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“You know when I was a kid, I thought the Ferris Wheel was spelled as ‘Fairy’s Wheel.'”

The early afternoon wind carried Amanda’s voice over to where I walked a couple of feet behind her and everyone else who’d come to Enchanted Kingdom with us. I watched their heads turn towards Amanda curiously.

“You know, as in fairies? With wings and all.” Amanda added with a small chuckle.

I smiled to myself, knowing what she was about to say next. And you were so disappointed that you cried when there were no fairies on the ride.

“I was so disappointed that there were no fairies on the ride that I cried.” Amanda finished, and everyone else laughed.

I smiled. How many times have I heard that? This was one of Amanda’s numerous random facts and anecdotes. I learned this fact before I knew her name a few years ago, when we met, and she repeated this to everyone who hasn’t heard it yet. Then later on, she’d drag us all to the Ferris Wheel and she’d close her eyes the moment she steps on, as if she was still wishing for fairies. I wonder if she still does that after all these years?

I watched Amanda turn her head around, looking at everyone in the group that surrounded her, as if counting. It turns out she was, because she stopped walking to look behind her and smiled as she spotted me.

“Chase!” She looked genuinely happy to see me. “Come on, don’t lag behind. We’re hitting Flying Fiesta first!”

I smiled back and jogged to join them, forgetting for a moment the general feeling of awkwardness that was present in the car before we got to the park, and the moments before that. I caught up with them, instantly feeling the warmth that Amanda seemed to exude as soon as I got near. Before I could enjoy it, however, I caught a glimpse of something green in the corner of my eye, walking close to Amanda. I glanced and met a pair of unusual green eyes that weren’t trained on our guest of honor, but at me. I looked away immediately, suddenly feeling cold. Memories surfaced into my mind, memories that I’ve tried so hard to forget, at least on this day, the day when I’d see Amanda again. I tried to push them away.

But I was never good at that, keeping memories at bay. The smallest trigger was enough to bring them back up in my mind. The past – our past – rose up, clear and fresh, like it all happened yesterday.

[433 words]

Tags: 39, fairy's wheel, fiction, first person