Theme Park Pit Stop

Chapter One August 14th

All Christians think that you go straight to Heaven or Hell when you die, but how does someone know that for sure like what if there is somewhere in between Heaven and Hell? Sort of like a pit stop between one city and another. My question is how do you get to your destination from the pit stop?
"What do you mean you're not going to go this year, Chelsea?"
"I mean I just don't want to run into Brandon," as I said to Alura, my best friend for who knows how many years. Alura and I met when we were very young, I don't even remember how old we were. She and I met when we were in the Rylan Falls Pageant, we met when she spilt her juice box on my dress while on her way to the bathroom with her mother, and her mom apologized over and over again for what happened considering I wouldn't be able to compete anymore. A few years later we both started kindergarten and I hated her for a long time, but eventually she grew on me, and we've been inseparable ever since.
Alura and I were on our way to join our two other friends for lunch at school, and She was bugging me about why I wasn't going to go to Rylan Falls Theme Park. Rylan Falls Theme Park isn't just some place where families go for vacation, it happens to be the spot where all high schoolers go to hang out with friends and get drunk and high. Every year on August 17th the park has a celebration celebrating the founding of the theme park. I wasn't going to go considering me and my boyfriend, Brandon, for 3 and a half years recently broke up, but everyone always says to never let a guy ruin your life, so if I don't go my friends might hate me forever considering we go every year. "Oh come on Rylan Falls Theme Park is huge, chances are we will not run into him and his friends," Alura said.
"If I go you have to go with me to find the best outfit for me and promise to stay for fireworks," I said, slowly regretting it.
"Yes! It's a deal I promise; you won't regret it a bit," She said excitedly before wrapping me up in a huge hug.
"We better go meet up with Kelsey and Maliah before they send out an Amber Alert," I said before heading towards the court yard.
When we arrived at the court yard my friends were sitting at our table where we sit every day. Yes, it is pretty gross eating outside considering all the bugs, but when we don't eat there we usually miss a lot. For example last year we decided to eat in the cafeteria and missed a huge fight between Mark Jenson and Ryan Matthews. After that day we made a promise we would sit at the exact table everyday it practically has our names on it. As usual Kelsey was rambling on about her new boyfriend and Maliah was devouring her lunch.
"Mark just understands me and omg have you seen his abs I can't help but stare! He took me to Jimmy's burger joint. Yes, he talked to the other football players that were there mostly, but it's the thought that counts and he referred to me as his girl!" Kelsey said enthusiastically. You remember Mark Jenson who got in the fight? That's the Mark Kelsey is dating. In my opinion he's a sleaze, but I will be happy for Kelsey anyways even though I believe she deserves better. It's almost as if Kelsey thinks she deserves someone like that which is definitely not true. I guess it's like the quote "we accept the love we think we deserve", I can't say much about love the only guy I have really been with was Brandon and you saw where that went.
"I'm happy for you Kelsey! Are you bringing him to the park?" I asked.
"No, none of you are so it wouldn't be fair. I just want it to be us four," Kelsey replied.
"What are you all doing this evening? The celebration is this weekend, so do you all want to meet up at the mall after school and shop around for an outfit?" I knew Alura would considering she promised, but I wanted to ask the other two. They all agreed to the plan and were excited for this evening.
​ The rest of the day at school seemed to be never ending. In third block we didn't do anything except for watch a boring movie about the criminal justice system. During that time I looked through some summer outfit ideas, and after a lot of searching, I finally had an idea of what I wanted to get. I decided to not let Alura pick it out considering her style. Don't get me wrong she has really cute clothes and always knows exactly what to wear, but we have two different styles and I think I wouldn't feel like me if she picked it out.
​ Finally three o'clock came around and I was so happy to go shopping with my friends. We all met up at the food court to get some food first. "I think I'm going to get a meatball sub from Subway, what are you guys getting?" I asked the others when we were all finally there.
"I think I want pizza," said Alura.
"I'm with Alura I have been craving pizza all day," said Maliah.
"I'm going with you Chelsea I want to try their new sub that just came out," said Kelsey. We all got our food and slowly but surely we all finished. Maliah had no problem finishing hers really quick plus half of mine, but the others and I took a while because we like to talk a lot so it took us a good forty minutes to finish. We all threw our trash away and made our way to Rue 21.
​ Once we arrived we immediately started to browse. It didn't take Alura long at all to find her outfit. She found a shirt that was red and backless and really showed her curves. She also found a pair of blue jean shorts that had fringe on the bottom of the shorts I wouldn't mind wearing them actually. She tried on the outfit which wasn't shocking considering whenever we go shopping everyone is required to try on what their thinking about buying because an outfit might be cute but when you try it on you might hate it. That wasn't the case for her though she looked great! The red shirt looked absolutely stunning on her it went great with her light brown long hair and dark complected skin. "Alura you look so good in that if you don't buy it then I will buy it for you because you look great and I'm sure if you wear that to the park then you will get so much attention from the guys," I said. Kelsey and Maliah agreed with me and asked if we can go to American Eagle next. The rest of us didn't find anything, but since Alura had her outfit she was going to help the other three of us.
​ We get to American Eagle and I'm hoping to find my outfit here because they have a huge sale going on right now. Right when we get in there Kelsey finds her outfit and tries it on. She found a light pink shirt and roll up denim jeans. Her shirt looked good with her strawberry blonde, long hair. She even said she has a long golden necklace that would go perfect with it. She checked out and saved thirty-five dollars!
