Shot in the Dark

Leah and I spent the next day searching for Mickey Mouse. We wore our mouse ears the whole day and headed over to the Magic Kingdom and saw Cinderella’s castle. We met a bunch of characters and smiled beside them for pictures. For my benefit since I brought Leah to see Harry Potter, she took me to Dino-Sue.

Back then, Leah said, I had an obsession with dinosaurs ever since I was little and going to the attraction made me like them a whole lot more. We went to the gift shop there and I bought a T-Rex stuffed animal to take home with me. I posed with it, hugging it to my chest with my sunglasses falling over my eyes. Leah laughed and showed me her phone and I told her to send it to me. We had a great time and I never let go of my T-Rex. Leah and I sat outside by the small bonfire on the side of the motel and I had it in my lap.

“Are you really sleeping with that thing?” Leah giggled while pulling back her covers to get into bed.

I lifted my head up and stared at her with a serious face. “Of course I am.” My head dropped back down to the pillow and I flipped her off after opening my eyes and seeing her phone pointed at me.

“You love me.”

“I love my T-Rex.” I said before yawning and turning over to face the wall.

We were taking a little nap before going out to watch the Fantasmic show and later for drinks on the BoardWalk. We spent a good amount of time outside in the sun and no doubt we’d be tanner tomorrow than today. Mindy had been jealous of all the pictures we were sending her, but we bought her a few things from the gift shops we’d gone to. We’d also gotten this adorable little dinosaur onesie for their baby boy and I couldn’t wait to give it to her. I should wait until the baby shower. Oh well.

Leah woke up before me, shaking me awake since the show was starting in an hour and it would take us about forty minutes to get there. She changed, but I kept on what I had and just added a little more makeup.

We grabbed our bags and turned the lights off before leaving the motel with our arms chained together.

Coming here this weekend and being around Leah made me appreciate her more. The fact that she even invited me along was kind. Then again we were supposed to be best friends– and we were. I just appreciated her more now. Looking back to about six months ago, I never would’ve guessed that we’d become close again. Seeing her at the bar that night was striking because she was so beautiful next to Connor and I didn’t think that she was my best friend. I thought she was just Craig’s friend’s girlfriend. She’s far prettier than me and she might deny that and switch our names in that sentence, but that’s what I truly thought. Gorgeous blonde wavy hair, deep blue eyes, tan skin that looked and was soft. She was perfect in every sense of the word.

I had explained that to her one night during our many sleepovers and she denied all of it. She said I was all of that since we met and it was more evident in high school. I didn’t want to believe it, but when she told me so many stories, I started to believe it, but just ended up not in the end. Let’s just say that we’re best friends who weigh out each other.

We found our seats in the giant arena and there were lights everywhere. Workers were selling mouse ears that lit up and Leah bought us a pair as one was walking up and down the aisle. She turned it on and placed it on my head with a giggle. I watched her take out the camera that was almost full and face it toward us. I smiled genuinely and blinked my eyes after the flash went off.

“Hey,” I said as the show started. “We met you today.”

Leah laughed as Mickey stepped out in his red cape and pointy blue hat with gold stars printed on it. The show started; the arena erupting with cheers and a few screams. I clapped my hands, sitting up straighter so I could see over the peoples’ heads in front of me. All the characters showed up on the boats, waving at every small child that was freaking out in their seats. A smile crept up on my face as fire appeared on the pool of water. Images from Disney movies were created on bubbles of mists and everyone cheered. Technology’s pretty cool.

It’s hard to believe that the show was thirty minutes, but once it was over everyone got up to leave at once. I frowned, hearing Leah laugh at my face. “What?” She asked.

“That show should be longer. What the hell.” She laughed again and pulled me up with her. It took us another thirty minutes to get to the BoardWalk. We got out of the cab, thanking the driver with a tip and looping our arms as we began our long walk. People passed us on the wood and we posed for a quick picture in front of the water, breathing in the air. “Thanks for inviting me, Leah.”

She smiled as she leaned against the railing. “Like, I said: you’re more fun than Connor is.”

“How does he feel about that?” I snickered proudly.

“He’s trying,” she nodded. “He’s probably not going to win, though.”

“Yes!” I cheered, throwing my hands up from the strap of my bag.

She grinned and hugged me around my waist. “I’m glad you’re here, Andrea.”

