Note: 2030 words! Probably my longest chapter so far!
Zayden and Judith went on more rides after that stupid confrontation. Along with the roller coaster and ferris wheel, they went on the Twister, the Bumper Cars, the Pendulum, the Haunted House, and so on.
They went on many rides, but there is one ride they earnestly avoided:
The Tunnel of Love, because it is for couples.
It would be weird for them to go in there.
Zayden no longer puts a barrier between them and is now open to having conversations with her.
Besides computers, they shared many similar interests. Things like preference for horror movies, reading thrillers, and enjoying older music.
Since this world's timeline is similar to Earth's 2000s era, the current artists are similar too. For instance, the number one pop star of this world is Bridgette Spades, who is blonde haired and has a voice like Earth's own Britney Spears.
"Oh yeah! You told me you like photography back there at the roller coaster! What kind of pictures do you take?" She asked.
They both are now done with the rides and decided to look for their friends. Of course they could've called, but they just want to continue talking to each other.
Zayden pondered for a moment, "I like to take photos of landscapes, especially during sunset or sunrise. There's something magical about capturing the colors of the sky blending with the natural beauty of the surroundings. I also enjoy experimenting with long exposure shots to capture motion in a unique way." He answered.
"That's awesome! It sounds like you are very passionate about it!" Judith complimented genuinely.
"Do you still do photography?"
But Zayden frowned and look downward, suddenly emitting a depressed aura.
"No I stopped..." Was all he replied.
Now it's Judith's turn to frown.
"Hey, what's wrong Zayden?" She asked in concern.
The male shook his head, "It's nothing. How about we call our friends now and ask where they are?" He immediately switched topic.
"Oh okay..." Judith understood that somehow talking about photography is a sensitive topic for him.
She pulled out her MotorZola Rizer flip phone to dial one of her girl friends, maybe Hillary. When her thumb was about to type the numbers, Zayden stopped her with his hand blocking her view.
"Wait, I think I see Xavier and Miranda over there," he said, pointing at two familiar figures at the distance.
Following his finger, Judith saw the familiar two people by what looks like a Totem pole outside a Wild West themed ride.
But what is surprising is that those two friends are not just standing there.
Xavier seems to have pushed Miranda against the pole is and....
Heavily kissing her. Xavier had one hand touching against the pole while his other hand held Miranda's jaw.
"Oh my..." Judith breathes out, her eyes widened at the scene, while Zayden looks like he rather be somewhere else.
"Let's just go to them," he said after a sigh.
Judith's cheeks flushed as she quickly averted her gaze from Xavier and Miranda, feeling a mix of shock and awkwardness. Zayden's discomfort was palpable.
"Yeah, let's go," Judith replied, her voice slightly shaky as they made their way towards their friends, trying to act nonchalant despite the unexpected sight.
Hearing them approach, Xavier and Miranda broke apart, looking red and flustered.
"Hey guys!" Xavier greeted, his tone casual as if he did not just have a make out session with Miranda.
"Hey," Judith replied, acting like she was nothing out of the ordinary.
Miranda grinned mischievously, obviously amused at being caught, "Did you guys enjoy the rides?"
Zayden nodded, looking unaffected, "Yeah, it was fun. How about you guys?"
"Same," Xavier and Miranda said simultaneously.
"Where are the others?" Judith asked.
Miranda shrugged, "I don't know. They could be anywhere."
"Alright, I'll call Liam," Zayden took out his Soni Mobile phone and began dialing.
As Zayden dialed Liam's number, it took a few seconds before Liam finally picked up.
"Hey Zayden, what's up?" Liam's voice came through the phone.
"We're looking for you guys. Where are you and Hillary?" Zayden asked.
"We're sitting on a table by the food trucks," Liam replied, his voice slightly muffled in the background, "Jessica and Charles are here too."
"Great! We'll head over there," Zayden said before ending the call.
Turning to the others, he informed them of Liam and the rest of their company's whereabouts.
"Oh good! We don't have to find Charles and Jessica," Judith remarked.
"I realized that we haven't eaten anything yet," said Xavier to Miranda.
Miranda nodded, "Yeah, I am hungry now. What about you guys?" She asked Judith and Zayden.
"We hadn't eaten either," Zayden answered.
"Then let's get some food when we meet the others," Judith suggested. Everyone agreed.
Together, they made their way through the bustling crowd, weaving between the various attractions until they reached the area where the food trucks were stationed.
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At a table near the food trucks, 4 people are seen with various kinds of foods before them.
The 4 people are Liam, Hillary, Charles, and Jessica. The guys sat across from the girls.
Right now Liam is munching on stacks of hotdogs like no tomorrow, Charles is chugging on a bottle of Coke after finishing his sandwich, Jessica is eating a burger with fries, and Hillary is just picking on her nachos with cheese.
"This is a mistake," she said distastefully. She took a nacho chip and threw it over her shoulder to feed some seagulls nearby.
Liam stopped chewing, "What is?" He asks her with his mouth full.
Hillary scowl deepened, "Getting this!" She replied, referring to the nachos. "I can't believe there are no salads anywhere in this place!"
Gulping his food, Liam then stated, "You could've gotten a deli sandwich or fries."
"The sandwiches have processed meats and the fries are salty!"
"Then tell them you want no salt on them."
"There is still the large amounts of fat and carbs that goes with it!"
Liam gave her a deadpan expression.
