Trivial Distractions
Alexander Moore
I knew I shouldn’t have come. I didn’t want to but of course Jacob insisted. “It’ll be fun! Our last trip before college!” Yeah right. This means that Melissa, Kenny, Rob, and Sam were invited as well. And so here we all are. Waiting. As you do at any amusement park. Honestly you wait more than you do anything else. Tickets? Line. Rides? Line. Food? Line. This is the worst place. Not to mention the inevitable, which we have just arrived at. We’ve been parked in this standstill for over an hour now, staying in our lane, the white lines being metal poles that rose from the ground on either side. Ahead, the Doom Seer. A giant, red and black, beast of a roller coaster. I hate roller coasters. Looking around I see excited families, fighting teens, and the brothers who had gone on this ride five times back to back. I see billboards filled with action, excitement, fun. I see food discarded on the sidewalk, and people cutting the line when people aren’t looking. I think to yell at them, but what’s the point?
Ahead of me I see Melissa and Kenny. Melissa is smiling and giggling while Kenny tells a dumb joke. She punches his arm and he pretends to recoil. Honestly, if anything is more annoying than the lines, it’s watching this scene unfold in front of me. I remember when Melissa used to hangout with me, but that was before Kenny. I guess I may have had a thing for her, but now it’s just fizzled. Kenny shoves her back, standing a few inches taller than her. He talks to strangers over the lane, using them to amplify his confidence and joke schemes. Melissa of course eats every word up.
“It’s stupid, isn’t it?” Sam says from next to me.
I’ve known Sam the longest out of the group, yet we always seem to wind up on other ends of the school. She’s pretty short, long hair, and had apparently been standing next to me longer than I had thought.
“What?” I ask. I know what she’s talking about.
“Them. It won’t work. He’s just messing around and she’s actually interested. She’s nothing but an ego boost to him.”
She’s right. I’ve seen Kenny do this to many girls. I would think he would have the heart to not do it to someone in our group, but here we are, the last hurrah, and the last platform for Kenny.
“Yeah. You’re right.”
We actually move forward in the line, to some of my relief. We are under the patio now, and we can hear the coaster zooming off and back in. Rob bumps into me. “Oh, sorry.” He mumbled as he continued to look at his phone. Typical Rob. Always texting his girlfriend and never enjoying the moment.
“You okay?” Sam asks.
I noticed my hand was repeatedly tapping the metal boundary between us and the unfortunate souls behind us.
“Oh. Yeah. I’m fine.”
Everything was just so loud. The people behind us had grown 10x louder, Rob’s sighing and texting, and leaning had just gotten a lot more obvious. I wouldn’t doubt it if he texted throughout the whole ride. And then there’s Sam again. Still standing next to me.
“Are you nervous?” I ask her.
“Me? No. I love roller coasters. How about you?”
“Oh I’m fine.” Maybe I am fine.
She’s pretty inquisitive and in close proximity now. I guess I have to act less out of place. I’ll try to strike up a conversation with Rob I guess.
“Hey Rob, did you hear back about your audition yet?” No response.
“Rob?” “Huh? Oh Yeah. I got in.” He never took his eyes off the screen.
“Dude that’s great! When were you going to tell us?”
“I thought I already did?” There is no way.
“No you did not!” Exclaimed Melissa.
Here we go.
“That is so great! Did you decide for performance or education? When do you go? Do you have to go early?”
Of course, Rob had his secret weapon to Melissa’s overexcitement interrogation.
“I don’t know.” Still looking at his phone.
“Oh leave him alone.” Chimes in Kenny. “Don’t you know he has Clary to text? They have to finish rehearing the declaration of dependance on each other by tonight or the spell is broken!” Melissa giggles.
Of course. This is what I get. Welcome to normal. Sam chimes in from slightly pressed against the back of my arm. She’s pretty straightforward and understanding.
“Jealous Kenny? Just because Rob has someone to think and care about doesn’t mean you have to harp on him.”
“Oh I have plenty to care about!” He says turning back around to face Melissa. “Like the sun, the moon, and especially…” yadda yadda yadda.
Back to the game of flirting. Much to my horror, and thanks, we have reached the gates. I notice Sam looking at me. Just look forward. Why is everything so loud, so much arguing, so much. I start tapping my hand again, but I don’t bother to stop it. When they start to board us I freeze. Kenny bounds up to the front, calling Melissa to join him. Typical. Rob zombie walks to the middle, still with his phone out. I’m still frozen. Before I can even do anything, Sam says “come on,” grabs my hand, and pulls me to the back of the roller coaster. We get seated buckle in, my hand still in hers. We begin the climb to the top of the Doom Seer, but it doesn’t matter. I have an anchor, and even if I am nervous, which I’m not, Sam’s here. She’s pretty. And as we release down the first hill, I don’t notice the making out couple in the front of the roller coaster, and I don’t notice the phone whizzing past my head. I notice the girl sitting next to me, holding my hand. A moment frozen in time, her hair flying backwards and her smile looking right at me, making sure that I would have to smile back.
