Disneyland at Daybreak

Chapter 5

         Truth Be Told

I sat on my couch watching some random cooking show. Well, I wouldn't say I was really watching it. It was more like having the tv on so it didn't look like I was staring into space. I couldn't process any of it. I couldn't translate whatever language it was into English. There were two things I knew for sure about last night. One, I went to Disneyland and two, I met a very nice boy who showed me around. I couldn't even remember his name. His name! How could I forget his name of all things! I didn't know what to do. I could tell my parents, or at least tell my friends. Well I had to spill to someone, so I ended up calling Sarah.

"Hey Sarah."

"Hey there Grace! We really wish you could have came today. We just got off of Space Mountain. You wouldn't believe the wait!" How could I forget! They were at Disneyland!

"Sarah. I... I really need to talk to you. Like, it's an emergency."

"Uh well I don't think talking over the phone's really gonna work. This sounds like a pretty long conversation."

"Oh it is," I replied. "I'm not gonna pay a hundred bucks to get in, so could you meet me in Downtown Disney?"

"Sure thing. It's eleven so why don't we meet at the Rainforest Cafe at noon? Just me?"

"Who's all there?"

"There's six of us," she replied. "How about just me and Gemma?"

"That sounds great. See ya there." I hung up.
I knew exactly where Rainforest Cafe was. My family and I went there a lot for dinner. I looked up the bus times and I planned that if I took the 11:20 bus I'd make it there by 11:50, giving me more than enough time to find them. So, I called my mom. "Hey mom."

"Hi Grace. Can we make this quick? I have a meeting in a few minutes."

"Sure. I just wanted to tell you that I was gonna go get some lunch with Gemma and Sarah."

"That sounds great. Where are you going?"

"Rainforest Cafe."

"Oh you lucky duck. I'd give anything to skip my meeting to go there. Well have fun. Gotta go, bye!" It was 11:10. Better start walking to the bus stop. The bus stop wasn't far, maybe a block or two, so it only took me a few minutes. Once I was on the bus I took a seat close to the door. This was the same bus I took home last night. I recognized the bus driver and the seat next to me had my Dasani water bottle under it from last night. I must've forgotten it. When we arrived, I grabbed my water, threw it in the trash by the door, and hopped off. I walked the short distance to the restaurant and sat on a planter outside. I watched a lady and a parrot showing a few kids some cool tricks till I spotted Gemma's long blond hair.

        She wore her hair down with a Maleficent ear headband, jeans, a Minnie shirt and had a pink purse the perfect size for her phone and money. Sarah's dark hair was in a pony tail pulled through a baseball hat with Minnie ears on it.

"Hey Grace!" shouted Gemma.

"Hey." I replied.

"I have no clue what this is about, but I'm starving so let's grab a table." said Sarah.

         We were seated upstairs next to an elephant. I'd forgotten how much I loved this place. The food wasn't outrageously good, but the atmosphere sure was.

"We've ordered, so this is it. Spill. You look like your gonna burst any minute." laughed Sarah. I took a deep breath.

"Okay. Please don't be mad, but for my whole life, well at least since the second grade, I've been lying to you, and after last night, I decided to tell you the truth." Gemma and Sarah exchanged glances. "Before last night, I had never been to Disneyland before. Not actually pass the gates. I was lying about my pass and about how I go every year for my brothers birthday. We actually go to Sea World. My parents banned me from this place. They don't think it's a very good example of the real world. So... yeah."

"You mean, you've only been here once? Last night? In your whole life?" questioned Gemma.

"Yup. I go to Downtown Disney a lot, but never past the gates. Once I went and sat on a planter in front of the gates to watch the fireworks. That's the closest I'd ever gotten." They exchanged glances again.

"So, why were you here last night?" asked Sarah.

"I was gonna grab some dinner here in Downtown Disney then go sit on a planter for the fireworks. But... I missed the bus. So I ran to the hotel down the street and got on that bus. The driver was very nice and felt bad about my story, so he gave me a note in an envelope to give to one of the ticket cashiers. She turned out to be his niece, and she gave me a ticket. There must have been money in that envelope too because she stuck it in the cash box. One day I'll pay him back. Then I went in and met a really nice guy who showed me around the rest of the night till the park closed." Wheew.

        "Wow. That's uh... quite a story. But I forgive you. I don't blame you for lying." said Sarah.

"Me too. I would have done the same." Said Gemma. Our meal finally came. That's when I noticed that I was pretty hungry too. We split the check and we were on our way. We said our goodbyes and they headed back into the park while I caught the one o'clock bus home.