Light Speed

Amy C. Shaw

They called it the fastest ride in the galaxy. Thank goodness for that, because I wanted to be light years away from my ex-boyfriend Bryce Weatherby.

Okay, it was an amusement park ride, not a spaceship. In my pre-Bryce life, I loved traveling the country to check out various coasters. Before he informed me that it was a childish indulgence that I needed to move on from. 

Post-Bryce, my sister Alice encouraged me to reconnect with what I loved before, so I offered to drive the five-hour trek to Ohio in her family’s minivan.

“It’s nice to change things up,” Alice said from the passenger seat. She smiled as she opened a can of Ollipop. “I haven’t left Ben and the kids to themselves in…” 

“Ever?” I offered.

“I think you might be right. This is overdue. I’m just sorry it was a jerk of a boyfriend who got us here.”

“Yeah, well, let’s not talk about him. What else do you want to check out while we’re there, other than Light Speed?”

Before Alice could answer, all the emergency lights on her dash lit up and smoke billowed out from under the hood.

“Pull over! Kill the engine, quick!” Alice ordered.

I did as she said, thankful that we were on a highway next to a field at 6 AM and not on a jam-packed interstate. But then again, that also meant we were on our own. “I’ll call AAA,” Alice said, immediately in older sister mode.

“If you have service,” I mumbled as I looked at the lack of bars on my phone.

I opened the hood of the van while Alice was on the phone. Smoke stung my eyes, and I stepped back. What was I expecting to find? A flashing neon sign telling me the problem? I knew how to change oil and a tire, but that was the beginning and end of my car knowledge.

“Hello? Hello?” It sounded like Alice was having a hard time getting a call through.

A rumbling engine neared us, and I looked up to see a tow truck, of all things, slowing to a stop behind us. I sent up a prayer of gratitude as I watched a man exit the truck. “What seems to be the problem—” his voice died as our eyes met with recognition. 

“Matt Spivey,” I said.

“Amelia Watters,” he said. “That is, if your name hasn’t changed.”

“What? Um, no,” I said as my mind caught up with the fact he was discreetly asking about my marital status. I blushed as I looked back at the smoking engine for a moment. Matt looked great, a beard adding to the boyish good looks he had freshman year of high school when we met in Algebra I. We were casual friends all through high school, never in exactly the same friend group, but always seemingly adjacent to one another.

“Thank God you stopped,” Alice said as she walked to us. “I couldn’t get a call out to AAA.”

“What seems to be the problem?” Matt repeated as he adjusted his ball cap.

“All the dash lights came on. And it’s smoking,” I said.

“Steve told me the minivan was in good shape. And to think if our kids had been in the car…”

“I’m glad everyone is safe,” Matt interrupted in a polite, diplomatic tone. “Would you mind if I take a look?”

“Please,” Alice said as she motioned toward the van.

I gave Matt a small smile as he walked to the van. Alice caught my eye. “You know him?”

“High school.” 

Alice looked at him. “He’s attractive.” She gave me a knowing smile. “I like him better than Bryce already.”

“He Who Shall Not be Named,” I corrected.

Alice smiled. “That’s the spirit.”

Matt returned. “I’ll need to tow her to my shop. It’s just five miles down the road.”

“I’m sorry about Light Speed, Amelia,” Alice said with a resigned sigh.

“Light Speed? Is that the name of the van?” Matt asked with a furrowed brow, probably wondering how a fifteen-year-old minivan ended up with such a name.

“No, the roller coaster. We were driving to Ohio to check it out.”

Matt’s eyes grew wide. “I’ve been wanting to ride that myself. My buddy Marshall said it’s awesome. You were always into coasters, weren’t you?”

I smiled, deciding not to mention the eighteen months I had allowed myself to pretend to not be into them. 

“Well ladies, I can offer you a ride back to the shop, though the backseat is a tight fit.”

“I don’t mind. You take the front, Amelia,” Alice said with a wink aimed at me.

I couldn’t be mad at her though as I looked over at Matt and saw his piercing blue eyes meet mine. I had always thought Matt was a really cool guy. And something about seeing him here, all grown up years later, was definitely leaving me feeling fluttery inside. 

He’s just doing his job. And you just broke up with Bryce, I reminded myself. 

After the minivan had been loaded and we piled into the truck, Matt and I caught up over the last few years. We had migrated to two different suburbs, but were still only thirty minutes apart. 

Once at the shop, Matt quickly connected Alice with one of the service techs, then joined me by the truck. “So, if you’re taking a rain check on Light Speed, maybe we can go together? I’m free next Saturday.”

My stomach swooped the same way it did when I was falling from the precipice of a coaster. Exhilaration, excitement.

“It’s a date,” I said with a smile.

Amy C. Shaw wrote her first story in first grade, and her love for creating stories has grown ever since. She believes in and writes about nice guys, young love, and hope. She lives in the Nashville area with her high-school-sweetheart-turned-husband, elderly cat, and two adorable daughters.

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