KALIKABUZA

Chapter 46

Nate Ponzio pulls me by the wrist until we are well outside of Dynamo Dome. I didn't get to put my top on properly, so half my back is showing. But Nate is leading me fast. He doesn't say anything. I'm not sure if he's mad, or what, because I can't see his face. He's still wearing his shades. We reach the gate of the park. There, we stop, and he lets go of my wrist.

"Kind of late for wearing shades, don't you think?" I say. Oh, I still feel dizzy. I fix my top. "But... they're cool."

"The coolest," he affirms. "Come with me."

"Hm... alright." I do what he says. I follow him, as we walk toward Spike Peak Mall. I don't ask any questions. I think the night air is calming me down a bit. Geez, I got pretty crazy in there! But what a party—even if I was only there for two hours. Wherever Nate wants to go, is fine by me. It's his park. He can go wherever he wants. But damn, he looks so serious! So stern! It's like he has a lot of worries—like an old man. And yet he's so cool, and young, and in tune with us campers.

We enter the mall. As far as I can tell, it's closed, but Nate leads me in anyway. As we enter, some of the employees who are just leaving, or closing their stores, say 'Goodnight' to Nate as we pass them by. He waves at them. Damn... he's the boss around here. Must be pretty cool to be him! We walk along the empty mall. It looks so much bigger without any people. Did he design the mall too? Everything in the park seems to have been designed for young people. Everything is cool. Nothing looks boring or dull. We climb the escalator—which is off. We reach the plaza. Wow... it looks great at night, and without any people! Well, the only people are janitors cleaning around, and a few employees eating before leaving for home. But why are we here?

"What would you like?" Nate asks me. "Quick, before everyone goes—"

"Iced latte, please."

Nait nods. "Go sit somewhere. I'll be back."

I smile. I wobble my way over to the Royal 60 table by the huge window, and sit down. The view of the park at night beats the view from the day. This is a dream. Everything in the park is lit up in every possible colour. The rides are glowing as if they were alive. The Ferris wheel—Kabuza Revolution—outshines the moon. Like, forget the real moon and all the stars—they're all outclassed by the lights in this park.

Nate returns. He puts a cup of yummy iced latte in front of me. For himself, he has a normal cup of coffee. He sits. "Hollywood needs people like you, Michelle."

Whoa... that was... unexpected! "Is that... a compliment?"

"Perhaps the most dangerous compliment an eighteen-year-old girl can get." Nate blows the smoke from his coffee. "Michelle... why do you seek so much attention?"

I start drinking my yummy latte. Not the best, since it's the last cup to be served, but still, it's good. "Attention follows me! It's... my shadow."

Nate nods and starts to drink his coffee. I guess he can drink it while it's still very hot. "You may not see me everywhere, but I am very aware of what goes on around my park. And I've heard that people call you Princess now. Why is that?"

"I am a princess, can't you tell?"

Nate chuckles. "Maybe you're a brat!"

I giggle. "Oh, am I that bad?"

"Do you know anything about Lady Diana?"

"Lady Di? Sort of. Why?"

"She was a princess."

"Mhm... I know that."

"But Lady Di didn't go around swimming half naked in closed pools in the middle of the night, or getting drunk and high around her subjects, stripping for them on stage. Did she?"