edge.
****
Arial hugged herself as she walked, trying to keep casual, but a flood of memories was coming back to her. Some good, some bad, and all of them made up a lifetime of experiences. Before she moved to Los Angeles, Gloriana was the only place she had ever known. It was much like Tiffany had said: it was hard to imagine a world outside of the countryside. Once a year the family would travel into downtown Columbus for a day of shopping and taking in the sights of the city. That had been the only urban area she'd ever visited. The family hadn't had the money to go on any real vacations. It hadn't bothered her until she was about eight or nine. That was when the craving to go and see more had become stronger.
The day she had auditioned blindly the family had been up in the city for their yearly visit. Arial had always loved to perform, so why not give it a try? After she got the part, and she took her first steps in Los Angeles, she knew she could never go back to being a small town girl. Even at the age of ten it was clear. Her destiny was to be elsewhere. For a while she bounced back and forth between Gloriana and Los Angeles.
That stopped when she was about fourteen. The kids at home, her peers, didn’t accept her. At first there had been a glamour appeal about her, but maintaining long-distance relationships over the fall and winter was hard. By the time summer came along, most of her home connections were unstable. She was just too different to be friends with the country kids. Her friends were those she met in Los Angeles, but there was always a sense of competition looming over those relationships. As nice as the other girls her age were, they all knew they would have to try out against one another at some point.
Then Three Wishes started filming, and she met Bryce. Despite the age difference, there was always a bond between them. Both were considered the old souls of the set. Bryce was fresh and new to the business, so he wasn't quite as jaded as everyone else she'd met. He was bright and funny. Everyone noticed him, and Katie was the one who found a way to get closer and eventually sank her manipulative teeth into him. Katie had her nice moments. She and Arial got along well enough, and for a while Arial supported the relationship between her and Bryce. As they all grew up, everything started to change. Arial wasn't so naïve. She could see how Katie used him and his love. For his sake, Arial remained civil with her and tried to understand their relationship. There had to be a reason he loved her.
A few other members of the crew became her friends. Bryce and a few of the adults who were part of the cast were the people she became closest with in terms of other actors on the show. Her best gal pal was her hair stylist, Lisa.
Reflecting on it all, Arial didn't realize just how lonely her life back in Los Angeles was. Or rather, her life without Bryce. It scared her, and she didn't like how vulnerable and dependent that made her on him. When he was nearby, she was hopeful and whole, even in a place where she'd never been truly accepted. It made the occasional stare from a Gloriana local that much more bearable. Everyone knew who everyone was. Soon, the whole town would know she'd come home again.
“Are you okay? You've been quiet ever since we got here,” Bryce said softly.
“It's been awhile. At least three years,” she said.
He nodded and put an arm around her. His body was so warm and inviting, she couldn't resist snuggling in just a little closer. “It's been a while since I've been back in my hometown. Granted, I grew up in the suburbs of L.A., but there were still places I used to haunt growing up. And of course my old school.”
“My high school experience was through a tutor, so I don't have any of that drama to deal with.”
“It's not dramatic.” He glanced down at her. “High school was an experience, and no, it wasn't always great. But it's a good segue from childhood to adulthood. It's a shame you missed out, but maybe that's why you seem so much older than you really are. You grew