Eden Cove Vol. 3

"If you don't get lost, there's a chance you may never be found"

Jessa turned the key to the off position, secured the bundle of ride keys to her wrist, grabbed the microphone, and spieled " once again ladies and gentlemen, we ask that you remain seated until the ride has come to a full and complete stop. Thank you for visiting us here at Karol's and I hope you enjoy the rest of your day!"

She had been asked to cover a shift on Karousel and while it was one of her favorite rides to run on a normal day, today her head was throbbing and the music wasn't helping things. This morning had been quiet while she set up the rotation for Kiddie Korner and made a quick retreat. The last few weeks had been nothing but drama since the scene with Taylor at Boardwalk Nights. The rumors had been ridiculous and while Jessa was literally sick over them, Molly and Justin seemed to think it was hilarious. After Jessa heard Lily and Hannah discussing the incident in the shed, she went straight to Molly. Of course, Molly thought it was a riot that the rumor was that Jessa, Molly, and Justin were all making out. Jessa eventually managed to laugh that part off but she was not laughing when she had to admit to Adam that she actually did kiss Taylor. She tried to make it sound like no big deal but the look on Adam's face and the way he stormed out of her parent's house told her it was a very big deal. She didn't hear from him for a few days after he found out but then one night he was waiting by her car when she got off work. He told her that Justin had explained everything and he knew she was drunk and didn't really know what she was doing. He could get over this and forgive her. Jessa stood there, nodding along, she tried to say that she wasn't drunk at all but would that hurt him more? She wanted to say that it was okay if he couldn't get over it because maybe he shouldn't. She wanted to tell him, on one hand, she really did feel like a crappy person but on the other hand, she was thinking about Taylor more than him lately. Adam wasn't her first boyfriend but he was her first serious boyfriend. Jessa really didn't want to hurt his feelings and she didn't want to throw away a relationship that meant a lot to her over a guy she didn't even know. Molly had been pushing her to do just that, dump Adam, hook up with Taylor, enjoy the rest of summer, and ignore the gossip. Meanwhile, Molly and Justin were spending a lot of time together, enjoying summer and ignoring the gossip. Ashley had dumped Taylor as soon as she heard about the make-out session and she had been a nightmare to work with since then. Not that Jessa could blame her but it still sucked. She was busy spreading lies about Jessa and telling anyone who would listen. As much as Jessa wanted to ignore it, she found it really hard to do.

"Hey, Jessa! How is everything today?" Glenn asked. He was one of the park managers and always had a big smile on his face. He seemed like a man who really loved his job and life in general. Jessa had never had a bad interaction with him, and it seemed like everyone who worked at KK's felt the same way.

"Hi Glenn, things are good. Finally a slow day, I guess the rain scared everyone away". Jessa replied

"Yeah, they must not know it's actually the best time to come".

"I agree, no lines and it's not too hot". Jessa laughed. She loved the rain, people always asked how she worked outside in the heat or the cold or the rain but it never bothered her.

"So did you put in that application for the new Halloween maze yet?"

"I haven't. I know Melanie mentioned it last week but I wasn't sure what it even was and if it was something I should be applying for?" Jessa answered. Melanie, one of the other managers, had mentioned that Karol's was going to host a Halloween event this year. All the plans were in the works but they needed several supervisors for different locations and mazes. Jessa had a huge passion for horror movies and Fall in general but didn't know anything about supervising a Halloween event or maze.

"You should apply. Melanie and I have already discussed it and you'd be a great fit for one of the mazes. We need four sups total for the two mazes. It is a promotion and a little pay raise too so get the application in". Glenn smiled the big cheesy smile, winked, and walked off in the other direction.

A Halloween maze and a promotion! She was definitely going for that! Some of the stress of the last few weeks started to fade away as she walked back towards Kiddie Korner to check on her crew. She had about an hour before she had to meet Molly for lunch. She got an hour for her lunch break and spent half of that with Molly and the other half with Taylor. She had been secretly meeting him at the old smoker's break area behind the new break area. No one ever went back there anymore so there was very little chance of them being seen together. Maybe not the smartest plan in the world but the only plan she had for right now. There was nothing going on, as she had told Molly and Justin several times. Taylor was a little upset about the breakup with Ashley and needed a friend. Jessa was being a good friend but that was all that they were. Jessa was spending a lot of time trying to convince herself that she was doing nothing wrong at all. Of course, she hadn't told Adam because he would get jealous and freak out. She got back to the Kiddie Korner shed just in time to run into Lily, who had been acting like her normal, sweet self but Jessa still heard her calling her a slut to Hannah every time she looked at the girl.

