{03.}

G O   L I V E   Y O U R   D R E A M

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❝ You don't have time to be timid.

You must be bold and daring❞

-- Lumiere ( Beauty and the Beast )

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At last, Marlee's stomach was pleased. The food court at All-Star Movies served hot meals - burgers, pizza, and sandwiches. Marlee ordered the latter - a turkey and pesto with a side of chips and water. She decided to bring the meal to her room. The noise level in the cafeteria was outrageous. Children ran from one table to the next, screaming that they weren't hungry and wanting to see Mickey Mouse instead. The online forums warned her about the mayhem of families at the resort. But the rates were cheap, and the resort had a Disney feel. She could have opted for the camp site, but she wanted to immerse herself in the spirit of Disney.

Her room was a distance from the main building. She passed the pool, the laundry rooms, and the larger-than-life figures of Toy Story characters. Marlee pressed the button for level 2 in the elevator, and the doors closed. She wondered what Holden was doing. Was he in the lobby listening to the band play classical renditions of her favorite Disney movie songs? Was he enjoying the hot tub or watching The Force Awakens on the lawn?

The elevator door opened and Marlee stepped out. Around the corner from the ice machine was her room. A scan of the magic band on her wrist unlocked the door - a real convenience since her hands were carrying lunch. She opened the door and stepped inside the room. Marlee noticed right away that her luggage had been delivered while she was out. The blue suitcase stood in the center of the room. It was her mother's. They found it behind a box of Christmas decorations in the garage. Her mom forgot she had a suitcase at all. Like Marlee, Mrs. Fields hadn't left Texas since arriving 21 years ago.

Marlee dropped the contents of her lunch on a table beside the window. She unlocked the screen of her phone and pressed CALL on her mom's photo. Mrs. Fields picked up on the third ring.

"Oh, Marlee," she said in a hushed voice. Marlee suddenly remembered the time change. At home, it was three o'clock. Mrs. Fields was still at work, and probably hidden behind her desk. "How is it? Are you at the park yet?"

Although quiet, her mother sounded sincere. And although frightful at first to have her only daughter so far from home, she was happy for Marlee.

"Hi, Mom." Marlee took a seat at the table and opened the seal on her sandwich. The spicy aroma of the pesto wakened her. She hadn't noticed how drowsy she felt. Jet-lag was real, it turns out, and Marlee felt it at the back of her eyes. "I'm not there yet. I'm eating a late lunch right now in my room."

"Remember to drink lots of water. Dehydration happens all the time in Florida and I don't want you ending up in the hospital." Her tone was serious. Mrs. Fields watched the news every morning, and in the summer time warnings of heat exhaustion and stories of elders fainting on the golf course were excessive. Now, the temperature in Florida is a cool sixty-nine degrees.

"Mom, it's like the middle of December." Marlee felt the angst in her voice. Even though she was thousands of miles away from home, she still felt the need to be right and get the last word.

"Don't forget that I want a picture of Pooh." she laughed. Marlee hadn't forgotten. Their home in Texas had many Pooh bears. A fridge magnet, picture frame, and books from Marlee's childhood. Marlee obviously got her love for Disney from her mother.

"I promise." Marlee took a bite of the sandwich, reveling the taste of real food. "I just wanted to check in and tell you that I'm okay," she said. "I'll call you tomorrow."

"Okay," her mom said, a little disappointed. "I'll talk to you tomorrow. Love you."

Marlee was the first to end the call. She looked down at the screen, hoping for a message from Holden. The time said it was five o'clock. The fireworks won't start for another four hours.

Should she have mentioned Holden to her mom? Probably not, she thought. If her mother knew that she was spending time with a complete stranger then this would be Marlee's last trip alone.

Marlee pocketed her cell phone. She looked out the window to a clear, cloudless sky. She thought about the night ahead of her and wondered what it would be like to finally live out a childhood dream.

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The bus dropped off Marlee at a parking lot outside of the Magic Kingdom. She followed the crowd up a slope and along a concrete path. She inched her heels up as she walked, hoping to catch a glimpse of the tops of Cinderella's castle. The crowd rounded a corner and gathered into various lines. Marlee picked one and anxiously waited for her turn. She scanned the lines for Holden. Stopping over every head of brown hair until realizing he wasn't here. When it was her turn, Marlee used the magic band to check into the park. She was ushered through the barrier and into the park.

The first thing she noticed was the old time feel of the shops. On the left was a barber shop and on the right was a decorated candy store called the Main Street Confectionery. Candied apples made to look like the poison apple in Snow White garnished the window display with Mickey-shaped rice krispie treats and cookies. The smell of chocolate followed customers as they walked through the doors.

Marlee walked through the town square and onto Magic Kingdom's famous Main Street. The buildings were dressed in red and green. Wreaths topped every light fixture and door along the street. The shop clerks wore festive dresses and waved hello to everyone that passed. A woman in a tulle skirt said hello to Marlee and offered a basket. Marlee looked inside and saw a variety of buttons. An orange button caught her eye. It said "1ST VISIT" in white letters beneath a photo of Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Daisy, Goofy, and Pluto.

