“Yes. I’m sorry if I was being a drag on everyone.”
“I didn’t think you were,” Vicki said.
“Well, Wes was worried, I guess.”
“Did you two have a good talk?” Sierra asked.
“Yes, your brother is a true hero, Sierra. You know that, don’t you? Of course you do. Wes has a way of making me think without feeling like a fool. I wish I still had a crush on him.”
“You don’t?” Sierra asked.
“No. Why? Have I been acting like I do?”
“Not really. Maybe a little.” Sierra noticed the sign above the entrance to the Goldrusher as they were about to walk past it. “Here it is, you guys. And the line is even short.”
Not only was the line short, but so were most of the people in it. Everyone seemed to be less than ten years old, except for the parents who accompanied their kids.
“There’s not a height or weight limit on this, is there?” Vicki asked.
“No, I don’t think so. I think it’s a slow roller coaster,” Amy answered.
“Not that either of you two have to worry,” Vicki added.
“Are you saying we look like fifth-graders?” Amy asked.
“No, I’m saying the two of you together weigh about as much as I do by myself.”
“Yeah, right,” Amy said.
“Not even close,” Sierra echoed. “Why do you say that?”
“Because I do weigh more than either of you.”
“So? You’re not too heavy or anything. You’re fine. You’re you. You’re just right whatever size you are,” Amy said. “Beauty has nothing to do with size.”
“I know, I know,” Vicki said. “I don’t want to get into that discussion.”
Sierra agreed; she wanted to discuss why Amy no longer had a crush on Wes. “So tell us what Wes said that made you feel better.”
“We talked about my fear of roller coasters and heights, and Wes said he understood and wouldn’t pressure me anymore. He asked if I was really upset about the water, and I told him it bothered me at first, but I got over it. I guess that’s how I am about a lot of things.” She shrugged her shoulders. “That was all. He was being a nice big brother to me, and I enjoyed every minute of it.”
They climbed into the gold-colored cart, and Sierra scolded herself for being judgmental and suspicious of Amy. Sierra’s imagination had taken off. She realized that if she had been so incorrect in her assessment of what was going on with Amy and Wes, she might be misjudging other things as well. If she was so out of balance, was it really a good idea to try to make this huge, life-changing decision about where she would go to college?
The panicked feelings returned. It didn’t matter that a short while ago she had felt God beside her, holding her hand. Right now her emotional roller coaster was going through a big loop, and she felt overwhelmed with all the unknowns that lay in her future.
“Now that was a thriller,” Vicki teased when they exited the tame roller-coaster ride. It was designed to resemble a mining cart traveling through a gold mine.
Sierra didn’t think it would win any awards either—especially not after the Viper.
“Hey, I liked it. It was just my speed,” Amy said. “So don’t be mean.”
They arrived at the meeting spot. Wes and Randy were already there and had planned out their next three wild rides: Batman the Ride, Superman the Escape, and Freefall. Sierra and Vicki were all set to join them, but then they remembered Amy.
“It’s okay, really,” Amy said. “I don’t mind going with you and waiting. These rides only take a few minutes once you get to the front of the line.”
“Are you sure it’s okay?” Sierra asked.
Amy shot an appreciative glance at Wes. “I’m sure.”
Somehow Sierra found it hard to believe Amy no longer had a crush on him. But there was no time to evaluate the situation as the five of them tromped off to experience the thrills, chills, and spills of the Batman roller-coaster ride. Besides, Sierra’s evaluation tank was already full with her anxieties over her future.
As they stood in line, the elaborately decorated Bat Cave loomed before them: dark, mysterious, and promising thrills. Sierra couldn’t help but equate it with her future and her decisions about college.
“What if we don’t go away to college?” she suddenly said to Vicki.
“Where did that come from?” Vicki asked.
“I was thinking. What if we stay in Portland and go to a community college or even one of the universities but live at home?”
