"Oh..my..god..I..am...so...EXCITED!!!!!!"

Erin pratically jumped out of the school bus when the doors had barely opened. The morning air was crisp and cold, but she didn't mind. Her Mickey Mouse ears almost fell off her when she exited the bus.

Here she was, Disneyland! The place where dreams came true! The place where the happiness was so thick you could just cut it with a knife (but you would be caught with a knife in this place, so that's not a great idea)! The place where-

"Hey look!" Somebody whispered from behind her.

Ally grabbed Erin's jacket hood from behind and pulled her back.

"Hey!" Erin called out.

Ally pointed in front of them.

"Isn't that Dina holding Allen's hand?"

Erin looked in front of her and saw the backs of a boy and a girl, holding hands and walking very close to each other.

Violet came forward from behind Erin as well, "Aw, they lool so cute together!"

Then they heard a camera click.

The three turned their heads to the left and spotted Ash fumbling with her phone, muttering about "volume" and "forgot to turn it off".

"What are you doing, Ash?" asked Ally.

Ash perked up and looked at her, grinning like a child who just earned free candy. Her glasses glinted menacingly.

"Look," she said. Ash walked over to the three and showed them her phone. On the screen, was a picture of Dina and Allen.

"Ash, that's so mean!" Erin cried out, prompting glances from everyone around them. Even Dina and Allen turned to give them glances.

"This here," Ash waved her phone around in their face, "Relationship goals."

"Haha," laughed Violet, "Same."

Ash laughed along with them, but in Erin's mind, she seemed to be a little different. Something had happened the night of that football game. Ash was always the type to laugh and push things away like it didn't matter, so it must be something traumatic to cause her to act like that. Now, she seemed to be forcing out her laughs and her smiles.

"Hey," Ash punched her lightly on the shoulder, "You seem down. Cheer up, it's Disneyland!"

That's ironic, thought Erin, you telling me to cheer up?

Then, Ally leaned in and whispered, "Is it about Caeden?"

Erin's immediately flushed.

"N-no!" She stammered.

"You're blushing though!" Violet poked her on the cheek.

"Just leave me alone!" Erin yelled out. Now, everyone within earshot gave her curious glances, and not too far off, was her trombone section. She met Caeden's eyes, which were filled with a curious, but amused expression.

Erin blushed with embarrassment and looked down, covering her face in her hands.

☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆

"I do not want to go on that ride again."

The group of girls walked out of the entrance to a store.

"Space Mountain is scary!"

"No it isn't!"

"Is too!"

"I just don't want to sit in front of you guys, 'cuz you guys scream like there's no tomorrow."

The group laughed and Erin looked around her. Oh, what was the point? There were thousands of people in Disneyland. What was the chance of finding one specific black-haired boy?

"Hey guys!" Ash ran to the front of the group. She quickly looked at her map and pointed straight forward.

"Let's go to Splash Mountain!"

There were cries of approval and disapproval.

"I don't want to-"

"Aw hęll yeah-"

"I'm gonna get sick-"

"You're all chicken-"

"I don't want to get wet-"

"Ok, we're going!" Ash grinned from ear to ear as she walked forward.

"Uh...Ash?" said Ally.

"Yeah?"

"Splash Mountain is that way." Ally pointed in the opposite direction.

Ash looked back at her map.

"Fųck I had it upside-down."

The group laughed and walked to their destination.

☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆

"Ugh, finally!" Violet groaned as they reached the end of the line, "I fųcking hate waiting in line."

"Can I go in the front?" asked Ash.

"Hey, you were in the front on Space Mountain!" Hana called out.

"You were too! You sat next to me!"

"Oh yeah..."

"That's it! Me first!"

Ash pushed through to the front of the group.

"Do we even have enough people to fit into one seat?" asked Alice, another friend.

"Um..." Ally quietly counted the people in the group, "We have just one extra, so one of you guys have to sit on another ride."

The group started complaining.