We both knew that she meant me being alive rather than here in Florida.

I slung my arm over her shoulders and touched her head. “Come on,” I shrugged. “Let’s go cause some trouble.” I took her hand in mine and we walked down the boardwalk toward the bar. It was a quick bar, not many seats at the counter since it was one of those drink-and-go bars.

Leah stood beside me, tapping her hands on the counter while we waited for the bartender to come over to us. “What can I get you girls?” He asked us, arms spread and leaning against the counter.

“Hmm,” Leah thought, looking at the choices behind him. “Ooh, Mickey pretzel and Mango Margarita, please.” He gave her a nod and looked over at me.

“Strawberry Margarita for me.” He nodded again and left to get us them. I only got strawberry because I missed a certain someone.

I winced at the voice behind me and Leah and we both turned when he spoke. “Hello, ladies.”

It was some bulky looking guy that probably lifted about 350. His friend standing in front of me was much leaner around the arms area. Leah also had a disgusted face.

“We’re not interested,” she spoke for the both of us.

“Really?” The bulky one asked while his friend eyed Leah. “I don’t see your boy–“

“Yeah? Well, I’m taken so bye.” She retorted.

He turned to me and that only made me want to puke. “What about you, honey?”

“Please don’t call me honey again.” With that I turned around toward the bartender setting our drinks down along with the pretzel. We picked them up and left, Leah laughing uproariously.

“Gross!” She doubled over in her laughter, holding her drink up so she wouldn’t spill it. I chuckled at her state and sipped my drink, closing my eyes in pleasure. It only made me miss him more. “That dude was too big for me.”

“His friend didn’t even speak. He probably forced the poor guy to walk over with him so his job would be easier.”

She shook her head as we leaned against the railing once again. “Weirdest thing of the night.” She ripped off a piece of the pretzel and popped it in her mouth. I was too busy enjoying my drink to eat some, but I stopped since I didn’t want to drink it too fast. “Taste like John, huh?”

I blushed immediately and took off a piece of the pretzel. She giggled at me and we stood there for ten minutes, talking, eating, and drinking. The water was calm from what the tall lamps illuminated and the footsteps of tourists were heard behind us. My shirt ruffled in the slight breeze and I swallowed the pretzel with a drink.

“Let’s go dancing,” Leah suggested, pointing at the large building at the end of the boardwalk. I nodded and put my arm through hers as we started heading over. She threw out the paper bowl that held her pretzel in the trash bin along the railing and we slowed our pace as we approached the building.

We moved our bodies for about three songs, drinking our margaritas and getting more drinks as the night went on. Between songs, we went up to the balcony and saw how beautiful the view was on the lake. I snapped a picture for safekeeping and sipped through the straw in my drink. I was still on the strawberry one, enjoying it way too much to get rid of it. Leah laughed at me, noticing that I actually missed him.

Before we could get wasted and have another one of those sad talks, we dumped the drinks and just danced for the rest of the night. We held each other’s hands, knowing fully well that we would indeed remember this night– or early morning since it was about one a.m. I wrapped my arm around Leah’s waist as we walked outside into the breeze. We decided to call it a night and head back to the motel. The taxi driver was very talkative with us during the ride and I tipped him for being nice and for driving us.

I dropped down on the seat in front of the small bonfire and moved back to straighten my body out. It was a tiring day, full of walking, but it was fun. Leah began to fall asleep from the warmth at our feet and I sighed as I got up and walked around to shake her awake.

“A bed is much more comfortable.” I sighed with tired eyes, a yawn coming out too.

She nodded and got up as she grabbed her bag. The woman at the desk smiled at us again as we passed through the front doors. She even said goodnight as we rounded the corner and passed the eating area. Leah was so tired that she managed to fall asleep again as the elevator took us up. I laughed a little, catching her when she wavered and almost hit her head on the wall.

We both changed in the bathroom into our pajamas and I could feel the alcohol draining from my system as I washed my face. Leah knocked on the door, “I have to pee really bad,” she told me. I laughed, drying my face off.

I wrapped my arms around the T-Rex still in my bed, smiling at how the maid propped him up over the sheets. Thank you maid lady. The room went dark after Leah came back and shut the lamp off, saying goodnight.

Only one more day, T-Rex, and you’ll be in your new home.