Read Online The Summer of Cotton Candy by Debbie Viguié - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Debbie Viguié
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that’s better than living in mine.”
Candace made it back to her cart just before her fifteen minutes were up. Martha looked relieved to see her. “How’d it go?” Candace asked.
“I had eight crying kids, one mother, and a grandfather that I almost had to slap.”
“Ouch. What did he do?”
“Tried to pinch me, the dirty old man.”
Candace bit her lip to keep from laughing. It would seem that no matter who you were or how old you were, running a cotton candy cart opened you up to all sorts of unwanted attention.
Apparently, Martha had gotten the main rush. The cart seemed in no hurry to change locations, though, so Candace had some time to people watch.
All the coaster fanatics and thrill seekers ended up in the Thrill Zone. With nine heart-pounding attractions, four of which were major-league coasters, it had something for everyone.
For people who loved going upside down, the Spiral was a must ride. Players were loaded into cars shaped like footballs, with two seats in the front, two seats in the back, and two rows of three seats in the middle. From the loading dock, the cars moved sideways onto the track. The cars would then back up slightly, lift up into the air, and back up slightly again, before being catapulted at sixty miles an hour by a giant hand, to race along the track doing continuous 360-degree barrel rolls. Coming back into the station, an optical illusion of a giant pair of hands would catch the football car, and players would hear an announcer screaming “touchdown!” and the sound of cheering fans. Candace had been on the ride exactly twice. After the second time, Tamara had bought her an “I Survived the Spiral” jersey to replace the shirt she had thrown up on.
Having her cart parked near the exit of the ride gave Candace a great opportunity to watch and laugh at the riders coming off. Many couldn’t walk straight and bounced into one handrail and then the other. Some were staggering and being held up by their friends. One guy didn’t seem to have any problem at all. He walked straight and steady, but he looked out of place wearing a dark suit with a baseball cap. A guy behind him tried to walk down the ramp and ended up falling on his rump. She laughed out loud at his bewildered expression. She couldn’t help but feel sorry, though, for one ten-year-old girl who was in her father’s arms crying her heart out. Just because you were tall enough to ride didn’t mean you should. The Spiral definitely wasn’t for everyone.
Candace’s thoughts drifted from the people and the roller coasters to the Scavenger Hunt. It was some kind of rotten luck that she was on the same team as the park’s biggest klutz, the guy who tried to kill everybody, and the girl who had it in for her. I mean, that had to be more than random chance. She looked up toward the heavens. “Are you punishing me for something, God?”
There seemed no ready answer, but she stood like that for a moment until a high-pitched voice spoke.
God? That’s not what I thought you would sound like.
She shook her head and looked down. There in front of her cart was a young girl with pigtails who was standing with a hand on her hip and staring at her like she was crazy.
“Who are you talking to?”
“God,” Candace said.
“Puh-leeze. There is no such thing. My mother told me so.”
“Do you believe everything your mother tells you?” Candace asked.
“Of course, she wouldn’t lie to me.”
Candace should have let it go. She should have stopped there and just gotten the little brat some cotton candy. She didn’t though. “Does your mother tell you that you are a beautiful little girl?”
The girl tossed her head proudly. “Every day.”
“Then I’ve got news for you. Your mother lies.”
The little girl’s eyes opened wide, and her bottom lip began to tremble. Then she turned and ran off.
I’m a bad, bad person. She’s probably going to have self-esteem issues for the rest of her life because of
Candace made it back to her cart just before her fifteen minutes were up. Martha looked relieved to see her. “How’d it go?” Candace asked.
“I had eight crying kids, one mother, and a grandfather that I almost had to slap.”
“Ouch. What did he do?”
“Tried to pinch me, the dirty old man.”
Candace bit her lip to keep from laughing. It would seem that no matter who you were or how old you were, running a cotton candy cart opened you up to all sorts of unwanted attention.
Apparently, Martha had gotten the main rush. The cart seemed in no hurry to change locations, though, so Candace had some time to people watch.
All the coaster fanatics and thrill seekers ended up in the Thrill Zone. With nine heart-pounding attractions, four of which were major-league coasters, it had something for everyone.
For people who loved going upside down, the Spiral was a must ride. Players were loaded into cars shaped like footballs, with two seats in the front, two seats in the back, and two rows of three seats in the middle. From the loading dock, the cars moved sideways onto the track. The cars would then back up slightly, lift up into the air, and back up slightly again, before being catapulted at sixty miles an hour by a giant hand, to race along the track doing continuous 360-degree barrel rolls. Coming back into the station, an optical illusion of a giant pair of hands would catch the football car, and players would hear an announcer screaming “touchdown!” and the sound of cheering fans. Candace had been on the ride exactly twice. After the second time, Tamara had bought her an “I Survived the Spiral” jersey to replace the shirt she had thrown up on.
Having her cart parked near the exit of the ride gave Candace a great opportunity to watch and laugh at the riders coming off. Many couldn’t walk straight and bounced into one handrail and then the other. Some were staggering and being held up by their friends. One guy didn’t seem to have any problem at all. He walked straight and steady, but he looked out of place wearing a dark suit with a baseball cap. A guy behind him tried to walk down the ramp and ended up falling on his rump. She laughed out loud at his bewildered expression. She couldn’t help but feel sorry, though, for one ten-year-old girl who was in her father’s arms crying her heart out. Just because you were tall enough to ride didn’t mean you should. The Spiral definitely wasn’t for everyone.
Candace’s thoughts drifted from the people and the roller coasters to the Scavenger Hunt. It was some kind of rotten luck that she was on the same team as the park’s biggest klutz, the guy who tried to kill everybody, and the girl who had it in for her. I mean, that had to be more than random chance. She looked up toward the heavens. “Are you punishing me for something, God?”
There seemed no ready answer, but she stood like that for a moment until a high-pitched voice spoke.
God? That’s not what I thought you would sound like.
She shook her head and looked down. There in front of her cart was a young girl with pigtails who was standing with a hand on her hip and staring at her like she was crazy.
“Who are you talking to?”
“God,” Candace said.
“Puh-leeze. There is no such thing. My mother told me so.”
“Do you believe everything your mother tells you?” Candace asked.
“Of course, she wouldn’t lie to me.”
Candace should have let it go. She should have stopped there and just gotten the little brat some cotton candy. She didn’t though. “Does your mother tell you that you are a beautiful little girl?”
The girl tossed her head proudly. “Every day.”
“Then I’ve got news for you. Your mother lies.”
The little girl’s eyes opened wide, and her bottom lip began to tremble. Then she turned and ran off.
I’m a bad, bad person. She’s probably going to have self-esteem issues for the rest of her life because of
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