"How much?" Marlee asked, picking up the button.

"Nothing at all," the woman chimed musically. "You can take as many as you'd like."

Marlee held the button to her chest and said thank you before continuing down the street.

Music, bells, and laughter were all around her. This truly felt like the happiest place on Earth. Somewhere in the distance, Marlee heard caroling. Children ran in and out of shops with mouse ears and lollipops. She thought of all the times as a child that she wished she was here. She would have worn a princess dress and tiara. A mix of happiness and nostalgia filled her heart.

Walking away from the shops and onto the street, Marlee had the most spectacular view of the castle. Purple light illuminated from the castle in pure enchantment. Her breath caught and her feet stopped moving. This was the image she had dreamed about since the age of five. This is what she saw on Instagram and Disney mommy blogs. Their photos did not capture the exact magic that expelled from the castle. It was so tall, Marlee thought. She felt like she could be in a fairy-tale, and prince charming could sweep her up at any moment.

Marlee took out her phone and positioned herself in the street. A few presses of the camera button later, Marlee had a castle selfie. She opened Messages and selected a photo to send to her mom. Waiting for the image to send, a notification came across the screen. It was a message from an unknown number.

It's Holden! Holy shit, it's actually Holden!

Holden had actually remembered her, and Marlee was internally screaming. She pressed the message and it opened. "Meet me at the Adventureland churro cart." was all it said.

Marlee reached around to her backpack and pulled out a park map. Adventureland was semi-close to where she was. She got back on the sidewalk and followed the map.

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Apparently there are a few different carts that sell churros. When Marlee walked up to the first cart and didn't see Holden, she shyly waited five minutes until she decided to keep walking through Adventureland in search for another cart.

Thankfully, she spotted a head of brown hair at the second churro cart. She wasn't sure if this was Holden at a second glance. He was standing beside a girl with blonde hair and too-short shorts. Marlee felt her heart sink. Not that she honestly thought her and Holden had a chance together, but the idea was still at the back of her head somewhere. Maybe it was because Marlee hasn't had a boyfriend in a while and it was fun to flirt, or maybe because she somehow missed having her heart broken. Either way, Marlee was an idiot.

"Hey," she mustered, walking up to Holden. Marlee held her elbows in her hands, suddenly feeling very small and very out of place.

Holden turned around and gave her a warm smile. "Hey," he beamed. Marlee noticed he was holding a churro. "Sorry," he said when he caught Marlee's eye. "I was waiting and they smelled so good."

"I don't blame you. They do smell pretty good." Marlee's eyes shifted to the girl. She had a Coke bottle in one hand and her cell phone in the other. She was scrolling with her finger, her eyes not focusing on a single text, photo, or video on Facebook.

"Do you want one?" Holden asked, his body already moving toward the register.

"No, I just had lunch." Marlee said against her stomach. Her lunch wasn't as filling as she'd hoped. And yes, the churros did smell amazing.

Almost as if Holden could read her mind, he asked the man behind the cart for one churro. He handed a sugar coated bread-stick to Marlee and smiled. "Trust me, these are worth every penny."

Holden bit down on his churro and Marlee followed. It was soft, sweet, and warm. Holden's lips shimmered with grains of sugar.

"It's good," she said, and took another bite.

Holden started walking toward the girl. Marlee thought against it, but followed him anyway.

"You sure that you don't want one?" he asked the girl with blonde hair.

Without taking her eyes away from the phone screen, she said, "I'm sure."

"Okay. Remi, this is my friend Marlee." Holden motioned toward Marlee with his churro, sugar falling to his shoes.

At this, Remi closed the app on her phone and put it in her pocket. She looked at Marlee and gave a quick smile. "Hi, Marlee."

Remi looked like she walked out of Seventeen magazine. Her lips had that Kylie Jenner pout, and her makeup looked flawless under the setting sun. Her skin was clear, which gave Marlee the idea that she belonged in a magazine. It was like Remi was photoshopped.

Marlee nodded her head, unsure of what to say or how to feel. Why would Holden bother inviting her if he was hanging out with this gorgeous girl.

"So," Holden said, rocking back and forth on his heels. "What should we do first? Anyone up for the teacups?" He laughed at this, and Marlee did too. "I saw that Space Mountain doesn't have a long wait."

"I like Space Mountain," Remi said, picking her phone back out of her pocket and opening another app with a swift move of her fingers. "The wait time is 10 minutes. We need to move fast before the line gets any longer."

"Marlee, are you okay with Space Mountain? You're not going to throw up, are you?" He seemed genuinely concerned.

"Of course! Space Mountain is on my top priority list."

"Great." Holden pointed with his churro toward the way Marlee came. "to Space Mountain." he said, and lead the way.