BANNED FOR LIFE

What else was I supposed to do?  Lara asked herself. She wrinkled her nose and shook her head, a habit she picked up after sneezing.  God, I hope no one saw me, she thought.   She had to get to the front of the line. She had been waiting for over 2 hours. Immediately, she hurdled over the turnstiles, following the maze of metal bars to the front of the line. It was her favorite ride at Adventure Park. Hers and everyone else’s, judging by the length of the line. She covered her nose and squeaked the tiniest little sneeze and like a power switch, the world started moving again. 

Earlier that day, the Santee family woke up in the dark hours of the morning, loaded up the van and headed south. They packed a backpack each for the day trip. In the backpacks were the same items: a change of clothes, a swimsuit, and snacks. They each also had an unmarked pill carrier, for emergencies; except Lara, who was feeling exceptionally lucky and didn’t want anything standing in her way. The record was hers: the park guest who can withstand 10 consecutive rides on the longest, fastest, steepest roller coaster in the region: The Pit Viper. All Lara wanted was her picture at the front wall near the entrance to the park.  

“I’m gonna do it this time, guys. I’m gonna go for the park record.” Lara said excitedly as her father pulled into the parking spot. Stephanie groaned.  

“I’m not waiting on lines for you to ride the Pit Viper, man. There are people in this car who want to do other things.” Stephanie said, rolling her eyes. She had her eyes on the rapids ride. It was already a sweltering 95 degrees with no chance of a pop-up storm to cool things down. Rapids first, their mother always said.  

“Does everyone have what they need?” their mother asked. She looked sternly at the girls. Stephanie absentmindedly tugged her French braids and stared at Lara. She wasn’t listening. “Lara. Do you have everything you need?” referring to the emergency medication.  

“Don’t go anywhere without it!” the girls yelled in unison.  

Their mother sighed audibly. “I’m not fixing things this time! I’m not!” she called after them. 

As they walked through the park entrance, the Santees circled around each other and popped one pill each, except Lara, who popped open her pill case and quickly closed her hand around nothing. She took a swig of her water bottle and smiled.  

“Let’s get going!” their dad said, clapping his hands together once as they started toward the rapids ride. The music started to change from the twinkling sounds of an amusement park to the theme music of the ride: a rushing, strings-heavy instrumental in which the crescendos appeared at certain junctures in your wait. They heard the first crescendo as they entered the queue. In the queue, the girls took out their phones and took the requisite “waiting on line” selfies, posting them to various social media channels. Every few minutes Stephanie noticed that Lara was twitching her nose and trying--albeit unsuccessfully--to hide the fact that she felt like she could sneeze.  

“Ohmygosh,” Stephanie whispered in one breath. “You didn’t bring the pill!” Lara looked at her furtively. A sly smile formed across her lips. “Dammit, Lara. You’re going to ruin everything.” Stephanie uttered through clenched teeth.  

“How else am I going to get my picture on the wall at the front of the park?”  

“I don’t know. Try saving someone instead? You know CPR, don’t you?”  

“Boring. Let me live.” Lara said plainly. Stephanie turned around and moved along the queue with the rest of the family. Lara scooted up quickly. “Calm down. I’m not going to do it now. Not with mom and dad.” Lara hissed. Stephanie didn’t react. The crescendos that followed them as they moved through the queue hid the girls’ whispering argument.  

“Whatever, Steph. You don’t have to do it with me. It’s FINE.” Lara took out her phone for one last check before they stepped onto the final platform. She had 100 likes and 3 comments, “Did you ride it yet?” “Did your mom freak out when she realized?” “OMG I can’t wait to see you on the news.” Lara smiled and stashed her phone in her backpack, threw it across the platform, and boarded the rapids ride.  

Appropriately soaked, the family now split up, as was tradition. “Meet back here in front of the clock at 5 pm so we can make our dinner reservation,” Mrs. Santee shouted over the noise of the amusement park. Everyone dispersed and Lara set her sights on the ride of the day: The Pit Viper.  

As she walked to the start of the queue, she saw the sign that read “The wait from this point is 3.5 hours.” Next to it another sign read: “There are no passes for Pit Viper.” A third sign, which was much larger, listed the risks and prohibitions to riding. Lara wasn’t paying attention and walked right into the last person in the queue.  

