THE NEXT MORNING was pretty frenetic. We had to pack up all of our suitcases and souvenirs, because we were leaving directly from Universal Studios Park. We quickly ate breakfast and headed for our final destination.
Once we were at the park we were again met by a park representative that sped us around all of the lines. I would really hate to have been one of the people that were stuck in line for an hour or more at times while we just got put in the front of the line.... Yeah, we definitely were getting special treatment. No complaints here though!
Among the first rides we went on was 'Jaws.' Between the gigantic shark attacking the boat, and things exploding everywhere, we had a lot of fun. I definitely got more experience screaming as a girl on that ride – more because I was having fun than anything.
From there we moved on to an Alfred Hitchcock attraction. We all got to see how they made special effects come to life in his films. It was really neat actually, and after we'd learned about that kind of stuff we watched clips of some of his movies in a theater there. The biggest thing there was it was in 3D. Watching birds flying through the air towards you is definitely not the most comfortable event!
We had fun though and moved on to a couple of other things like a Flintstones ride and finally ended up at a 'Double Dare' game show. Kyle got chosen out of our group to go and play. We got to watch him do some pretty messy and stupid things – it was a blast. We made sure that our parents got plenty of pictures of it. I was really jealous that I didn't get to play myself though.
Our group separated from the tour guide at lunch. Eating lunch soon led to more souvenir shopping, a couple other small attractions, and finally back to the bus to go to the airport. The last day seemed to have lasted absolutely no time at all.
In no time it seemed we were back on a plane to go back home. I had gotten a window seat this time, with Amy in the middle, and Kyle on the end of our three chair section. I wasn't really paying much attention to either of them though. Instead I just stared out the window thinking.
Over the past year everything in my world had gotten turned upside down, and gotten shaken about quite a bit. If you would have told me at the beginning of the year that I would now be going by Tiffany I never would have believed you. The sheer fact that I sat in a pair of girls shorts, a top, shoulder length hair, and pierced ears right now, would have made me scratch my head.
But, I was happier, a lot happier. I had an incredibly cool and close friendship with Amy, and a growing friendship with many other kids that I had never had before. That friendship with Amy had already led to more incredible experiences so far than I ever would have expected. Her parents had mentioned to mine about the cheer camp, and they were considering sending me. Me, a cheerleader? Maybe, who knows?
I still had a lot of things in front of me that weren't going to be so easy though. I knew without a doubt that I was going to be struggling from day one in school this fall. If I thought I'd been getting picked on before, I feared it was just going to be the tip of the iceberg. The comments, threats, and physical violence I imagined I would face were more than enough to send chills down my spine. Thankfully I had plenty of friends that should be able to help with that. We would see.
I was truly amazed that I was having as few difficulties right now as I was. The fact that no one had tried to beat me up, or even said something awful to me since I came out yesterday still had me shocked. I knew it couldn't last forever. Who would have ever thought that my life would take me down this road? Certainly not me.
What I knew more than anything was that I had no choice but to stand up to the hard road before me, walking down it step by step. Alone I could never do it, but with a friend like the one next to me how could I not? That thought brought a little smile to my face. I knew I could make the journey if others would only let me.
I stared out that window the whole time we were up in the air as though it symbolized everything in my life, 'up in the air.' Eventually I drifted off to a light sleep letting all of my thoughts and concerns fade away.
Finis Book I
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Standing Up to Life
Genel KurguBrandon is a bright boy growing up near Albuquerque, New Mexico. He likes school, soccer, computer games, and playing in the school band. Small for his age and youngest in his class, his size has made him the target of every school bully for years...
