Portugal ~ m.c.

4

The week had passed in the blink of an eye. Michael and I had become somewhat friends in the limited days we spent working with each other. I was kind of sad to let him go to say the least. It was nice having someone shadow me this whole week and learn the ropes of being a cast member.

I parked my car in the staff parking lot and hurried up the path to take the four o'clock bus to Magic Kingdom. There were a few people already waiting at the station for the next bus. Most of them were listening to music or on their phones. No one looked at each other, no one spoke. I stood off to the side and absentmindedly played with a loose string on my bag. A loud rumble consumed the space off to the left of the station. I looked up and watched as the bus got closer and closer in the morning sunrise.

It had stopped with a gust of exhaust that smacked me in the face. I got in line behind a tall blonde girl and hummed an Ed Sheeran song that was stuck in my head for the past couple days. I flashed the driver my pass and searched for a seat. I sank down in one in the middle of the bus tiredly. I grabbed Catcher in the Rye from out of my bag and slumped in the seat a little before opening it up from where I left off.

It had been one of my mom's favorites. It was actually her old copy that I'd stolen off of her bookshelf before I left for college. Many of the pages were dogeared and yellowed but I didn't care. It was like I had a little piece of my mom with me.

Soon the bus emerged from the tunnel and rolled into the station on the right of the main entrance. I stowed my book back in my bag and stood up, merging into the line of people trying to get off of the bus. Since it was three hours prior to the park opening, cast members were allowed to walk above ground to get where they needed to go and transport stuff to other sections of the park. Despite the hour, I loved coming there at that time. The sun was just rising and the grass was still wet with dew and it was quiet and peaceful.

I showed my badge to the guard who nodded me through the main gates. I grabbed the strap of my messenger bag and stuffed my badge back inside. I took my time going down Main Street, I had no where to be really. Nathan wanted me at Splash Mountain by 5:30 which gave me a little over an hour to do whatever I wanted.

The sun spilled over the tops of the buildings. The air was already starting to get sticky and thick. Mist rose up from the ground in front of me and fogged up Main Street. I went along down the path, squinting a bit to see. As I neared the end of the street, a figure rose from a chair and waved in my direction. I hesitantly made my way over to them and saw the familiar spiky hair and beat up boots.

Michael smiled at me before he spoke, "Last day together."

I laughed and nodded, "You'll be fine without me."

He looked down at the table behind him where a cup of something, probably coffee, sat. He reached down and grabbed it, holding it out for me.

I shook my head. "Sorry I don't like coffee. Thank you though."

Michael laughed softly. "It's hot chocolate actually. I didn't know what you liked."

"Oh," I said. I took the cup from his hand and drank the steaming chocolate-y goodness. "Thank you. This is good."

"Walk with me?" Michael asked, grabbing his stuff from the chair. I nodded and we started down toward the Hub. "This week has been really fun."

"Oh? I haven't bored you to death?" I joked.

"Not a bit believe it or not. You aren't boring Bennie," he glanced over at me. A small smile had tugged at the corners of his mouth.

I blushed a little. "Thanks. You work really well with people."