Welcome To My World

"No."

Jenny batted her eyes persuasively, rocking back and forth on the heels of her flip-flops.

"But our friends are here and they're expecting us."

The guard folded his aesthetically displeasing arms in front of his equally disappointing chest. "No one is allowed past this point without a wristband."

A warm breeze whistled through the trees, blowing silken ends of hair into Jenny's eyes. She reached up to brush back her ponytail and repressed an impatient huff.

She'd found the envelope Audrey had left on her porch a few days ago. It contained two waterproof wristbands. Jenny wore hers and had given the other one to Summer a few hours before they left for the library. Now, the man at the entrance was claiming they were fraudulent.

Jenny met the guard's gruff, narrowed eyes.

"But Six Flags isn't even open; we're here for Audrey Myers's party." She gestured to the petite blonde beside her. "I'm sure she mentioned us. This is Summer Parker-Pearson and I -"

"Unless you have the wristbands, I can't let you through," he interrupted.

"But we do!" she said desperately, reaching for Summer's tiny wrist and holding it up beside her own. She had a sudden urge to shake them for the man's benefit.

He frowned.

"I've already told you that we don't issue black bands. This is an amusement park, not a death-metal concert."

"I-" Jenny started, when a lively voice rang out then from across the parking lot.

"Benvenuto, i miei amici belli!"

The stony-faced hulk blocking their view grunted roughly as the girls edged around him, revealing the fashionable redhead swaying toward them.

"Excuse me, is there an issue here?" Audrey asked when she'd reached the booth, leaning over the guardrail to speak to them. A solid black strap peeked out from beneath her terrycloth cover-up.

"N-No issue, Miss. Myers."

She raised an auburn eyebrow doubtfully.

"My friends were supposed to meet me twenty minutes ago. Don't tell me you've been keeping them here, Reginald."

The guard's lips opened, but no sound came out.

Audrey smiled wryly. "There's a box with my name on it in equipment shed 4C. If you could be a dear and fetch it for us- you know where we'll be- I wont be inclined to tell my father that you've intentionally sabotaged our celebration."

Jenny bit back a laugh at "Reginald's" expression. He didn't seem to enjoy being ordered around by a teenage girl.

With one last irritated glance, the guard stalked away from the ticket booths and left in the direction of the shed, mumbling under his breath.

"Thanks, Aud," Summer smiled lightly and tugged on the hem of her pastel purple dotted top.

She laughed good-naturedly and gestured behind her at the entrance of the park.

"Care to join us?"

Summer grasped Jenny's hand in her small fair one and Audrey hooked elbows with her on the other side.

It felt easy and natural as the three of them ambled up the sidewalk ramp, in carefree spirits… with no knowledge of what lay ahead.

XXX

"Woah." That was the only word for it.

Dozens of slides in all shapes and sizes spanned out and twisted before her, the metal arcs of roller coasters glinting in the distance. Cheerful flowers in large mahogany pots dotted the walkways, and birds chirped merrily from their perches on the newly planted trees. Jenny tilted her head back. The sun shone down on her face warmly and she smiled in the heat of the light.