Summer days are always the best. Never knowing what’s to come or who’s to come. It happened to be one of those days for a girl named Aria. It was a typical Saturday morning, always a good day to sleep in till the head of the house wakes you up.
“Wake up! Aria, wake up!”
“I’m awake mom! What’s the big fuss?”
“Were taking your little sister to the OC fair remember! Hurry up and get ready!”


Aria got up, stretching out her arms and legs,, she moved towards the window, pulling the curtains up and smelled the fresh air. She stepped into her bathroom. She located her long rear view mirror and took a long look. Starring hard at her reflection, it seemed as if she was trying to look for something she couldn’t find. Someone who was once there, but no longer is a part of her.
Knock. Knock.

“You ready Hun?” asked mom.

“Yeah let’s go!” Aria replied. She took one last glance at the mirror and disappeared out the door.

The fair was unsurprisingly packed. There was isles and isles of people waiting to get inside. No one really knows why they come to these crazy events. Was it the rides? The Cotton candy? Or simply the pleasures of knowing you were in this whole new world. Far from home, far from the past. Aria was looking for a form of escape, something to keep her adrenaline pumping. So she decided to head towards the deadliest ride of them all! The Dragon!


It was a twenty minute wait line. Aria didn’t mind, just as long as she got on the ride. This was the only ride worth wild in the carnival anyway. She had her ipod incase she got bored. Unfortunately, to her surprise she recognized an old friend headed her way.


“Aria? Aria Fitz? Is that you?” said the familiar friend.


“The one and only!” replied aria with a fake smile on her face.


“My you have changed! I barely even recognized you! Lost all your baby fat”


“Oh but I recognized you, Casey!”


Aria wasn’t too pleased by this “friendly” surprise. You see Casey and Aria have a past. One that Aria tried keeping as far away from her life as she could. After all Casey was never a good friend in her life.

“God, it’s been a long time. We lost contact after last summer at school.”

“Yes how can I forget?” Aria responded, with a lost look on her face, as if something came back to haunt her. Suddenly memories from last summer came back. It was back when Aria was fifty pounds heavier. She was a bit insecure, but always so friendly. Casey, who claimed to be her beast friend, used Aria like a puppet.

“Do you still talk to David? I know he was such a good friend of yours!”

“No unfortunately I haven’t seen him since that summer.” What a b****. That’s what Aria thought of Casey. A plain cold hearted b****. She was a hypocrite to her. She knew what David meant to her that summer. David was one of those boys that you saw in a teen magazine and would think he would never talk to you in a million years. He was almost perfect. Great shape, Perfect smile, with a slight dimple on his face. But he was more than just a boy from a Vogue magazine. To Aria he was a genuine friend. A Friend that would never be a chubby chaser.


“Hey, it looks like were next for the ride! This is so exciting! I love this ride!”


“Yeah, me too,” Aria smiled at Casey, feeling sick of the thought that they actually shared something in common, other than a boy. They both got on the ride, both sharing the same seat, since it was the only one left. As the ride started Aria remembered all the mean things Casey had put her through. It all started with a crush. And it ended with another one of Casey’s cruel jokes. She took advantage of Aria’s little crush cause she knew she was weak. She knew she was an easy target. Casey spread the word about Aria’s little school boy crush. Casey was one of the prettiest girls at school. One of those girls who can have any guy at her feet, and she so happened to take an interest in David right around the same time Aria did. Aria was nothing but a show for Casey. It made her sick to her stomach knowing Casey was right next to her. She wanted to yell at her, scream her lungs out, but nothing would come out. It was like destiny brought them together and this was Aria’s one chance at revenge. She could easily humiliate her in front of everyone. Tell everyone about that nose job two summers ago. She could give her a taste of her own medicine. Yes, that’s what Aria would do as soon as the ride was over.


“Wow that was intense!” said Casey as the ride came to an end.


“You look a bit frightened!”


“Yeah, I’m a little afraid of heights.”


“You, afraid of heights? You’re joking right? You’ve never been afraid of anything! You’ve always been so impulsive.”


“Guess you didn’t know that about me.”

As they exited the ride, Aria couldn’t find a way to say everything she needed to say. She didn’t know why but something inside of her wouldn’t let her say all those mean things to Casey. She didn’t have it inside of her. She was never that kind of girl. As they headed out Aria saw her mom from afar and approached her way.


“Aria wait!” yelled Casey.


“Yes Casey?”


“I wanted to apologize for whatever happened between us last summer. Don’t think I forgot. I know what I did to you was wrong. I just wanted to let you know.”


Feeling an inch of sympathy for this girl that once took part in her life, she smiled at her and said, “Apology accepted.”


“Oh, and Aria, David liked you. He never liked me. I was never his type. He never stopped talking about you that summer.”


Aria looked at Casey and smiled. She got closer and gave her a warm hug and with true sincerity said, “Thank you.”


After that day Aria realized that it isn’t always good to live your life holding on to grudges. Life is too short to be stuck on one moment. You never know of what’s to come. Life takes unexpected turns without ever really realizing them. Aria learned how to forgive and forget that day, and I believe that applies to all of us as well.