Vicki gave Sierra a look that asked if she had suddenly gone crazy. “What are you talking about? All you’ve been raving about for months is going away to school. You’re our world-traveling role model, Sierra. You can’t wimp out on us now.”
Sierra gave Amy a wistful glance over her shoulder as they moved to the front of the roller-coaster line. Amy was sitting contentedly on a bench in the shade, sipping a cold soft drink. “There’s something to be said for sitting this one out,” Sierra said.
“What are you saying?” Vicki asked. “Sitting out your first year of college or sitting out this ride?”
Wes slipped his arm around Sierra’s shoulders and gave her a squeeze. “Sounds as though you just discovered the real world, my little dreamer girl. It’s about time. I hate to be the one to tell you this, but ignoring the future won’t make it go away. Time to grow up, baby sis.”
Sierra felt her cheeks turning red. Amy might idolize Wes for his counseling techniques, but at this moment his words brought Sierra only humiliation. If they hadn’t been in such a public place, she would have slugged him in the stomach.
fourteen
“THAT WAS BY FAR the most fun I’ve ever had at any amusement park anywhere,” Sierra said. She settled into the front seat of the van as they drove out of the Magic Mountain parking lot. Her conflict with Wes had dissipated after they went on the Batman ride and after she decided to force her frustration and insecurities out of her mind to fully enjoy the rest of the time in the park.
“And this is by far the best souvenir I’ve ever gotten,” Vicki added from the backseat, where she sat next to Randy. She held what looked like a toy telescope up to her eye. The telescope was also a key chain, and the photo taken of the five of them when they entered the park was at the end of the tube.
“I know,” Amy agreed, holding up her key-chain souvenir. “I like this silly little thing, too. In case I haven’t said this yet, Sierra and Wes, thanks so much for inviting me along. I’m having such a great time that I don’t want to go home.”
“We have a couple more days,” Wes said. “That might be long enough for you to change your mind.”
“I don’t think so,” Amy said. “I wish this trip was for a month. No, two months. Or all summer. That would be so cool. A whole summer on the road with your friends.”
“As long as everyone who goes is friends with everyone else,” Vicki said.
Sierra knew they were all thinking of what a different experience this would have been if Warner had ended up coming with them. No one said anything, though.
“I called Brad and Alissa while you guys were on that last ride. They said it would take us about an hour to get to their place,” Wes said.
“What time do we have to be up in the morning?” Sierra asked.
“I’d like to leave Brad and Alissa’s around eight.”
Sierra groaned. “That early? Don’t you want to spend more time with your friends?”
“Yeah, while we sleep in?” Amy added.
“They have a beach trip planned for tomorrow, so they’re going to get an early start, too.”
“The beach sounds like fun,” Amy said. “By any chance are we going anywhere near the ocean?”
“We might later tomorrow,” Wes said. “The main thing is that I have an appointment at Rancho Corona at eleven-thirty. After that we can do whatever we want. I need to call Tawni to see if she’s still expecting us at her place tomorrow night. She lives about tw
o miles from the beach.”
“You’re kidding,” Amy said. “I never realized that.”
“I’m beginning to like Southern California more and more,” Sierra said, stretching her arms over her head. “I can’t imagine what it would be like to live near the beach.” She reached for the side lever and reclined her seat halfway.
“Is the college you want to go to near the beach, Wes?” Vicki asked.
“I think Rancho Corona is about twenty or thirty miles inland from the coast. It’s located on top of a mesa. They say on clear days you can see the ocean, and at sunset you can often see Catalina Island.”
“What’s a mesa?” Amy asked.
“It’s a high, flat plateau.”
“Doesn’t mesa mean ‘table’ in Spanish?” Sierra asked.
“I think so. That would make sense. That’s what it looks like. A big, flat tabletop.”
Sierra closed her eyes and tried to imagine a college campus built on a mesa with a view of the sun setting into the Pacific. The thought brought a smile to her face and romantic images of a bright, shining citadel, a brave fortress filled with God-lovers. Even though she knew nothing about this college nor had seen any pictures of it, she liked it already.