"Hey, Jessa!" Lily said brightly. Actually, that was a good way to describe Lily, bright. She was even shorter than Jessa, probably right around 5 feet tall, with bright blue eyes, and light blond hair that she kept short, above her shoulders, and she was always wearing something pink. She was 20 and this was her second year working at Karol's, she loved working in the Kiddie area the best.

"Hey. What's up with you?" Jessa asked

" Oh, I'm waiting in here for Bev and the new guy Hunter to go on break so I can walk to lunch with them. Did you see him? Of course, you did. How hot is he right? He just moved in two houses down from me and he's a senior at EC High this year". Lily spit out the information at a high rate of speed and then did a little shake with excitement.

"Yeah, I met him this morning, he seems nice". Jessa tried to answer as professionally as possible. She had noticed how hot the new guy was but she damn sure was not going to say that to Lily. She told Hunter to train with Bev because she was the oldest and most experienced employee she had working that day. Which was true but she also knew that he would distract any girl on her crew. Hunter seemed quiet, polite, and very nervous. His family had just moved to Eden Cove from a small town in Ohio and he didn't know anyone here. She decided not to share any of the info she had with Lily. As much as she had liked Lily before, she had no desire now to tell her anything. Especially if it meant talking about guys and it might lead to more "slut" comments.

"Tall, dark, and handsome. He checks every box! I wanna make sure I get to know him before Hannah or Ashley start trying to hit on him. Or God forbid Bethany. Beth has a different guy with her every week and they all fall in love with her as soon as she speaks! Why? I mean, she's great, I get it. But I can't compete with that so I gotta make friends with him before he falls in love with her or whatever". Lily said and then stared at Jessa waiting for a reply.

"Yeah, well, Hunter seems nice".

"You said that already. But do you think he's gonna like me or what?"

"I don't even know him, Lily."

"That's a no! What is wrong with me?"

"It's not a no. I just don't know what he likes. You're really pretty and nice". Jessa tried to smile but she couldn't help thinking that she didn't know if Lily was nice or not and she knew even less about Hunter. She wanted out of this conversation and thankfully Bev walked into the shed with Hunter at that moment.

*****

Jessa sat down across from Justin in the outdoor DBA, designated break area for employees, and took a deep breath.

"Where's Molly?" she asked

"Her break got pushed back. Someone didn't show up, no call, no show". Justin answered.

"That sucks. Have you heard much about the Halloween event?"

"Not a whole lot, but I'm applying to be in one of the attractions. I think the basic idea is they will have a 'scare area' for people to walk through. Like a section of the park will be themed to a certain scary movie or book. They were saying the top ideas right now are a Sleepy Hollow thing, an all ghost-themed area, and a nasty pumpkin area, don't ask because I don't know what nasty pumpkin means. My manager also suggested going classic horror movie vibes, which I agree with, so like, Jason, Freddie, Michael all the way". Justin said, getting more excited as he went on with the details.

" Oh my God! That would be amazing! I love horror movies and I would die if they did the classic horror films. Tell them to do it!"

"No one listens to me". Justin laughed

Jessamyn and Justin sat and talked through that lunch break and told each other every rumor they had heard about the Halloween event. They discussed their favorite Halloween movies, what they thought the best ideas would be for the mazes and attractions. They even tossed out ideas for Halloween treats and names for the event. Jessa was surprised to find out how much they had in common and that Justin was much smarter in a one- on-one setting.

"Shit!" Jessa exclaimed when she looked at her watch and realized that not only was she late, her break was over 10 minutes ago, but that she never went to meet Taylor.

"Yep. I'm late too. We should go back to work". Justin confirmed

" I was supposed to meet Taylor".

"Still doing that huh?'

"Don't judge me. He needs a friend".

"Then he should go find one. Wise up Jessa, he doesn't want friendship from you. What you do is up to you. I think everyone sees the writing on the wall, with the whole Adam thing I mean. Maybe not Adam. You should tell him it's done. I'm going to keep my mouth shut for you. I have four sisters and I understand that you are complicated creatures. But Taylor is a confused kid who just saw you and wanted you, got dumped by his girl, and is now playing on your sympathy. You're a sweet girl, but don't be a stupid girl". Justin smiled to let her know he wasn't being harsh.

