Loved and Alive

Chapter 1

I let out a sigh, rolling my eyes behind my sunglasses as my friend clings to her boyfriend, the two of them staring stupidly at each other and saying all sorts of lovey things as the line slowly moves.

"Hey, tell me what you want, I'll order and you go sit and figure out what's next." I suggest.

"Yeah sure, just get my usual. We'll share." My friend says as her boyfriend practically drags her over to an empty bench.

I shake head and step up to the counter. "Okay, one Coke, one Dr. Pepper, two soft pretzels, one with mustard." I say. "And please, take as much time as possible."

The guy behind the register chuckles. "Someone put you off?"

"Sorta. My friend brought her new boyfriend to celebrate my birthday and..." I stop and look quizzically at the guy. "Do I know you?"

"Uh not sure." He says, handing me my receipt.

My eyes flick down to his nametag.

"I feel like I know you from somewhere. Maybe we met years ago? I was good friends with a Robert."

"Yeah I doubt it, I was still in Australia a few years ago. And I'm sure I'd remember knowing you." He says with a smile.

I feel myself blush. "Well, there goes my asking you to see if you had my number." I say.

Robert shrugs. "I don't think I do."

"What a shame." I shake my head.

Robert chuckles softly. "Your order'll be up soon."

I chew the inside of my cheek. "Do you have something to write on?" I ask.

He slides over a blank receipt and a pen.

I scribble down my name and my phone number before I can rethink, then push it towards him. "It was nice to meet you Robert, or it's to see you again if we have met before."

Robert smiles, his eyes glancing at something. "Would your friend notice if you slip away?" He asks, folding up the paper with my number and slipping it imto his back pocket.

I look over my shoulder, grimacing at my friend, engaged in heavy kissing with her boyfriend. "Doubtful, they're probably leaving soon." I say.

"My shift ends in five minutes, maybe we can do a few rides, figure out if or how we know each other."

I smile slightly. "Sure. But if I wait more than five or six minutes I'm leaving."

~~

I shake my head once I see Robert walking over to where I'm sitting. "Seven and a half minutes, I was just about to leave."

Robert laughs. "Well I'm sorry I decided to change clothes."

"Yeah, you should be. Also, much taller than I previously thought." I say.

"Or maybe you're shorter." He says.

I gasp. "I'm leaving, I'm offended." I say with a laugh.

Robert smiles, his hands in his pockets. "So...what rides have you been on?"

"Not many, this is kinda my first time here." I admit as we start walking.

"You're joking!" Robert glances at me.

I shake my head. "Nope, my family preferred Disney to Universal. And I never really liked rides until I was like seventeen."

"And you're how old now?" He asks.

"Today is my twenty-first birthday." I say.

Robert stops. "No way, you're either nineteen or twenty-four."

I shrug. "Wanna see my driver's license?"

"Yep. I need proof." He says.

Rolling my eyes, I grab my phone from my inner jacket pocket, popping the case open and pull out my license.

"Damn, twenty-one." Robert looks over the plastic card, then hands it back.

"Kayla Jones." He says. "What's the R?"

"The R is my middle initial, and I don't tell people my middle name, especially after just meeting them." I say, putting everything away.

"Or meeting them again."

I tilt my head and give a slight nod.

"But, agreeing to ditch a friend to ride stuff with someone you just met is fine." Robert muses as we start walking again.

"Dude, way to call me on my bullshit!" I laugh.

"Do you like roller-coasters?" He asks.

"Yeah, who doesn't?"

"Well then, follow me."