The Happiest Jail on Earth

Chapter 4

RORIE:

One episode of Toddlers and Tiaras. A five mile run. A slightly shortened class period. Or the ridiculously long wait for Space Mountain at Disneyland. Forty five minutes is long, but since its Lilah’s all time favorite ride I didn’t mind waiting it out.

We did have a little extra company with us, no matter how unwelcomed it may have been. I had been completely opposed to Henry and Michael joining us initially, but I figured there was no way to escape their presence as they seemed intent on following us around all day. The park was ¼ square mile and these two couldn’t seem to find anywhere to go but where Lilah and I were.

“So I see it’s your birthday,” Michael observed, pointing at the pin on Lilah’s shirt that we had gotten a few hours prior.

“No, it’s Sassy’s birthday,” Henry chimed in obnoxiously, pointing at my identical pin.

“Are you guys twins?” Michael asked with wide eyes.

I could understand his confusion. Lilah had beautiful green eyes and honey blonde hair with gorgeous beach waves. I, on the other hand had blue eyes and shoulder length brunette hair, straight as an arrow. She was about two inches taller than me.

“Um, no, just born on the same day,” Lilah answered with a laugh.

“How old are you today?” Henry asked.

“Seventeen,” Lilah responded after a second of delay. It’s always hard to remember to say your new age for a few days after your birthday. “We have the same birthday as Disneyland too, so we come every year today to celebrate,” she continued.

“What’s your excuse?” I chimed in, genuinely curious as to why two teenage boys were wandering around Disneyland by themselves without a family dragging them along.

“We are celebrating our graduation,” Michael explained. “We’ve been coming here forever, since we were little kids, with our families and this year we decided to come by ourselves.”

“Still, Disneyland? Why not a crazy road trip or something?” Lilah asked, clearly on the same page as me.

“It was,” Henry told us. “We came here from Northern California and took the coast all the way down here.”

That made a lot more sense. Disneyland is fun and all, but it’s not exactly the hardcore rage capital of the world. Nonetheless, their childhood anecdote made me soften a bit towards them, knowing that their relationship was built on similar memories to that of Lilah and me.

After Henry’s explanatory comment, the group fell silent, each either lost in their own thoughts or just not sure of what else to say. We were, after all only strangers. This was something I was quick to forget since we seemed so comfortable teasing one another.

The line in front of us shuffled forward a few measly inches and we followed suit.