"Thank you. I think". Jessa laughed. Then on impulse or maybe because she needed it, she hugged Justin quickly and rushed out to get back to work.

The rain let up and the rest of the day went smoothly. Bev, who was in her 80's by the way, seemed to be wearing Hunter out with training. Lily was taking advantage of how slow the park was overall and stopping by to check on him every chance she got. Jessa was actually finding this amusing. Freddy stopped by to chat before he left for the afternoon. He asked Jessa a few questions about the new Halloween event too. The whole park seemed to be buzzing with the excitement of it already. Freddy told her the ladies up at the ticket booth were discussing costumes and decorations all day. With only an hour left before the park closing, Jessa had already closed several of her attractions due to staffing and weather. Double Slides and Shooterz had been down since noon due to the heavy rain. All she would need to do before leaving for the night would be to make sure all the trash was taken to the back, the area was swept up and clean, and she calculated the number of riders for the day. Her employees each had a clicker that they held and counted each kid who rode each ride. Every hour they recorded the number on the sheet of paper kept in the control panel and at the end of the night, Jessa added them up to see how many kids had been to the ride that day.

*****

Soaking wet, keys in hand, and lost in thoughts about cozy pajamas and a warm meal, Jessa almost had a heart attack when someone grabbed her arm while she was unlocking her car.

"Oh my God! Taylor! What the hell are you doing?" she screamed and smacked his arm.

"Sorry! Calm down, I was just checking on you. You missed lunch". Taylor said calmly and carefully

"Yeah, I know. You still don't creep on people in the dark!"

Taylor attempted pulling Jessa close in a tight hug, which was his signature move and she normally didn't resist this but she was still pissed off. She pushed him away, a little harder than she needed to.

"Okay, okay, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare you". he said

"Just don't do that again. Please. Sorry about lunch. Justin and I got to talking and I lost track of time".

"Justin?"

"Yeah. Justin. You know Justin". Jessa replied in an annoyed voice. Wow, she was really being nasty and she didn't even know why, she felt really annoyed with Taylor.

"Oh. Okay. It's cool. We can make up for it now". Taylor whispered in her ear and attempted the hug again. This time she didn't resist. When Taylor started slowly kissing her neck, she didn't bother to resist that either. She let her body relax against him while she ran her hand up his back.

"So you missed me?" she whispered

" I always miss you". he said and he kissed her softly while gently pushing her up against the car. "Why don't we get in the car?"

The next 20 minutes went by in a blur of kisses, wet clothing being rearranged, heavy breathing, and every window in Jessa's car being fogged up. Until Jessa finally said what she always did, that they had to stop, it wasn't right, it wasn't going to happen again. And then she left wondering what kind of person she was.

*****

"I'm sorry! I won't laugh anymore. Promise! So then what happened?" Molly asked looking way more amused than yout best friend should look while listening to you confess to cheating on your boyfriend.

"Then nothing. I left". Jessa said. She put her head in her hands and sighed deeply.

"Well, at least you didn't sleep with him. That would have been stupid. He's like 16. But seriously, Jessa, you're not married! Even if Adam wants you to be. Cut it off and move on. Then you won't have to feel guilty for making out with hot guys in your car". Molly tried to keep a straight face, failed, and busted out laughing.

"I wish I was you". Jessa said in a voice that was so serious and delivered with such brutal honesty that even Molly looked serious and hugged her.

*****

Adam and Jessa sat in his bedroom, both in tears, as they tried to sort out the end of their relationship. Jessa was trying to let it go with some grace and love, while Adam was clinging to any hope that they could save it. It was the ending of a beautiful first love for both of them. But only one of them was ready to let go of it. Jessa found herself doubting the decison every few seconds but she knew in her heart, this wasn't working out. She had tried to discuss this with her mother the night before and it had only made her feel worse. Lisa had insisted that if Jessa wanted a "decent life" she needed to stick with Adam. After explaining that the feeling weren't there and asking for advice on how to end it without crushing him, Lisa had called her childish and selfish and told her she had always been that way. The comment hurt badly, more that Jessa wanted to admit. She would remember that conversation forever. Later, she would discuss it in therapy and talk about it changed the way she dealt with future partners in relationships. How she held on to toxic situations too long. But for right now, Jessamyn made the right decison and told Adam the truth. Not in detail, not about the late night make out session with Taylor. She told him that she would always love him, and that would turn out to be true. She told him she would always treasure the time they had together, and that he was truely a good guy, also true. But that he wasn't the one for her and she wasn't the one for him, sadly this was true. When Jessa left his house that day, she knew she was leaving for the last time, she smiled at his little brother and sisters but couldn't make eye contact with his mom. When she pulled into her driveway, she sat in the car for a long time crying and praying she didn't make a mistake.

