Aaaaaaaaand, Post 30!

I spend many a summer's day,
Chasing thoughts of school away.
It's strange how I found more time to blog during the school year when I was busy with homework and projects and such, but I'm blogging less and less frequently during the lazy summer days. Well, not quite so lazy. Jim, Anne, and Leo have been keeping me somewhat busy.
Sunday was Anne's birthday, and we celebrated by going to the mall (the four of us) and getting the "free" piercing at Claire's. It ended up costing forty dollars. Her mom needed to come with us to sign some approval papers, so she did, then when Anne was done, she left. We also left, confused, because Jim had intended to pay. So we left, and halfway to the food court, we saw the lady from Claire's chasing after us because no one had paid. So Jim had to follow her back while we snickered behind him. I paid for Anne's lunch and movie ticket (Toy Story 3), and Leo got her a Target gift card. Leo and I sat next to each other for the movie, and while that may sound romantic, we didn't acknowledge each other at all. And we didn't share popcorn or anything.
Afterward, we were supposed to go to this park that I had found on Google Earth. Across the street from the mall, there's a plaza (K-Mart, Marshalls, etc.) and behind that there's a park with a large lake. I thought it would be easy enough to walk there. Boy was I wrong.
STEP ONE: Cross Route 38.
We were only halfway across the mall parking lot when everyone started complaining. And blaming me. I reminded them that we could just go with Plan B (which I'll explain in a sec) and go back to the mall, but they just kept pestering me about making them walk. Finally, we crossed the crosswalk.
STEP TWO: Cross the plaza.
Yet another large parking lot. More complaining. I reminded them about my earlier suggestions to go to the mall, but they claimed I had said no such thing. When I assured them that I had indeed suggested Plan B, they said things like "But we were already outside of the mall!" and "We were halfway through the parking lot!" That. Is not. My problem.
STEP THREE: Go behind K-Mart.
I mentioned how we must look to other people, two teenage boys and two teenage girls sneaking behind a K-Mart, and they all cracked up and shoved me. When we finally made it back there, all we saw were office buildings. No park. Then I realized that the park must be closer to the end of te plaza, and there were trees back there at the other end, but it was blocked by a fence and some poison ivy, and none of us could find a decent entrance.
STEP FOUR: Ask for directions, because we are hopelessly, utterly lost.
The Dollar Tree cashier lady was really helpful. She told us to go back to the K-Mart at the other end of the plaza (where we just WERE, we all glared at Leo, whose idea it was to come to the other end), follow the street next to it until we came to a Lukoil gas station, then turn right, and go down that street until we came to the entrance of the park.
STEP FIVE: Drag our exhausted selves back to K-Mart and then to a Lukoil.
Not much to say about this. Except that we were excessively tired and sweaty and thirsty. Jon walked about ten paces ahead of us and refused to slow down. Leo joked about what happens when you trust Google.
STEP SIX: Turn right at Lukoil; follow that street to the park entrance.
Me and Anne are nearly passing out at this point. No, literally. We both have the same medical problem, and get the same message from our doctors every time: if we drink any less liquids than we currently do, then we will pass out. We are dehydrated people. Finally, Jim sees the entrance (he's still way in front) and lo and behold, the park. The lake is massive and glassy and magnificent, and on the opposite side, there are trees galore, perfect for Anne's "surprise". On our side, though, the trees are sparse but pretty and less wild. I say something about crossing the lake, because the surprise needs coverage, and Leo agrees, but Anne hesitates, and so of course Jim does too. Then a shirtless man on a bench says "Cross the lake? Easy!" and urges us to try it. Leo and I give each other a look and walk to the edge of the lake. Where we are, there is a dam, wet yet crossable, except for a small water fall in the middle where we would have to get down on the shallow side of the dam and walk a bit, but the water would only reach our ankles. I start taking off my shoes, but Anne refuses. Since it's her birthday, we have no choice but to listen to her. We walk through the sparse trees on our side of the lake when I spot a leafy arch. I walk through it and gasp. It led to some smooth logs turned into benches, and had a view of the whole lake. It was secluded and romantic. It was PERFECT. The surprise was a first kiss between Anne and Jim (Jim's idea, Anne knew nothing). I whisper-asked Jim if me and Leo should leave now, and he said yes, so I turned around to call Leo to help me find something I'd dropped at the front of the park, when I saw him crashing his way through some trees. I wanted to scream at him to come back, because if Anne followed him, then the surprise would be ruined. I called his name, but he didn't stop, and Anne started to follow him. I called more loudly, but he didn't turn. Then I realized that he was doing it on purpose and started to run over him, telling Anne to stay with Jim while I got Leo.
I don't think I can disclose the details, but it was a success. Yay!
P.S. Plan B was the same thing, but in the refrigerator section of Sears, which had better coverage. SO not my idea.