Rising Tide: Dark Innocence (The Maura DeLuca Trilogy Book 1) by Claudette Melanson Page A

with the Red Hot Chili Pepper’s words.
    I laughed as we started after them,
Ron taking my hand, as well.
    I noticed that Shane took a route
around the park that would take us to the Phantom’s Revenge coaster
first.  Oh well, we might as well start big.  The big, looping
coaster’s second hill dropped more than 200 feet, with the coaster reaching a
speed of 85 mph.  It always made me feel like my stomach was in my
throat…but I loved every minute.  I just hoped we wouldn’t have to stand
out in the sun too long, waiting in line. 
    Luck was not with me here. 
The line was long, and not very much of it was under cover.  I nervously
licked my lips as I looked at the snaking rows of people waiting to ride. 
Of course, Ron instantly picked up on this.  He seemed so ‘aware’ of me at
times, it was mind-boggling.
    “Everything ok?” he whispered it,
using the opportunity to brush his lips against my ear in a way that I didn’t
think was an accident.  I had goosebumps everywhere.
    “Sure.”  My tone wasn’t
completely confident, and I could tell by his uneasy expression that he’d
caught the sound in my voice.
    At the moment there was nothing I
wanted more than to not get sick in front of this sweet, extremely-good-looking
boy.  We stood in the line for 15 minutes, the sun relentlessly beating
down on me.  I was envious of all the people around me who looked like
they were soaking it up, enjoying every fragment of light it poured down upon
us. 
    I was beginning to feel the first
tinge of nausea.  Slight, like being spun around too fast, but a definite
warning of unpleasant things to come. I wrestled over which was worse, running
off to stand under a nearby tree—but retaining the breakfast digesting in my
stomach—or puking—quite possibly on Ron in the tightly packed line—and
making a complete spectacle of myself.  I chose the less embarrassing…but
embarrassing, still nonetheless…option and pulled my hand free of Ron’s. 
Mine was still so chilly, his palm was left unsweaty, even in the summer-like
heat. 
    “Maura?” he questioned.
    “I think I’m going to go stand
under that tree…if you don’t mind.”  I could feel the heat creep into my
cheeks.  “The sun is just so strong today.”
    “Are you okay?  I knew you
weren’t feeling good.  Your skin is so cold, are you coming down with
something?  Do you want to go home?”  His words were escaping in a
worried rush.
    “No, no!”  I saw the panic in
Shane’s eyes.  “I just…don’t do well in the sun.” I admitted, dropping my
head and the volume of my voice. 
    He seemed to catch on quickly to
the humiliation I was feeling.  He immediately let the subject drop. 
But he insisted on going with me, explaining to the people behind us in line
that I didn’t feel well, so that we could reclaim our place behind Shane and
Merina once they reached the covered part at the station.  We moved over
into the shade and down along the line of trees, off to the side, as our
friends moved up through the metal dividers, following their progress. 
    “Thank you,” I whispered to Ron,
once we were out of the sun.  I was overjoyed that he didn’t press the
issue.  The only questions he asked while we were waiting were of the safe
variety.  What was my favorite food, color, anime…those types of things.
And of course I had plenty of questions for him, too.   I’d never had
time waiting for something wonderful go so fast…or be so much fun. 
    “What’s your favorite color?” I
asked.
    “Green…I like trees.  Hey, do
you like hiking?”
    “Sure,” I lied, then corrected,
“well, I’m sure I would like it if I went.”  He laughed his easy laugh.
    “I’ll have to take you before you
go.”  He looked away for a minute.  I heard him take in a sharp
breath, and then he turned back to me.  “But let’s not talk about that
anymore today.”
    “Ok,” I agreed, feeling as
melancholy as he looked.
    “When’s