That Mountain You've been Climbing

9

I yank my body upright, smiling as I wipe the water from my eyes because I have mastered how to make this ride fun without drowning myself.
"You must've liked it since you went down again!" I hear a voice shout from my left. I stand up and look in the direction to see Sonny guarding the slide Rhett and I previously went on.
"Yeah" I smile, ignoring the fact that it was actually my third rodeo.
"Good!" He says, holding his hands up. "Ride this one next!"
So I did. I didn't really know if it was safe to go down by yourself but who cares. I think I recall seeing someone go down alone before, so this is just a chance I'm taking as I tote the float up the steps on my back, looking like a blue turtle. I make my way through people until I reach my line, tossing the float over to the side and resting on it. So much more work without having a second passenger. I reach the top and lean over onto my float, trying not to poke my rear against the guy in line behind me. My "buddy" from the neighboring slide looks over at me.
"All alone?" He asks, tilting his head to the side.
"I managed to get rid of the little brother" I say, giving him a smile. He just giggles and I idly notice how perfect his teeth are. Huh what a thought.
I board my float alone and prepare to lift my butt, without warning from Rhett. I am shot down the tunnel, practically flying, as there is no other weight from a second person. My float spins me around and although I'm by myself, I laugh hysterically and throw my head back, embracing the hurricane until I'm being shot back up towards Sonny. He snickers when he sees me and assists me out of my float.
"How bout that one? You like that one?"
"Love it!" I say, trotting in the direction of the water mats, as I'm on a roll here and can't stop now.
"Good that!" He calls out from behind me, but I just shoot him a thumbs up, as I'm already in the direction of the steps. Again. I start my leg testing journey.
This line is the shortest, despite the killer slide, so I have no time to be impatient before I'm backed up, ready to ram myself into the tunnel. The countdown is halfway over and I make a run for it, soaring into the darkness. I lean up so water doesn't invade my mouth and I scream an excited series of screams as my mat and I whip around corners before behind spat out at the bottom and struggling to not show the world my secrets as I peel myself from the mat and peel the mat from the water.
"So lonely" I hear a voice call out from just up ahead. I glance up to see him perched in a supervisor seat, lounging under an umbrella. I unintentionally smile.
"Nah, just alone."
He rewards me with a laugh, "fair enough."
I slide my mat back onto the rack before hearing the most unpleasant voice I've heard all day.
"Atlanta!"
Oh God.
"Atlanta! Your mother wants you in for lunch! I've been looking everywhere for you!" The wretched voice of Herman Brassfield calls. Now the guy knows my name, but I'm still unaware of his.
My father actually doesn't hang around and continue to bark at me; he turns around and goes back in the direction he came from. It's only then that I notice just how much that Krystal from breakfast didn't keep me satisfied as my stomach starts to bark even louder than the aforementioned voice.
The supervisor is looking. I really want to say something to him. The words how humiliating go through my head, but as I open my mouth to say something, my words seem to jumble together and I close my mouth, disappointed at my loss of words. I push my sunglasses further up my nose and hang my head, heading in the direction of my room with defeat drowning me so badly that I slightly wish the guy was a metaphorical supervisor too.