Regatta Springs was just the way Ariana had left it. Nothing much had changed about it. The same smell she knew when she was just a kid.
The only thing that changed about RS were the people.
The people had grown older and there were new kids around.
Aria smiled as she made her way out of the train with her friend Zion by her side.
Regatta Springs was not the usual everyday town. It was a beautiful place to live in. Air pollution was a rare thing because they barely had cars. It was an Eco friendly town. They had won the award for the cleanest town in America for eight years in a row.
Before it was taken over by Bloom Hills.
Ariana had no second thoughts anymore. She loved this town. Zion was beside her and he was also as happy as she was.
"It hasn't even changed," Zion said out loud.
"Not even a single inch," Ariana replied.
"Where are you heading?" Zion asked.
"Not home for sure, I think I'll just walk around and check some places before I go home." Ariana said.
"Well, señorita. I will see you around. And remember to give me a call." Zion waved before he walked away.
She smiled as she waved at him. He had given her his card in the train and it was safely tucked in her small hand bag.
The house was just three blocks away from were she stood. Ariana smiled to herself as she headed to the old man Joe's ice cream house. It used to be her favourite before she left home. She doubted if he would still remember her.
Ariana walked into the store and just like the entire town none of it changed.
"Hello?" Ariana called as she walked deeper into the store.
"Hello, Hello!" His familiar jolly voice echoed throughout his store.
"Hope you saved me some chest nuts," Ariana giggled as she waited for a reply.
The old man looked at Ariana and as recognition finally flew into his old memories, he gasped.
"Little Aria has grown so tall!" Old man Joe said as he stared at her beautiful face.
He came out of the counter and came in front of her to see her face properly.
"Remember when I told you that you would grow an ice cream for a Brain, I was not wrong!" He said as he touched her face.
"Why do you say so?" Ariana asked the old man.
"You presence gave me cold feet!" He said with a smile.
"Awwn! I hope it freezes away your sadness," Aria said before she settled in front of him in a stool.
"Can I get chestnut please?" Ariana said sweetly.
"Of course! Why wouldn't I give them to you? In fact it's free for today! Just come over anytime today and I'll get you ice cream!" Old man Joe said in a happy tone.
"Yay!" Ariana exclaimed mimicking a child's voice.
Ice cream at old man Joe's had taken almost half of her time there as they spoke about some of the things that haven't changed and some of the things that did change but were not noticeable.
"Okay, I think it's time for me to rest," Joe finally said as he stretched out his hands.
With a smile he spoke, "turns out you still haven't changed your ways of talking to much.... one of the things that haven't changed to."
Ariana watched as he retreated to the back his store. "Good night!" She called as he walked out.
"Good evening to you too," he called back and Ariana laughed.
She walked out of the store with her box in her hands. It was already four in the afternoon. She still had time to survey the area.
Her first location was the fountain, she visited there when she was a teen a lot of times, especially when her dad refused to get her something she wanted.
Ariana watched as the blue water came out of the dwarfs mouth and back into the fountain.
The inscription that was round the well, Ariana bent down to check the letterings. She had taken ancient languages as a borrowed course in school so she would be able to read what was written on the fountain now.
She looked at it carefully and translated it out loud.
"Oh, little children, once your tears seize this fountain will stop flowing."
"So that is what it actually means, woah!" Ariana heard someone say behind her.
"How did you decipher it so well?" The person asked.
Ariana turned to look at the person that spoke. It was Cece.
She used to be a friend of hers but she turned her back and called her a bad friend after Sofia lied to her.
"Why are you here?" Ariana asked with a raised brow.
There was no surprise on Cece's face. She knew it was Ariana by the fountain.
"I know we aren't on good terms, and I really want to apologize for that. It wasn't any of our fault. Sofia lied to our faces. We really owe you an apology for all we said," Cece said as she placed her hands together.
Ariana had noticed she did that whenever she was nervous she clasped her hands together.
"It's fine, I already figured that and it's fine, forgive and forget," Ariana said as she brought out her hands.
"Forgive and forget, Come on give me a hug!" She whined as she opened her hands out to her.
Ariana hugged her tightly.
Cece released her from the hug prison and stared at her. "Tell me, how were you able to read this?" Cece asked as she moved her towards the fountain.
"I learnt it in school, but why did you come to Regatta Springs though? I'm curious," Ariana asked as they sat on top of the fountain.
"I have some relatives here, I just came here to check up on them," Cece said.
"I just came to see my parents too," Ariana said as she stared into the blue water.
Underneath those water were thousands of coins, she also had some of them there.
"Oh shit, please I have to leave, dinner is in an hour!" Cece panicked.
"I'll see you around!" She said as she ran away.
Ariana stayed alone as she stared at the pool.
Ariana searched her bag to find a coin. She brought out a quarter.
"I wish I could find happiness," Ariana said as she stared as the coin sink deeper in the fountain.
Ariana moved away from the fountain. Night had already reached. She dragged her bag through the empty streets.
The light from the house was shining, definitely they were still up.
Ariana walked up to the door and placed a light knock.
"Coming!" Her mother's voice yelled.
The look on her mother's face when she opened the door looked like she just saw a ghost.