*****

The next morning Jessa pulled up to work feeling ready for the day. Maybe she shouldn't feel as happy as she did but perhaps Justin was right. The writing had been on the wall and now that the situation with Adam was done, she would relax a little. She finished up getting her keys and radio from the main office and headed out to Kiddie Korner. She ran into Freddy coming up from the boardwalk, paper in hand and they fell into step together. They were approaching the entrance to Double Slides, which was the first attraction you saw when entering Kiddie Korner, when Jessamyn heard someone yell her name. She spun around to see Adam running up behind them.

"Oh hey Adam". Jessa said and knew she sounded surprised and guarded.

"We need to talk". Adam said and up close he looked completely destroyed. Like a man who hadn't slept in a week, he obviously skipped his shower, he was wearing the same clothes she left him in yesterday and hadn't brushed his hair.

"Um, okay". Jessa said but her unease caught Freddy's attention right away.

"Everything okay Adam?" Freddy asked.

"I need to talk to Jessa alone". Adam replied sharply without looking at Freddy. He grabbed Jessa by her arm and started to pull her in the direction of the shed.

"Ouch!" she yelled

"Hey! That's enough of that young man". Freddy said.

Adam didn't appreciate either response, he didn't let go of Jessa, he tightened his grip and pulled her harder. Freddy grabbed his hand in an attempt to stop him, instead he shoved Jessa ahead of him, hard, causing her to stumble. Then he turned around to face Freddy and shoved him hard in the chest with both hands sending him flying backwards into a bush. Jessa was shocked.

"What the hell are you doing Adam? Freddy! Are you okay?" she screamed. But Adam was already pulling her towards the shed, he didn't speak again until he told her to unlock it. She did so with shaky hands and tried to find the right words to calm him down. He pushed her inside but much more gently this time.

"I just wanna talk to you. I've been thinking about this all night and I can tell you're going through something. I talked to your mom and she agrees, this job is just too stressful for you. You're making dumb decisions. The car. And trying to end things with me. Talking about moving in with Molly. It's all bullshit. You need to get your head straight. We are in love. I'm not living my life without you. I will kill myself before that happens. I'll kill you before that happens. We are meant to be together, how many times have you said that? You love me. I know that you love me. And so I'm not leaving here until you admit that you made a mistake. Tell me you love me". Adam said all of this in a voice Jessa had never heard. It was slightly calm and slightly manic at the same time. She stared hard at him, she needed time, the crew would be here soon, he would have to leave or at least be calm and rational.

"Adam, listen to me. Just calm down and we can talk. Tonight. Right now, I have to work." Jessa said in her softest voice. The one she saved for lost kids.

"SHUT UP! TELL ME YOU LOVE ME!" Adam screamed in her face and he stepped closer to her and she backed up as much as possible. Jessa's back was pressed into the wooden wall at the back of the dark shed. For the first time ever, she felt scared of Adam. The only way out was past him and he didn't seem like he was going to let that happen. He leaned in closer to her and she instinctively turned her head in case he tried to kiss her.

"Tell me last night was a mistake. Tell me everything was a mistake. You're all I have Jessa. What am I supposed to do without you? How could you throw everything away like this?" Adam asked staring at her, his eyes wild.

The shed door flew open with some force and a Karol's security guard walked in with Glenn and Freddy close behind him.

The guard walked over and pulled Adam away. Freddy wrapped his arms around Jessa tightly and Glenn asked if she was alright multiple times. Glenn tried talking her into taking the day off but she insisted on staying. She wasn't ready to go home and face her parents. She would feel safer here, security had escorted Adam off property for the day. Jessa felt miserable and needed the distraction that work created. She needed lunch with Molly but she didn't have to wait that long because both Molly and Justin came running over to Kiddie Korner once they heard about what happened. They both hugged her and Jessamyn felt grateful for both of them. She never cried. She put on a brave face and said she was fine but in truth, she felt far from fine.

Check back in with Jessamyn next week in Volume 4 to see what happens next.