IMAGINE: Hanging Out with Orlando at a Waterpark

     “Anna, let’s go! Stop being so slow.” You grumble to your younger sister who slowly moves up the stairs to the Canada Vortex, a huge waterslide in the Great Wolf Lodge in Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada. You glance behind you to look at Anna and then sigh heavily. She has stopped moving completely. She just stares at you, her eyes wide with fear. You grab her arm and move her to the side of the stairs to let other people go ahead of you. “What’s your problem?” You shake your head at her. “I-I-I don’t want to go on this slide anymore. I want to go back to Mom and Dad and Jake.” “What? Anna, no, you can’t. You have to come with me. We didn’t come all the way up here just for you to chicken out at the very last second. Plus, I got us a two person float! They’re not going to let me go down by myself on this float. It’ll be top heavy.” You say irritatedly. Anna slowly backs down the stairs, her face pale. “I’m sorry, Y/N, but I can’t. I just can’t. I’m going back down. Jake and I will go on the smaller slides.” Before you start to protest again, she turns around and hurries down the stairs. You gape at her retreating back. You start to mount the stairs again, seeing if there’s possibly a chance of the lifeguards letting you go down in a two person float. The line moves fairly quickly and soon, you’re up. “Is it just you riding this?” The lifeguard asks, looking behind you. “Um, yeah, I was wondering if that’s going to be a problem. My sister ditched me while we were already up here so...” You trail off and bite your lip. The lifeguard winces. “I’m sorry, but we can’t allow you to ride a two person float for safety reasons. Since it’d be only you riding it, it would be easier for it to flip, and we don’t want you getting hurt.” “I figured. It was worth a shot, I guess.” You sigh. “Wait, wait, I can go with you if you’d like so it won’t be a wasted trip.” A voice with an English accent says from behind you. You turn around and see a very cute boy smiling at you. He’s by himself, carrying a single float. “Oh, no, no, that’s okay, I don’t want to bother you.” You protest. “It’s not a bother.” He replies. “Can I just leave this here?” He asks the lifeguard. She nods at him. The boy sets his float to the side. “Wow. Thanks.” You smile. “It’s no problem. After you.” He gestures to the float. You sit in the front spot and he sits behind you. The lifeguard gently pushes you into the tunnel. “I’m Y/N, by the way.” You say, turning your head to look at him. He reaches his hand out. “Orlando.” He grins. You shake his hand. “So were by yourself up there?” “Yeah, I was kind of in the same float you were in.” He chuckles at his own joke and it makes you grin. “I’m here with my friends, but none of them wanted to go on this ride for some reason. They were all preoccupied with other slides and attractions.” “Well I guess that worked out for me.” You smile at him over your shoulder. “I think it did.” He responds, just as the two of you drop 40 feet down a slide. Both of you scream loudly until you drop into the vortex. You’re splashed with water. By time Orlando and you exit the slide, you’re both laughing and soaking wet. “Oh, man, that was great.” You giggle, brushing the hair out of your eyes. “Do you want to go again?” Orlando asks. You look at him in surprise. “I-I, uh, sure!” You exclaim. He grins at you and then carries the float for you. After Orlando and you go on the Canada Vortex three more times, he and you decide to hit up the rest of the waterpark together, considering you’ve both been ditched by the people you’ve came with. For the next few hours, Orlando and you just hang out together. It has been the most fun you’ve had in a long time. Orlando and you are in the wave pool talking and swimming when the waves start coming at you. You both swim underneath the waves. When you emerge from one of the waves, you’re unexpectedly slammed by another. It steals your breath and pushes you backwards into Orlando. He grabs you into his arms, holding you against him to steady you. You pop your head out of the water, coughing and sputtering, your nose burning with chlorinated water. “That-that was unexpected.” You gasp, brushing the water out of your eyes. “Are you okay?” Orlando asks worriedly. You nod and then still, realizing how close and protectively he’s holding you. You swallow hard, your breath becoming deep. He seems to have realized it too because he’s just staring into your eyes. He starts to lean forward just as you hear your name being called out. “Y/N, there you are! Mom says we have to get going. We’re going to be late for a our dinner reservations.” Jake, your brother, says, moving closer to you through the wave pool. Orlando quickly releases you and you distance yourself from him. “All right, all right, tell Mom I’ll be right there.” You say to your brother, your eyes never leaving Orlando’s. Jake swims off. “You’re leaving?” Orlando asks, his voice soft. You nod sadly and sigh. “I’m sorry. I wish I could stay.” You groan. “I’ve had the best time with you, Orlando. I don’t even remember the last time I had this much fun.” You admit. He moves towards you and grabs your hand. “I can’t remember either, Y/N. Being with you these past few hours....well, it made me wish I’d ditched my friends earlier so that I could have spent more time with you.” You smile at him. “We’ll see each other again.” You whisper. “I hope so. More than anything.” He whispers back, squeezing your hand. “You have my number. Use it.” You tell him. Orlando and you exchanged phone numbers and emails an hour earlier in case so that you can stay in touch. “I’d love that. I’d love that so much.” He grins. You hug him and he hugs you tightly back. He releases a sigh. A long moment goes by and then he pulls back to look at you. He kisses your cheek. “Goodbye, Y/N.” He whispers, gazing into your eyes. “Goodbye.” You whisper back, feeling the sting of tears come to your eyes. He caresses your cheek, smiling gently at you. You quickly kiss him on the cheek as a tear splatters down your cheek, and then you swim to the shallows, your heart breaking a little. [THE END] I hope you liked it!