The Part Of Me I Never Had

JC and I got into his black rental BMW. He put on his sunglasses and cap.
�Ok. Let�s hit the road!�
He chuckled and started the engine.
I pointed out where it was. It was a short drive from the hotel. It was a place called Pho 79. I was very fond of it.
I walked in and saw barely anyone there. �Duh Jessie. Who would be here at 7:30 in the morning?� I thought to myself.
We sat at a small table across from each other.
�Look at this menu!� JC exclaimed.
I laughed. �I told you it was an Asian place. Vietnamese to be exact.�
He set the menu down. �I think I�ll trust you to order for me.�
I smiled smugly.
�Do you like rice?� I asked him.
�Yeah, sure.�
�Ok then.�
The waitress came over, pen poised over a pad of paper.
�1 pho tai no onions please, and 1 com soun.�
She nodded and took our menus.
�Anything to drink?� she asked.
I looked at JC.
�Uh�a coke would be nice.�
�Ok. 2 cokes.�
She smiled and left.
�What the heck did you just order?� he asked.
�Don�t worry your cute little head off. You�re gonna like it. I promise.�
He sighed, �I hope.�
I punched his arm.
Then our food came. Mine was a bowl of noodles and meat; his was a plate of cooked rice with b-b-q meat and lettuce.
�Thank you.�
I looked at JC expectantly.
�Looks good.�
�See? Now all you have to do is eat it.�
�Ok.� He cautiously scooped some rice in his fork and ate it. He chewed. Then his eyes widened. �This is good!�
I smiled smugly. �You didn�t think that I�d feed you poison did you?�
�Well��
I hit his arm again.
As we were eating, we talked about the same things me and Heather would talk about. Except for of course, guys. For some reason, I felt that I could trust him completely. That�s strange, especially for me because I have to get to know the person first. But in JC�s case, I felt like I had known him forever. I talked to him with ease.
After we were done, it was 8:28.
I let JC pay and we walked out.
I stopped, sensing the penetrating gaze of another person creeping up throught me.
�What is it?� JC asked worriedly.
�Someone�s following us.�
�I think you�re jumping to conclusions Jessie.�
I shook off the feeling once again and got into the car.
�Ok. Now we�re supposed to meet the guys at some place called Valley somethin�. I forget the name.�
I perked up. �Valleyfair?�
�That�s it!� He started the car. �You�ve heard of it?�
�Of course. It�s like, one of my favorite places.�
�Ok. Let�s go.�
�There�s also a new ride I wanted to check out anyway.�
�Which one?�
�Power Tower.�
�Power Tower?� he asked skeptically.
�Yeah. It�s a ride that brings you up 275 feet then plunges down to the ground, then does that over and over.� I said cheerily, watching the look of nervousness rise in his eyes.
�Maybe we can wait for that one,� he said nervously.
�I know. We just ate anyway. Hey, we�re almost there.�
I swear I heard a sigh of relief.
The radio was playing �I Turn To You� so I started singing along.
The song ended just as we parked in the crowded parking lot.
I looked at JC and saw him staring at me.
My nervousness rose. �What? What�s wrong? Is there something on my face?� I asked nervously, running my hands over my face.
He pried my hands off my face. �Nothing�s on your face Jess. It�s just� your voice��
�What about it?� I asked nervously.
�It�s beautiful.�
I blushed.
�Thanks,� I said as I looked away.
�No. I mean it. It�s unbelievable.�
I turned to look at him. �Thank you.�
He smiled. I felt the blushing go down.
I opened the door and stepped out.
I grabbed JC�s hand and said, �You know that Power Tower I told you about?�
�Yeah.�
I pointed to it.
His eyes widened. �Uh�Jessie?�
�Hmm?�
�Could you maybe go on with someone else?�
I looked at the tower, which did loom over every other ride like Justin loomed over Chris.
�C�mon you big baby.� I dragged him toward the front.
�Are you sure that�s just 275 feet high?�
�Yes it is.�
�It seems so much higher.�
�Ok fine. We�ll start out smaller.� I turned to face him. �Will the merry go round be not as frightening?�
�I can take on more than a merry go round!�
�Ok. Then you can come with me on the Wild Thing.�
�Which one�s that?�
I pointed to a large green roller coaster.
�You mean the one with the endless drop right there?�
�It only goes up 200 JC.�
�Ok fine. I�ll go on that one.�
�Ok. Let�s go and find the guys.�
I slipped my arm around his waist, as he did so mine.
We found the guys up in the front waiting for us.
They looked at us questionably, then Justin interrupted, �C�mon, guys. I wanna hit the rides!�
�I didn�t know there were kiddy coasters here!� Chris said jokingly.
�I wouldn�t be talkin� lil� man.� He glowered at him.
�Guys, let�s be civilized,� JC interrupted.
I turned my head to him. �They can do that?� I asked innocently.
So they rounded up on me.
�Girl, you�re next,� Justin challenged.
�Yeah. You�re on my list,� Chris added.
I rolled my eyes. �As if you could catch me.�
I felt myself being pulled up into the air. �Oh my god!� I yelped as my arm slid from around JC�s waist.
I found myself perched helplessly on Justin�s shoulder.
�You�re gonna pay for that one girl,� said Justin.
�C�mon. I didn�t mean it! Put me down!� I yelled. I was pounding his back.
I looked at JC desperately. �JC? Please help me!�
�Ok Jess.�
He walked up to Justin and whispered something in his ear.
�Ok Jess. I�ll let you down.�
�Thank you.� But instead of being on the ground, I was on someone else�s shoulder. It was JC�s. So that�s what he was whispering about.
�UGH! Lemme down!� I shrieked, causing some unwanted attention. �If you don�t let me down I�ll give a backache to remember.�
He sighed, �Ok.�
I smiled triumphantly until I found myself back on Justin�s shoulder.
Ding! An idea came up in my head. �Why use hands when I can use feet?�
I kicked Justin hard enough for him to bend over in pain, setting me down.
�Thanks Justy.�
He stood up and grinned at me weakly, still clutching his stomach.
I walked over to JC and put my arm around his waist. His around mine.
�I am so glad that was not me,� he commented.
�It would�ve been you if I had stayed on your shoulder any longer.�
He looked worriedly at Justin.
�Don�t worry. I only kicked him hard enough for him to set me down.�
�Ok good.�
I stopped.
�You�ve gotta stop this girl.� He looked at me with his pout.
�Someone�s following us.�
�Again?�
I nodded.
�You�ve gotta stop this. It�s eating at me like some virus.�
�I�m sorry. Let�s just go, shall we?�
�Ok.�
I pulled JC toward one certain ride.
�What ride is this?� he asked.
�Corkscrew.�
�The one that has all the twists and loops?�
�Yup.�
�Why did you choose this one?�
�I live for roller coasters baby!�
He smiled as he got into the seat.
I sat down next to him and pulled the bar down over my shoulders.
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After the ride, I asked, �What do you think?�
�Fun!� He looked at his watch. �We�ve gotta meet the guys for lunch at 12 ok?�
�That gives us�2 � hours to go on all the rides we can.� I dragged him off to start a wild morning.