And she liked it even more the next morning at quarter to eleven, when the van turned off the freeway south of Lake Elsinore. Ahead of them stood a vast range of hills, including the mesa Wes had talked about. It was easy to spot because it was one of the highest places along the range and was perfectly flat all the way across the top. Above the plateau rose endless miles of clear sky marred only by a few lazy puffs of ragged clouds.
Sierra sat up straighter and peered through the front windshield. Wildflowers dotted the hillsides. She felt a sense of anticipation. Something about this area reminded her of Switzerland when she had visited last summer with her friend Christy. They had hiked among the cows and wildflowers in the deep green hills. Here, the terrain was a smear of warm terra-cotta and sandy-brown tones. Instead of lumbering cows with bells around their necks, as they had seen in Switzerland, Sierra imagined wild rabbits darting across the hiking trails.
“Rancho Corona University.” Sierra read the sign at the side of the road. “Turn right.”
Wes turned right and headed up the road that led to the top of the mesa.
“This is a wonderful place,” Sierra said dreamily.
“We’re not there yet,” Wes muttered. He sounded tired.
They were all tired—tired and grouchy after sleeping only five and a half hours on the floor before Wes woke them that morning. Amy had been insistent about a shower before they started the new day, and they all agreed it was a good idea for them, too. Brad and Alissa’s duplex had only one bathroom, so that meant a long line.
Sierra’s shower provided only cold water by the time it was her turn. She complained about it, but then felt bad later. It wasn’t a very grateful attitude to show their hosts, especially since Brad had whipped up fried eggs, sliced ham, and buttery muffins for all of them, even though Wes had insisted they could buy breakfast on the road. She didn’t feel any of those cranky emotions now.
“Are we supposed to meet with a counselor?” Amy asked. “I mean, can we just look around and wait for you, or do we have to talk to someone?”
“I set up a tour of the campus with one of their student volunteers, like at Valencia Hills,” Wes said. “You guys can do whatever you want after you take the tour. I’ll need at least three or four hours here.”
The wide, steep road led to the top and then curved to the left. Two tall pillars of smooth rock stood at the campus’s impressive entrance. A large wooden sign arched over the entryway bearing the words, “Rancho Corona University.” They followed the signs to the admissions office and parked in one of the spaces marked “Visitor.”
“This doesn’t look much like a college,” Amy said. “It looks more like a camp or a resort or something. I love all the tile roofs. It’s like a set for an old Zorro movie.”
“That’s the early California look. I think this land used to be a ranch,” Wes said. “We’ll have to ask the tour guide. Is everybody ready? I’ll leave the keys with you, Sierra, in case we go in separate directions and you guys want to come back to the van for anything.”
“Somebody better wake up Randy,” Vicki said, pulling back her hair and leaning forward from the rear seat to get out. Randy sat with his head against the window and his baseball cap pulled down over his face.
Amy turned around and reached over to remove the baseball cap. “Wake up, Randy. We’re here.”
He scrunched up his face at the sudden light and uncrossed his arms. With the back of his hand, he wiped the side of his mouth. Sierra had to smile. He looked like such a kid. She missed the way Randy looked when she had first met him and his long blond hair hung straight down from a middle part. He used to tuck it behind his ears all the time. For months now he had worn it short so that at moments like this it tended to stick out and give him the appearance of Dennis the Menace.
Sierra was eager to have a look around. The grounds were beautiful. Magenta-colored bougainvillea vines climbed up the side of the admissions building and onto the red tile roof. She followed Wes into the building as the other stragglers got out of the van. The coolness of the air-conditioned building breathed a welcome. The receptionist, a college-age student, sat behind a modern, oval desk and wore a phone headset.
She looked up at them, and her face beamed with an overly eager smile, almost as if she recognized them. “Are you Wesley Jensen?” she asked.
“Yes, I scheduled an appointment for eleven-thirty.”
