Chapter Nine

 

<i>for a moment your eyes open

and you know

all the things i ever wanted you to know

i don�t know you

and i don�t want to

till the moment your eyes open

and you know</i>

 

�I don�t know why you like this ride,� Michael said.

 

�Because it�s the most fun ride in history,� Taegan said.�The inventor of the Teacups was a <i>genius</i>.�

 

�What other ride can you have races with other people to see who can spin faster?� Adriana added.�You two should understand racing.�

 

�Why would you want to do that?� Aaron asked.

 

�It�s <i>fun</i>, that�s why,� Adriana said.

 

The girls� final full day was nearing its end.They were sitting in the Teacups again.There were, once again, very few people in the park because it was getting late and everyone was heading back to their hotels before the mad rush when the park closed, so the operator said they should stay on for a bit.�How about you and Aaron go in that one,� Adriana pointed to a Teacup next to them, �and we�ll see who gets the dizziest when we get off after this.And then we�ll know who are the Teacup Champions.�

 

The boys looked at each other and rolled their eyes.�No problem,� Michael said.�Ready to lose?� Michael asked.�Do I get a gold medal for this one?That would make seven.�

 

�Funny,� Taegan replied.�We�ll see who wins.�The guys got out and went over to another Teacup.

 

�Hey, not fair!� Aaron called when he saw that the girls had started spinning before the ride had even started.

 

�It is too fair!All�s fair in Teacups!� Adriana yelled back.

 

The ride started, and the girls, who�d had a substantial head start and had been on so many Teacup rides that they practically knew the physics of how to turn it for the most spin, were going so fast everything else was a blur.Laughing and yelling snide comments at the boys, they were practically in their element.When the ride ended, the girls both staggered off the ride, holding onto things to keep from falling over.

 

Michael and Aaron were relatively steady on their feet.�You cheated,� Aaron pouted.

 

�There is no cheating in Teacups.You can start spinning before the ride goes, and if you�re smart, you can figure out the best direction to spin,� Adriana said, lacing her fingers with his.Partly for balance.

 

�Can I just tell you that if Doubles Teacups was an Olympic Sport, we�d be, like, twelve time gold medalists,� Taegan said, linking her arm with Michael�s.

 

�Thank God it�s not,� he replied.

 

She gave him a dirty look.�You�re just pissy cuz you lost.I am well practiced in the sport of racing Teacups.Every time we go to an amusement park, we go on the Teacups and race some crazy boys or something.It�s quite fun.�

 

Michael and Aaron rolled their eyes at each other over the girls� heads.

 

�I saw that,� Taegan said, de-linking her arm from Michael�s and drifting a bit away from him.

 

�Aww, come on.I think you�re adorable with your weird Teacup obsession.�

 

She looked at him and raised an eyebrow.Michael hung his head.Laughing, she nudged him with her hip.He looked at her and chuckled.She gripped his arm and rested her head on his shoulder as they walked out of the Magic Kingdom.

 

�I don�t want to go back,� Adriana said.�I feel like going back means we have to leave.�

 

�Even if we were to hide in the park, you�d still have to leave tomorrow,� Aaron said sadly.

 

�Shhhh,� Adriana shushed him.�I was hoping no one would bring that to light.�

 

The ride back to the girls� hotel was quiet until they got off the shuttle.

 

�It�s too bad Durex didn�t sponsor this tour,� Taegan said quietly.Adriana, Aaron, and Michael stopped walking and looked at her.�Oh God, did I say that out loud?� Taegan asked.

 

Michael kissed her hair and chuckled.�You know,� he whispered, �I agree with you.�Taegan grinned.

 

�I think we�re going to go back to my room,� Michael said.�Give you guys some privacy.�

 

�Give you guys some privacy,� Aaron repeated, smirking.Michael laughed.

 

�We�ll see you for breakfast, yeah?� Adriana asked.

 

�How about brunch?Eleven sound good?� Taegan replied.

 

They all agreed and Michael and Taegan hopped on the next shuttle, leaving Aaron and Adriana standing outside the girls� hotel.�Upstairs?� Adriana asked.Aaron nodded, and they slowly made their way upstairs.�We should do something different,� Adriana said, bouncing on the balls of her feet.

 

Aaron raised an eyebrow.�Like what?� he asked warily.

 

�We can have sex later,� Adriana said, rolling her eyes.Aaron laughed.�We should order a movie and a pizza or something.�

 

�You do know it�s almost nine, right?�

 

Adriana nodded.�I know.But we haven�t, like, sat around and just cuddled or anything.We�ve been having sex all the time.I�d like to just chill out and watch a movie with my boyfriend on my last night here,� she said.

 

Aaron conceded.They picked Shrek, which was playing on one of the movie channels, and relaxed on Adriana�s bed.

 

�Addy?�Aaron asked about halfway into it.

 

�Yes?� she replied, looking at him upside down from where she was sitting next to him, her head resting on his chest.

 

�What are we gonna do?� he asked.

 

�What are you talking about?�She shifted so she was looking at him right side up.

 

�I mean after tomorrow.I�m going back to Austin and you�re going back to school.�

 

�You live in Austin?Austin, Texas?� she asked, sitting up.

 

�Yeah.�He chuckled.�I thought you would have known that.�

 

�Nah, I wasn�t <i>that</i> obsessed with you.But I live in Austin.Or, well, my parents do.�

 

�Really?�

 

�Yeah.So when I�m not at Chicago with Taegan, I�m in Texas.�

 

�You don�t have an accent,� he said.

 

�No.They only just moved there when I started college.So I haven�t really been there very often.�Aaron leaned over and kissed her.�Mmm,� she said.�What was that for?�

 

�Because I love you,� he said simply.

