Without meaning to or realizing it, Alison fell asleep on the bench. She woke up with a jolt as someone shook her shoulder.
"What is going on?" Alison mumbled as she sat up, her hat falling off her face. She felt as though the ground underneath her feet was shaking, but it was just her body that was being shaked.
"Your phone's ringing." Someone told her. Then Alison noticed the familiar sound of her phone, and looked up to see Derek holding her iPhone. The caller ID read 'Claire Dearing.'
"Thanks." Alison took her phone just as it stopped ringing, and sighed heavily. Derek went back inside the employee's building as Alison leaned forwards, resting her elbow on her knee and propping her head up with her hand.
Alison called Claire back, screwing her eyes shut as the phone rang loudly in her ear.
"Hey, Claire." Alison spoke as the line stopped ringing, meaning the phone had been answered.
"Hey. Why do you sound like you just woke up?" Claire sounded like she was walking somewhere. There was voices in the background, but were too distant for Alison to make out any words.
"Uhh, because I did." Alison replied. She was known to take small power naps while at work, especially in between shifts with the Mosasaurus. Claire didn't like it much, but knew that if Alison was tired then she should rest.
"Can you come down to the innovation centre? My nephews are here, and you know your way around the park better than anyone. Except me, but I can't be their tour guide." Claire asked, causing Alison to groan loudly and lean back on the bench.
"I guess so. I don't have a show with Mosy until two o'clock." Alison stood up, rubbing her eye as she went before kneeling down to pick up her World hat.
"You could take them to that! Wait, Mosy?" Alison didn't even have to see her best friend's face to know there was a confused expression on it.
The thought made the brunette chuckle. "Yeah, it's what I call the Mosasaurus." She explained.
"Okay...well get to the centre as fast as you can. My nephews are here, I gotta go." Claire then hung up the phone, and Alison shoved her own device into her pocket. She then put her hat back on, pulling her ponytail through the back.
Alison told Derek she would be back for two o'clock, before heading off to the innovation centre. It was at the end of Main Street, so it only took a few minutes for the teenager to get there. The hot sun beamed down on the thousands of tourists that seemed to be having a good time, and Alison was met with refreshing air conditioning as she entered the innovation centre.
A holographic dinosaur roared at the girl as she walked through the centre, observing what was going on. Children of all sizes were admiring everything the centre had to offer, parents trailing behind them with satisfied grins on their faces.
Alison spotted Claire, in her high heels and white skirt suit. She was talking to the two boys that Alison had greeted this morning, but she'd been so focused on getting back to the Mosasaurus lagoon that she didn't really notice them. The younger one had long, messy blonde hair that covered his ears and eyebrows. He had on a plaid shirt, and was looking around the innovation centre with pure amusement in his blue eyes.
The other boy, who looked about the same age as Alison, had neat and short brown hair, or at least a lot neater and shorter than his younger brother. He was focused on what Claire was saying to him, talking him about the VIP wristbands she got the two boys.
Alison watched him with a small smirk as she approached her friend, and the two boys. Zara stood off behind them, doing something on her phone. Alison had neglected to notice the boys before but the older one was decently attractive, his plump lips moving as he spoke to Claire.
"Oh, there she is! Alison!" Claire noticed the girl approaching them, and waved her over with a large grin on her face.
"Yeah, I see you, Claire bear." Alison told her, a smile creeping onto her own lips.
"Claire bear?" The older boy asked, one eyebrow raised in amusement.
"Zach, Gray, this is my best friend, Alison." Claire ignored the nickname that Alison occasionally used, introducing the three kids.
"We've met, Claire, but nice to officially meet you." Alison went to shake both the boys' hands, reminding Claire that she met them at the ferry dock this morning.
"Oh yeah, you're the girl who took off once we were off the train thing." Zach pointed out, the handshake between him and Alison lingering for a few extra seconds.
"It's called a monorail, and sorry about that. I had to get back to work." Alison told him, causing Zach to smirk softly at her correction.
"I told you it was called a monorail." Gray added, looking up at his older brother.
"Yeah, yeah." Zach mumbled as he continued staring at Alison, taking in her appearance. The way her brunette ponytail fell down her back, stopping in between her shoulder blades. Her cheeks and nose were slight sunburnt, with a minimal amount of freckles scattered across her face. Her warm brown eyes looked back at Zach before turning to listen to Claire.
"Alright, Ali is going to show you guys around for a bit. I will see you all later tonight at uh...uh, six." Claire thought of what time she was done work, but Zara quickly reminding her she had something to do at six. "Okay, then I will see you tonight at eight. What time do you go to bed? Or do you go to bed at...at different times?"
Zach and Alison both rolled their eyes at the woman. It was obvious she hadn't seen her nephews in a while, to know that teenagers don't really have a bed time.
"How about you just come find us when you're done work? We'll be fine, I promise" Alison attempted to reassure Claire, just as her phone started ringing.
"Okay. Have fun, and take very good care of them." Claire looked between Zara and Alison, before smiling nervously and turning around to leave, answering her phone in the process.
Zach looked over at Alison, a mixture of confusion and boredom on his face. "Is she always like that?" He asked.
"What? Paranoid and unorganized? Honestly, no. Now come on, I've got a lot to show you two." Alison replied before leading the boys out of the innovation centre, with Zara following behind them, most of her attention being given to her phone.
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