“We’ve been expecting you. And you have to be Sierra,” she said. Still beaming, she rose and shook their hands excitedly. “I’m so glad you both are here. Welcome to Rancho Corona!”
Sierra glanced at her brother. This welcome was a little overdone.
“There’s someone who’s been waiting to see you,” the receptionist said. “Let me call her.”
The receptionist was about to press one of the buttons on the panel before her when the front door opened and an exuberant female voice called out, “Are they here yet?”
Before Sierra could turn around, she heard a wild and vaguely familiar squeal. She felt the tackle of arms around her and a crushing hug and heard more wild laughter in her ear. The only clue she had as to who was welcoming her so enthusiastically came from a flash of red hair that had swished across her face like an oriental fan. But that one clue was all she needed.
fifteen
“KATIE!” Sierra now joined in the squeals of surprise as she pulled back to see her friend from arm’s length. “Oh, I can’t believe this! Katie, what are you doing here?”
The green-eyed, red-haired fireball blurted out the whole story in one long breath. “I go to school here, you goof! You never figured that out, did you? You e-mailed Christy last week and told her all about your trip down here so your brother could check out Rancho.… Hey, you must be Wes. Hi, I’m Katie. So I had my roommate here, Dawn, check out the visitors roster, and there you are. Dawn, this is Wes and Sierra. Wes and Sierra, this is Dawn. And she told me you were scheduled for today, so like the sneak I am, I didn’t e-mail you to remind you that I went here because I wanted to surprise you, and I did! Is this a total God-thing or what?”
Sierra was laughing so hard at the way Katie’s face turned red when she rattled on that Sierra hadn’t noticed Amy, Randy, and Vicki entering the building and standing to the side, observing the event.
“Is this our campus tour guide?” Vicki asked.
Katie spun around, swishing her shoulder-length red hair as she turned. “That’s me! I volunteered just for you guys. Hi, I’m Katie. Sierra probably never told you anything about me. We only went to England and Ireland together last year.”
“Oh,” Amy said, stepping closer for a better look. “Did you say you’re Christy?”
Katie threw up her arms and gave her audience a wild-eyed look with a bob
of her head. “See what I mean? I’m the other one: Katie. Christy is the one everyone remembers. The one everyone talks about. The one everyone …” She paused to give Sierra a squinted glare. “… sends e-mails to. And me? I’m just Katie. Everybody’s friend. Nobody’s Friday night date.”
Now they were all laughing, even Dawn, who was supposed to be answering the phone. They quieted down enough for introductions to be made all around and for Sierra to get over some of the shock of being greeted by her friend.
“I’d better lead us out of this area before I get us all in trouble,” Katie said. “So let the tour begin. This is the admin building. The business offices are down that way, and, Wes, you get to meet with Mr. Scofield in that second office on the right, but not for another twenty minutes, so you might as well enjoy the tour.”
Wes seemed captivated by Katie’s quick wit and simple charm. He smiled one of his best smiles and said, “Lead the way.”
Katie led them out the front door and past some more office buildings into a large central area. A blue-tiled fountain stood in the center of the plaza, and wrought-iron park benches circled the area. To the left, several tall palm trees rustled their long, elegant fronds high overhead. Their tree music gave the setting a balmy, tropical feeling. Several students sat on the edge of the fountain with their bare feet dangling in the water. Others stretched out on the benches in the shade, reading, sleeping, and talking.
“This is the Fountain Plaza and my favorite spot on campus. The long, two-story building on the right is the library; next to it is the Hannan Building. That’s where all the English and language classes are taught. Behind it is the science building. And over here, on our far left, is Dishner Hall, which is the music building.”
“I definitely want to check that one out,” Randy said.
“No problem. We can see them all if you want. But first, you need to see the Student Center.”
The Student Center was located behind Dishner Hall and to the right. Katie hurried them through the two-story building, pointing out the mailboxes and Espresso Stop on the lower level before taking them upstairs to the open lounge area that led to an outdoor deck. From the deck they could view the swimming pool, track, gym, and baseball diamond.