 

�Awwww.I love you too,� she replied, kissing him again.

 

�You know what I�ve wanted to do since we ran into each other at that club?� Aaron asked.

 

�What?�

 

�Dance with you.�

 

Adriana grinned.�You are a huge sappy goofball,� she laughed.

 

He smiled and nodded.Standing up, he went over to Taegan�s bag and picked up her mp3 player.Adriana giggled.He plugged it into the set of portable speakers Taegan had brought and picked out a song.Going over to Adriana, he held out his hand.�Care to dance?� he asked.

 

She nodded and giggled some more, taking his hand.He wrapped one arm around her waist and clasped her hand with the other.Her arm was around his neck, and their hands were close to their shoulders.They were very close together, so Adriana laid her head on his shoulder.

 

�I wish we could stay like this forever,� Adriana said.

 

�Me too,� Aaron replied.She reached up and kissed him.He kissed her back for a few seconds before deepening the kiss.He picked her up, causing her to let out a squeal.She laughed as he placed her gently on the bed before kissing her once again.

 

*

 

�I feel like a bubble bath,� Taegan announced as she and Michael went into his hotel room.


�A bubble bath?You do realize it�s our last night here.I can think of some better ways to spend it,� he said, waggling his eyebrows suggestively.

 

Taegan laughed and kissed him.�No, I think a bubble bath will do it,� she said.�Do you have bubbles?�

 

�No, but the tub�s a Jacuzzi tub,� he said, grinning.

 

�Care to join me?� she asked with a sly grin.

 

�I think that could be arranged.�He scooped her up and carried her into the bathroom.Taegan gasped.There were candles and flowers and a bottle of champagne.

 

�Michael Fred Phelps,� she said.

 

Don�t middle name me, Taegan Aislinn.�

 

She laughed and then squealed and kissed him.�I love you,� she said.

 

�I know,� he replied cheekily.She hopped out of his arms and they undressed and climbed into the bath.Taegan stretched her legs out and relaxed against the side of the tub, leaning her head on the edge and closing her eyes.

 

�I haven�t had a bath in ages,� she said.

 

�I�m glad you�re enjoying yourself.Here.�

 

She opened her eyes and he handed her a glass of champagne.They clinked their glasses, but didn�t toast to anything.

 

They sat in silence for a few minutes, stealing glances at each other.�Can you transfer?� Michael asked.

 

�What?� Taegan replied, giving him a sideways glance.

 

�I�m sorry.I�m just...What am I going to do after tomorrow?� he asked.

 

�Aw, honey, we�ll still see each other.Just....not as often.�She slid over to the other side of the tub so she was sitting next to him instead of across from him.�We�ll find some way.Chicago�s not that far from Ann Arbor.I don�t think.�

 

�It�s not that far from Texas, either.�

 

�Who cares about Texas?� she asked, confused.

 

Michael chuckled.�That�s where Aaron goes.So Adriana will be able to see him.�

 

�He goes to school in Texas?�

 

�Yeah.�

 

Taegan grinned.�Adriana�s parents just moved to Austin.Sounds like they really won�t be that far away.�

 

�But we will.�

 

�We�ll be ok.I can come see you sometimes, and we can get together on vacations and weekends when you�re not training like the maniac you are,� she said.�My family doesn�t live that far away from yours, so at Christmas we can visit.Oh, Mike, I wish I went to Michigan and could be a Religious Studies Major there, but I can�t.�She rested her head on his shoulder.�And I�m not switching my major, so don�t even think about it.�

 

Michael laughed.�You�ve never called me Mike before,� he commented.

 

�Should I not anymore?�

 

�NO, it�s ok.It was just different, that�s all.God, Taegan, I feel tongue tied,� he said.

 

�Why?�

 

�I don�t know.Just because I feel like I�m not going to see you ever and what if we don�t talk at all, either?�

 

�Shut up.I won�t let that happen.I�ll call you so much you�ll start to screen your calls.�That�s my crazy stalker girlfriend.I�ll have to break up with her one of these days,� you�ll say.�

 

Michael laughed.�That�s highly doubtful,� he said.

 

�We�ll be fine.We�ll figure something out.I love you, so it�ll be ok.�

 

�I love you too.�He leaned over and kissed her, and soon the champagne they�d been drinking was forgotten.

 

*

 

The next morning at eleven, they met for breakfast before the girls had to go to the airport to catch their plane.Breakfast was strained and awkward because all four were upset about their departure.Michael and Aaron would be leaving a little later in the day, but the girls� plane was scheduled for two o�clock.Keeping relatively quiet during breakfast, it went by relatively quickly.

 

Too quickly.

 

The ride to the airport was also quiet.No one quite knew what to say.When they got there and Michael and Aaron escorted the girls to their gate, both girls gave the plane a dirty look.�Damn you for being on time,� Taegan said bitterly.�Stupid pilot.�

 

Michael laughed and kissed her forehead.She lifted her face to kiss him on the lips.She wrapped her arms around his neck and he wrapped his around her waist to pull her closer.

 

Adriana was trying her damnedest not to cry.

 

�It�s ok, you know,� Aaron said.

 

�What?�

 

�To cry.You can if you want.�

 

That did it.The damn broke and Adriana flung herself at Aaron, tears streaming down her face.He hugged her close.

 

A couple of minutes later, Michael and Taegan had stopped making out and Adriana had composed herself.Their plane was called, so Taegan and Adriana picked up their carry-on bags and said, �I�ll call you tomorrow.�

 

This made everyone chuckle, as they spoke at the same time.Giving the guys a final glance, they trooped sadly onto the plane.

 

�We should do this every year,� Aaron said.

 

�I agree,� Michael replied.

 

�How long should I wait before I call her?�

 

�How long�s the flight?�

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