Page 73 of Lance

“We got our management to arrange for a guide,” Cash explains. “And we brought one of our security guys. We figured we’d be too conspicuous with such a large group to try and blendin.”

“And we get to skip all the lines,” Wyatt tells Simon. “Because Cash is a rockstar.”

“Cool!” Simonsays.

“You’re going to be polite to everyone in line, mister, and say thank you to anyone who helps you today,” Sam says and Wyatt looks slightlychastised.

Our guide introduces herself as Kendra. “So, what would we like to do firsttoday?”

I look down at Simon, giving him an encouraging nod. “I wanted to register for the Jedi training,” he says in a softvoice.

She smiles at him. “That’s already taken care of. You’re going to be in the eleven-thirtyclass.”

He looks up at me and Lance, wide-eyed. “I pulled a few strings,” Lance says, grinning, and I realize that Simon is now looking at him with the same awed expression he’d givenWyatt.

“Then it sounds like we have time to hit some rides first.” I hold out my hand to him. “Youready?”

He takes my hand, grinning. And then, looking pretty shy about it, he reaches up to take Lance’s hand, too. “Ready.”

* * *

I’m prettysure if I live to be one hundred, this day will still be one of the coolest in my life. Strolling around Disneyland with members of not just one but two of America’s most famous rock bands, random people taking our picture, skipping to the front of every line, our tour guide even leading us through the backstage area occasionally to avoid some of the heavier crowds—I feel likeroyalty.

“I could get used to this life,” I mutter to Lance as we leave the Radiator Springs Racers a few hours later. The clock at the front of the line that tells how long of a wait to expect has just hit fifty minutes. We’d been able to walk righton.

He grins at me. “It’s not bad, isit?”

“I think we have time for one more ride,” Kendra says, looking at her watch. “Then we need to get over to the other park in time for Jeditraining.”

Since Simon picked Radiator Springs, we leave the next ride up to Wyatt. He looks up at Cash with a grin. “CaliforniaScreamin’?”

“You think you can handle it?” Cash asks and Wyatt gives him an offendedlook.

“Course I can. I’m not ababy.”

I look down to see Simon swallow, his eyes wide. We’d caught several glimpses of the roller coaster as we’d walked through the California Adventure side of the park that morning—it would have been hard to miss. The thing looks massive. And it goesupside down.I shudder just thinking about it. And from the look on Simon’s face, the feeling is probablymutual.

“I’m not sure you’re tall enough, buddy,” I tell him. “I bet it has a heightrestriction.”

“Forty-eight inches,” Kendra says, looking Simon up and down. “I can’t say for sure if you’re gonna get there. It might beclose.”

“No way!” Wyatt cries. “You’vegotto ride it, man! It’s the biggest ride in thepark!”

“Let’s head over there,” Lance suggests. “And get you measured. If you can’t ride it, we’ll find something else to do while Wyatt goeson.”

“Fingers crossed,” Wyatt tellshim.

“Yeah,” Simon says, his voice a little faint. “Fingerscrossed.”

The closer we get to the ride, the more my anxiety grows. It looks so tall. Surely human beings aren’t meant to be strapped to steel cars and hurtled up into the air like that. But I appear to be in the minority in our group. Everyone else is talking about how awesome it looks. “It has a launch propulsion system,” Kendra explains, “sending riders from zero to fifty-five miles per hour in about fourseconds.”

“Sweet!” Wyatt says. “That’s crazy fast, isn’t it,Cash?”

“Sounds pretty fast tome.”

“It’s the fastest ride at Disneyland,” Kendra says. “And thelongest.”

“And, uh, how high is it?” Iask.