"You may as well eat a raw potato then," he remarked.
Hillary gave Liam a look of disbelief.
"Are you insulting me?" She asks in a demanding tone.
Liam shrugged, a mischievous glint in his eyes, "Maybe. But hey, at least you'd be getting your veggies, right?"
Hillary narrowed her eyes at him.
"You're annoying." She said.
"Why thank you Miss Nutritionist," Liam responded with a grin, taking another bite of his hotdog uncaringly. He plans to eat the fried Twinkies next.
Charles chuckled, trying to diffuse the tension, "Come on, Hillary, don't be too hard on Liam. He's just trying to help."
Jessica nodded in agreement, "Yeah, let's focus on enjoying our food and the atmosphere."
Hillary sighed, relenting slightly, "Fine, fine. I'll try to enjoy these nachos, salty or not." She said reluctantly.
Just then, Zayden, Judith, Xavier, and Miranda approached their table, their presence drawing everyone's attention.
"Hey, glad you guys found us!" Liam greeted, gesturing for them to take a seat.
"Sweet! I'm going to get myself some pizza and ice cream!" Xavier exclaims, "Do you want me to get you something Miranda?"
"Thanks Xavier! I'm fine with a few corn dogs and strawberry milkshake!" Miranda replied.
"I hope they have fried ice cream. I have never tried it before," said Judith.
Three gasps can be heard.
Hillary, Miranda, and Jessica look at her in shock.
Judith thought they were shocked because she has never tried fried ice cream, but it's not the case.
"You are going to get fried ice cream?!" Hillary exclaims, "But you were a health nut as me! Maybe even more so! I have never seen you go for those kinds of foods!"
"So are you changing your diet now Judith?" Jessica asks warily.
"Well I..." Judith was caught off guard. She forgotten that the original Judith starves herself because of insecurity.
"You know, you do seem to gain more weight, but in a good way," commented Miranda.
"She eats Spaghetti Carbonara everyday," Zayden piped up unexpectedly.
"Uh...yeah...I am changing my diet! As a matter of fact..." Judith slammed her hands on the table, startling everyone around her.
"I am changing everything of myself!" She declared.
"That's unnecessarily dramatic," stated Zayden.
"Shut up," said Judith in faux annoyance and elbowed him.
Hillary looks at the top of Judith's head.
"If you are going to change yourself, I think you should re-dye your hair because your dark roots are showing," she said.
"Nah I am growing it out. I am not going to dye my hair blonde anymore."
Liam look thoughtful, "if you are planning to leave your hair naturally black, you can potentially look like the hot actress Morgan Fox! She is a total babe in the Mechanic Titans movie series!"
"Yes definitely!" Charles and Xavier readily agreed.
Jessica, Miranda, and Hillary also nodded in agreement.
Zayden look at Judith, seeming to just realized it.
So I would look like this world's version of Megan Fox huh? Thought Judith.
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Verona has been feeling on edge since her encounter with Judith a short while ago.
Her sister has been acting different.
She expected intense jealousy from Judith for being with Gabriel, but nothing happened.
No way would she just let go of Gabriel so easily when she had been in love with him for so long!
But Judith did let go.
She allowed the engagement with Gabriel to dissipate and now already found a new guy in such a short time.
It doesn't make sense.
Verona already has the love of her parents and brother, but she wanted to humiliate Judith more by stealing Gabriel's love.
She wanted Judith to beg, cry, and plead for Gabriel's affection, only to be rejected in the end. But Judith's indifference threw Verona off balance. It was as if Judith had moved on effortlessly, leaving Verona feeling unsettled and insecure.
Verona does not like this one bit. She does not want Judith to have any ounce of happiness within her.
Only she, Verona Wellester, deserves everything given to her. She was born into wealth and prestige, so it is fate that she should always come out on top.
And she will not share the spotlight.
Verona couldn't bear the thought of Judith moving on and finding happiness while she remained stuck in her shadow. She always hated that Judith is more beautiful than her.
Determined to regain control of the situation, Verona devised a plan to sabotage Judith's newfound relationship. She would use every resource at her disposal to ensure that Judith's happiness was short-lived.
Starting with that guy she was with.
(Author: But they are not in a relationship though. Aren't you just jumping into conclusions?)
"Verona love, what are you thinking that got you so preoccupied?" Asked Gabriel as he pulled her with him to explore more of the park.
Verona immediately shook her head.
"It's nothing! Just thinking about how much fun we're having today," Verona replied with a forced smile, trying to push aside her dark thoughts.
Gabriel studied her for a moment, concern flickering in his eyes, but he chose not to press further. Instead, he wrapped an arm around her shoulders, pulling her closer as they walked through the lively amusement park.
As they strolled past colorful attractions and joyful laughter filled the air, Verona couldn't shake off the feeling of unease gnawing at her. She knew she needed to act fast if she wanted to execute her plan successfully.
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Soon the day ended and the sun began to dip below the horizon, casting a warm orange glow over the amusement park. The vibrant lights of the rides and stalls illuminated the night sky, creating a magical atmosphere as the group of friends gathered together.
With stomachs full and laughter shared, they recounted the adventures of the day and made plans for future outings. It had been a day filled with excitement and camaraderie.
As they bid farewell to the amusement park and made their way to the SUV, Judith couldn't help but feel grateful for the newfound friendships she had forged, especially with Zayden.
Today was one of the best days of both her lives.