"Aw, that sucks-"

"Ash can go sit another ride. She's too fat-"

"Hey! I heard that!"

"Nobody wants to sit with people they don't know!"

Ash started coughing. Erin looked at her friend with concern.

"You okay?"

Ash coughed again, more harsh this time.

"Are you sick?" Violet asked.

This time, Ash shook her head and sighed. Then, she motioned her chin behind Erin.

"What?" Erin was really confused.

"Do I have to spell it out for you?" asked Ash, exasperated, "Ugh, fine! C-A-E-D-E-N alert!"

"I-" Erin turned her head to look behind the group, and lo and behold, she spotted a familiar mess of black hair peeking above the crowd.

Erin's heartbeat suddenly sped up at the sight.

"So who's gonna go to the back, guys? We're already at the front-"

"Erin would like to volunteer as tribute," Violet yelled out. She winked at Ash, showing that she got the message and pushed Erin all the way to the back.

"Hey wait-"

Ash and Violet gave her a thumbs-up and burst out laughing as the group got into the log.

"How nice of you to join us, Erin," Cory said in a low voice.

"Stop it, you're scaring her!" Makayla punched Cory on the shoulder.

"Are you having fun so far, Erin?" Caeden grinned at Erin. He was clearly having fun.

"Um, I guess-"

"Alright, let's move on, you two!" Cory pushed from behind, "I want to get this over with!"

"Can I sit in the front?" Makayla piped up.

"Sure," Caeden said,"Who wants to sit next?"

"I'll go," Erin said.

"And I'll sit next," Caeden said.

"Wait what-" Erin was about to object, but Caeden already pushed her into the seats behind Makayla.

"I'm always in the back," muttered Cory as he crossed his arms across his chest and frowned.

"That's because you never say anything in the beginning!" Makayla said from up front.

Erin said nothing as she tried to hide her face. Oh my god. Caeden is sitting right behind me. He's right behind me. Right. Behind. Me. He's probably too close for comfort with his legs around me and me pratically sitting on his la- DARNIT ERIN STOP THINKING LIKE THAT. YOU'RE NOT VIOLET OR ASH-

The log lurched forward, signaling the beginning of the ride.

"Oh darn," Erin heard Caeden mutter behind her, "I didn't put my glasses in the cubby."

"It's too late already," Cory said. The ride was about to start.

"And I don't have a pocket. Darn. Hey Erin, can you put this in your hoodie pocket?" Caeden stuck his glasses in front of him and gave it to Erin.

"Sure." Erin replied with a calm voice, but in reality, she was fangirling internally.

☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆

"I haven't seen the Disney fireworks before!" Ash gasped as she looked up into the sky as an extravagant show of fireworks blew up in the sky. Erin smiled. She was glad her friend looked so happy after that dramatic scene after that football game.

"Oh, I forgot to ask," Ash turned to her friend, "Did you get wet on Splash Mountain?"

"Fortunately no. Makayla was disappointed because she didn't get a single drop of water on her, but Cory got completely drenched and Cae-"

"I meant another kind of wet."

Erin looked at her friend, confused. Ash seemed to be holding in laughter.

"Is that supposed to be dirty, Ash?"

Ash shrugged, "Maybe. Oh, catch ya later!"

"Hey wait-"

Ash disappeared into the crowd.

"What's her problem?"

"Oh, hey Erin. Didn't expect to see you here!"

Erin snapped her head around and was met with a pair of glasses glinting with the beautiful light of the fireworks.

"Hey Caeden."

"Hey. Pretty cool show right?"

"Yeah..." Not like I haven't seen it before but, it seems different tonight...

And so, Erin and Caeden looked up towards the heavens, admiring the show, together in the darkness at the place where dreams come true.

____________________________________

That was a cheesy end, right? Hoped you all liked this longer chapter! I worked hard on it and I promise to update as soon as I can!

Please don't forget to vote and comment! Miss Author really appreciates it! :)