Ahead of me I see Melissa and Kenny. Melissa is smiling and giggling while Kenny tells a dumb joke. She punches his arm and he pretends to recoil. Honestly, if anything is more annoying than the lines, it’s watching this scene unfold in front of me. I remember when Melissa used to hangout with me, but that was before Kenny. I guess I may have had a thing for her, but now it’s just fizzled. Kenny shoves her back, standing a few inches taller than her. He talks to strangers over the lane, using them to amplify his confidence and joke schemes. Melissa of course eats every word up.
“It’s stupid, isn’t it?” Sam says from next to me.
I’ve known Sam the longest out of the group, yet we always seem to wind up on other ends of the school. She’s pretty short, long hair, and had apparently been standing next to me longer than I had thought.
“What?” I ask. I know what she’s talking about.
“Them. It won’t work. He’s just messing around and she’s actually interested. She’s nothing but an ego boost to him.”
She’s right. I’ve seen Kenny do this to many girls. I would think he would have the heart to not do it to someone in our group, but here we are, the last hurrah, and the last platform for Kenny.
“Yeah. You’re right.”
We actually move forward in the line, to some of my relief. We are under the patio now, and we can hear the coaster zooming off and back in. Rob bumps into me. “Oh, sorry.” He mumbled as he continued to look at his phone. Typical Rob. Always texting his girlfriend and never enjoying the moment.
“You okay?” Sam asks.
I noticed my hand was repeatedly tapping the metal boundary between us and the unfortunate souls behind us.
“Oh. Yeah. I’m fine.”
Everything was just so loud. The people behind us had grown 10x louder, Rob’s sighing and texting, and leaning had just gotten a lot more obvious. I wouldn’t doubt it if he texted throughout the whole ride. And then there’s Sam again. Still standing next to me.
“Are you nervous?” I ask her.
“Me? No. I love roller coasters. How about you?”
“Oh I’m fine.” Maybe I am fine.
She’s pretty inquisitive and in close proximity now. I guess I have to act less out of place. I’ll try to strike up a conversation with Rob I guess.
“Hey Rob, did you hear back about your audition yet?” No response.
“Rob?” “Huh? Oh Yeah. I got in.” He never took his eyes off the screen.
“Dude that’s great! When were you going to tell us?”
“I thought I already did?” There is no way.
“No you did not!” Exclaimed Melissa.
Here we go.
“That is so great! Did you decide for performance or education? When do you go? Do you have to go early?”
Of course, Rob had his secret weapon to Melissa’s overexcitement interrogation.
“I don’t know.” Still looking at his phone.
“Oh leave him alone.” Chimes in Kenny. “Don’t you know he has Clary to text? They have to finish rehearing the declaration of dependance on each other by tonight or the spell is broken!” Melissa giggles.
Of course. This is what I get. Welcome to normal. Sam chimes in from slightly pressed against the back of my arm. She’s pretty straightforward and understanding.
“Jealous Kenny? Just because Rob has someone to think and care about doesn’t mean you have to harp on him.”
“Oh I have plenty to care about!” He says turning back around to face Melissa. “Like the sun, the moon, and especially…” yadda yadda yadda.
Back to the game of flirting. Much to my horror, and thanks, we have reached the gates. I notice Sam looking at me. Just look forward. Why is everything so loud, so much arguing, so much. I start tapping my hand again, but I don’t bother to stop it. When they start to board us I freeze. Kenny bounds up to the front, calling Melissa to join him. Typical. Rob zombie walks to the middle, still with his phone out. I’m still frozen. Before I can even do anything, Sam says “come on,” grabs my hand, and pulls me to the back of the roller coaster. We get seated buckle in, my hand still in hers. We begin the climb to the top of the Doom Seer, but it doesn’t matter. I have an anchor, and even if I am nervous, which I’m not, Sam’s here. She’s pretty. And as we release down the first hill, I don’t notice the making out couple in the front of the roller coaster, and I don’t notice the phone whizzing past my head. I notice the girl sitting next to me, holding my hand. A moment frozen in time, her hair flying backwards and her smile looking right at me, making sure that I would have to smile back.