“Oh my gosh, so sorry. I didn’t see you there.” Lara raised her hands apologetically. She looked at her watch. Ugh it’s already 11 am. There’s no way I’m going to get on to the record wall at this pace. She clenched her jaw and stood up on her tiptoes. The Pit Viper doesn’t have a single-rider line or a jump-pass line. Everyone who wanted a chance to ride was on this line.

Lara tapped the woman she just bumped and said, “Sorry, can you tell me when you got on line?”  

“It’s been about an hour,” the woman sighed.  

Lara grimaced. She didn’t want to do it just yet. She hasn’t ridden it once. Her brain ran all the possibilities. Where was her mom? Was she far enough away from this side of the park so she wouldn’t feel it? Where was Steph? Ugh, not worth it, Lara. WAIT. She shook her head to clear her thoughts. She pulled out her phone, took another selfie and a quick video, and signed off with her signature peace sign and nose twitch.   

The queue shifted a few hundred feet inward and she was in the shade. A fan blowing in her direction helped her stay focused. Her phone dinged.   

“Are you on the line?” Stephanie texted.  

“Yeah. 3 hour wait.” 

“Omg.   Please be smart."

Lara answered with an upside-down smiley emoji. The queue continued to shift only slightly and Lara was growing impatient. She pulled her hair into a high knot on her head to feel the breeze on her neck. Her fingers tapped the metal bars that contained the queue. In front of her some younger boys practiced balancing on the bars. She laughed thinking about Stephanie and her doing the same thing when they were younger, before they learned about their peculiarity.  

Sneezing was natural. That’s what made it so powerful. That’s what Lara loved so much about her unusual gift. What’s so bad about a tiny, little squeak? Time freezes, she does what she needs to do, and then unfreezes it before anyone notices. Except maybe her mother.  

Lara couldn’t wait any longer. She was not leaving this park without her face being on that wall. She started sniffling. Then, almost silently, she sneezed into the crook of her elbow. When she looked up, everything stopped.  She smiled slyly. Here we go! She thought.  

As she got to the front of the line, she sneezed once more and the world resumed. By that time, her mother had reached the platform, and she wasn’t alone.  

Mrs. Santee was standing in line at her favorite shop holding her annual tree ornament when she felt a lump in her throat and her stomach twist. Lara. She was too far away, as were the other patrons, to feel the effects. She stepped out of line and put the ornament back, tsk-ing and muttering, “it was so pretty, too.” She pushed through crowds until she made it to the other side of the park, but not before a security guard started that way first.  

From just behind the ride’s exit platform, she watched her daughter put her feet on the loading platform before unfreezing the world. Next to Mrs. Santee, the security guard confirmed his arrival to the exit platform through his walkie-talkie strapped to his chest. “Young lady!” the security guard yelled. Lara stopped and looked up.  

“I’m not sure how to ask this, but did you sneeze and freeze time? And then jump the line?”  

“No? That’s weird?” Lara scoffed as she rolled her eyes. Her mother cleared her throat and glared at Lara. Lara bit her bottom lip and started picking at the cuticle on her thumb. “Ugh, maybe.” Lara made her way to the exit platform muttering “Excuse me,” as she climbed over already seated riders.  

“That beats about all I’ve ever seen,” the security guard said, shaking his head. Lara couldn’t tell if she was going to be let off or not.  

Her mother told the security guard they were very sorry, and she wouldn’t do it again. “I just wanted to beat the record, man,” Lara cried. “I wanted my picture on the wall at the front of the park!”  

“Follow me,” the security guard said, leading Lara and Mrs. Santee off the platform and back into the park. Mrs. Santee had already texted Mr. Santee and Stephanie to meet them at the entrance. There was no fixing this.  

“Are you SERIOUS?!” Stephanie yelled at her sister. “You couldn’t wait just one round?”  

“I thought your mother told you to pack EVERYTHING,” Mr. Santee said. “Why would you put yourself at risk like this?” 

“We’ve only been here for 3 hours! Lara! Say something!” Stephanie said, angrily.  

Lara cocked her head to just the right angle as the camera's shutter clicked underneath the security guard’s finger. She’d have her picture on the wall at the entrance of the park after all. 

BANNED FOR LIFE, the wall read. And right below it: Lara Santee, head cocked, mid nose twitch, holding a peace sign.