch." She grinned. "That and looking at old Roman fashion."
"For a moment there you confused me," Philby joked. "Growing up in Britain during the Revolutionary War would be an interesting History project. Like, two sides of the story, you know?"
"I'd go to the American side and when we got back we could compare notes," Willa smiled.
"You two are so strange," commented Jes. "Boston during the Salem Witch Trials would be pretty cool."
"When Disney first got started, you know, seeing Snow White for the first time in theaters," Amanda pondered.
"First football game!" called Finn and fist bumped the boys, much to the girls amusement. "Almost there guys, hold on. 'You've just discovered a family link to someone famous!'" Finn shouted with a fake excited air. "'Who do you hope it is? Is not?'"
"Is Michael Jackson. Is not Ozzy Osborne."
"Is Reese Witherspoon, and not Lindsey Lohan."
"Is Harrison Ford," Philby glared at Maybeck, who shrugged. "Is not Michael Jackson."
"What!" Maybeck shouted while furrowing his eyebrows. "Who doesn't like Michael Jackson?"
"Obviously I don't." Philby huffed. "I do feel bad for the guy though," he admitted and shrugged. "No one deserves death at a young age like that."
Willa patted him on the back and said, "I'd like to be related to Harrison Ford as well. Or Julie Andrews. I'd hate to be related to Brittany Spears."
"Music's good though," Jes commented. "I wouldn't mind being related to our president. Or any president, really. Though not any form of dictator or tyrannical ruler."
"Walt Disney. I'm agreeing with Jes with no evil people."
"Yeah, those are people we tend to avoid," Finn agreed with a smile. "It would be pretty cool to be related to a British Potter kid. Like Rupert Grint or Matthew Lewis." He held up the last card in a dramatic way. "The last card! 'If you could star in a big Broadway Musical, what would its title be?'" He glared at Maybeck. "Don't say Foxy, either."
Maybeck put on his best innocent look. "Fine then, The Super Awesome Life of a Foxy Superhuman."
"That'll sell tickets," Charlene replied evenly. "Star Struck."
"Komputer Kid, with a 'K'," Philby answered. "Play on letters, you know?"
Willa raised an eyebrow. "Okay. Mine is… Converse and Saving the World." She shrugged, smiling. "Lame but defines me."
"Saving the World and Other Illnesses."
"Confessions of a Mental Freak."
"Flashkick," Finn finished, standing up. "That's it, guys."
"Finally!" Maybeck grumbled but stood up anyway, brushing his shorts to get rid of any stuck grass blades. The rest of the group followed suit. They could tell that Maybeck did enjoy the exercise and learning about his friends, otherwise he would have been more of a pain.
"Magic Kingdom, then?" Charlene asked Finn. He nodded and began to walk toward the Monorails.
All too soon the doors were opening to the Magic Kingdom Park and they were asked for their bags to be checked.
"It was really nice for Wayne to allow us this break off," Willa murmured as she scanned in her ticket and adjusted her cap for disguise. Their bodyguard was right behind them.
"Yeah, he figured we needed it," Philby answered. He had been emailing Wayne more frequently.
Once they all passed the gates with no trouble, the Keepers strode along the streets of Main Street U.S.A. in awe. It wasn't often anymore that they saw the parks in broad daylight and they were just as majestic, possibly even more so, with the hot Florida sun shining down on the rides and Cinderella's castle. The breeze in Magic Kingdom was not nearly as strong as it was in Epcot so the girls took off their sweatshirts. The ice cream store was air conditioned, thankfully, and ice creams were ordered.
When all of the teens were settled into a table they thoughtfully licked their snacks.
"It's only going to get harder from here, right?" Amanda asked, already knowing the answer.
The Keepers all nodded solemnly.
"I'm glad we got to do this day and get to know one another better," Finn commented. "It'll only make our team stronger and more united against Maleficent."
Amanda raised up her cone. "To friends!" The rest of the group held up their own desserts in a joined harmony.
…and? This is it!