Next we went to Hollister I looked around and I almost gave up hope that I was going to find anything, but finally I found the perfect dress. It was very white with a heart shaped v-neck it was absolutely perfect, I couldn't of found anything better. I went to find the others in the store to show them what I found and turns out Maliah found her outfit as well. Once I showed them the dress Alura said she saw a gray cardigan that would go perfect with it, so as usual we tried on our outfits. Kelsey and Alura was going to look around a little more while we changed. When I was done getting dressed I stepped out of my dressing room and heard a faint sobbing, it sounded like it was coming from Maliah's. I walked up and knocked onto the door, "Maliah are you okay?" I asked worriedly.
"Yeah um I'm fine, I-I-I will be out in just a second," She said sniffling.
"You don't sound fine. Please let me in Maliah," I said. She opened the door standing there red faced and tears streaking down her face. "What's wrong?" I asked her getting more worried with every word I say.
"I don't like this outfit. I look so fat, I can't go out looking like this," She said sobbing even more.
"Maliah what the hell are you talking about you look amazing! Also, what are you talking about you look fat?" I asked her. I looked over and noticed that the hanger said extra small. That's weird she usually wears a medium, how is she fitting an extra small with all that she has been eating lately? That's when it hit me.
"Maliah please don't tell me that what I'm thinking is true," I said really hoping she would say it isn't true.
"Yes, it's true I was going to tell you three, but I thought they would tell my parents. I mean I know you wouldn't tell, but you are always with Alura and you know her and Kelsey like to talk. It started off as just one time because I needed to lose a few pounds to fit in to this really cute shirt that my mom bought me when her and dad went to Paris because at that time I had ate a lot and gained like ten pounds, but then I started to think more and more and I came to a conclusion that nobody wanted to date me because I'm fat. I tried to do the starving thing but it didn't work out, so then I just started to eat a lot and then throw it up right after," She said now hysterically crying.
"Maliah you are not fat and you just haven't found the right guy yet. The only reason they haven't asked you out is because they want the fake bitches at school and all they would do is take advantage of you and hurt you. You are absolutely beautiful I wish I had your dark brown hair and your flawless skin. Don't think your any less than what you are. God has the perfect guy waiting and when you two are both ready he will have you two together just like that, but before he can do that you need to promise him and me that you will stop making yourself throw up and get back to at least a size small," I said hopefully encouraging her to stop. I'm not sure that God exists but I like to think so, but I know Maliah is a big Christian so I did it for her.
"You're right Chelsea I do need to stop and yes it will be hard and I might need to go away for a little while till I am fully healthy again. I don't know what I would do without you. Your such a good friend and I feel like I can trust you with everything I say. Also, your right I deserve way better than the guys at our school. I will talk to my parents tonight about my problem and hopefully they will know what to do," she said.
Maliah gave me hug and was still sniffling "I think I have some tissues in my purse. How about you finish getting dressed in that beautiful outfit you found while I grab them from my dressing room?" I asked her giving her one last hug.
​ After Maliah got dressed and cleared up her tears we went outside the dressing rooms to find Alura and Kelsey checking out, they had just bought Hollister's new perfume. Once they got finished they immediately looked over and for a second I thought Alura was going to drop her bags. "Omg Chelsea that dress and that cardigan look absolutely stunning on you and Maliah those jeans and that tank top make you look so slim," Alura said excitedly. I know Maliah might be confused on how to take that comment, but I will reassure her tonight that it was a good comment even though that she looked skinny because she was making herself throw up three times a day.
"I totally agree with Alura, Chelsea that dress looks so good with your black hair! Maliah you did really good with picking out that outfit! I wonder if they have that tank top in my size," Kelsey said.
​ We ended the afternoon by stopping at Starbucks to get Frappuccino's. In all it was a really fun afternoon and now I couldn't wait for Saturday, but its only Wednesday so for now I need to focus on studying for my quiz in Algebra II tomorrow. Also, I need to focus on getting some sleep all this shopping had worn me out.
​ Later on that night I was scrolling through my social media apps and really it was the same old thing people complaining about other people, people posting pictures of their dinner, people posting a pic with them and their boyfriend or girlfriend, and for a split second I almost wanted to go on Brandon's page and see his newest posts but I thought about it and I had a good day I don't want anything to ruin it. I never explained what happened between Brandon and me. Let's start from the beginning, so on January 15th of 7th grade he asked me to the winter dance. Of course I said yes because he is on the football team and is so cute. He has black hair that flips and he isn't extremely tan but not vampire pale. Thinking about it he really hasn't changed over the years he still has the same hair and same skin tone but he is much taller and he is really built. Back to where I was, the dance was really fun and I got my first kiss! Throughout the years everything was okay. He was my first kiss, first date, and first boyfriend. But, three weeks ago we were hanging out in my bedroom watching movies when he tried to get me to have sex with him. I said no that I wasn't ready and I pushed him off of my body. "I don't get it Chelsea we have been together for three and a half years, so if you're not ready when will you be ready because I'm not waiting three more years. I love you Chelsea and you love me. I'm not going anywhere and someday I would like to marry you" he said. So like any sixteen year old girl I gave in and everything was good until I got a text the next day that read "Hey I'm not feeling this anymore something just isn't right so im breaking up with you I hope you understand. It isn't you it's me, I'm sorry Chelsea" and it was over just like that. I haven't talked to him since and I don't plan to.