Page 19 of Love is a Roller Coaster

“How was it?” he asks.

“Incredible.” We walk out the exit and I look all around, taking in the sights. I can’t believe I’m here.

And not just that I’m here, but that I’m here…with Tyler.

I never would have expected this to be the perfect day, but it is.

“I once sawZac Efron over there,” Tyler comments.

I look over at where he’s pointing, close to where we’re standing in line for Space Mountain. After Peter Pan, we spent about an hour riding the kids’ rides in Fantasyland, and then headed to Tomorrowland for our first roller coaster.

“Really?” I ask.

He nods. “It was back in the High School Musical days. He was with Vanessa Hudgens.”

“And they were waiting in line?”

“No, no. They let celebrities cut in front of everyone. It was pretty cool to see him, though.”

“Have you seen any other celebrities?”

He tilts his head from side to side. “A few. Kobe Bryant was here a while back. There was a huge commotion in front of Alice in Wonderland. But I haven’t had an annual pass since I was a kid, so I’m not here often enough to see celebrities like I used to.”

Even though I’ve grown up around a few celebrities, since that was the circle my family ran in, it seems more exciting to see them at Disneyland.

When it’s our turn, we’re assigned the front seats of the ride.

“Yes!” Tyler exclaims. “This is the best spot for this ride.”

“Oh, really?” I ask.

“Yep. When you’re in the front, it’s harder to see where you’re going, so it’s more fun. The further back you are, you can see where the people in the front are heading, so it’s not a surprise.”

“Oooh.” In all honesty, I haven’t been on a ton of roller coasters. That’s part of what appealed to me about Disneyland—that most rides are slower paced, acceptable for a Westfield woman to keep her hair in check.

But I want tolive.

So Space Mountain it is.

We get into our little rocket and start moving. Tyler waves at the attendant behind the glass window who’s running the ride.

“Tradition,” he says to me. “Sometimes they wave back, but it’s rare.”

The attendant didn’t appear to notice him.

“Bummer,” Tyler says, but he’s smiling and doesn’t seem to mind too much.

Still, I decide to help him out and wave my arm at the attendant like he’s a long-lost friend. The attendant finally looks at us, shakes his head with a smile, and waves back.

Tyler laughs out loud. “Of course he’d wave at you. Who wouldn’t wave back at a gorgeous woman with a smile like yours?”

Although he’s said things like that to me before, I still feel a flush from the tips of my toes all the way up to my cheeks. Before I can reply, the train turns, and we head up a little hill as if we’re rockets exiting a space station.

We emerge into a gigantic room, completely dark except for the “stars.” I can kind of make out some tracks, since we’re still moving fairly slowly, and then…we’re off.

I squeal out loud without realizing it, then clap a hand over my mouth. Next to me, Tyler whoops loudly and raises both arms over his head. The ride pulls us up and down, around and around in circles, and I find myself laughing every time we move in a direction I’m not expecting.

I feel a high like I’ve never felt before. Laughing with no one judging me, squealing out of delight. I’m not brave enough to let go of the lap bar, but I feel a lightness and freedom that I haven’t experienced…

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