Cherry trees danced and swayed in the evening breeze. The quad was still full of chatting people and the Berkeley Pi Kappa Alpha guys giving out free food.

Aria and her best friend, Jenny, left the lecture hall. Their messenger bags bumped against each other as they walked. The two girls were an odd pairing of friends. Aria had long, shining, black hair, while Jenny was a blonde with a pixie cut.

Jenny was talking a mile a minute about their new project. They had to keep a journal this semester and face one fear, then analyze their responses with the mindset of a psychologist.

“Let’s go skydiving!” Jenny shouted. Her hazel eyes were wide and a smile was plastered across her face.

Aria stopped walking. She stared at her friend like she'd grown a third eye. “Jenny, you passed out going on a rollercoaster with me,” she said.

Several cheerleaders were leaping around on the grass of the quad. Their gold and blue uniforms contrasted the burgundy trees behind them.

“But heights are scary,” Jenny said. “Isn’t that the whole point of this project?”

“I’m not afraid of heights,” Aria said. She tossed her long ponytail over her shoulder.

Jenny grabbed her arm and stared into her eyes. “You have to go with me,” she said. Her grip tightened. “You signed up for this when you decided to be my bestie.”

“Fine, I’ll go," Aria said. "Now let go before my fingers turn purple.”

Jenny returned to Aria’s side. They walked past the brick buildings, headed for the parking garage.

“Are you going to the party tonight?” Jenny asked.

“My brothers are in town. Family dinner," Aria said. "Maybe next time.”

The stereo was booming as Aria sat in traffic. She could see the driveway she needed to turn into, but traffic had not moved in twenty minutes. The song changed, and a loud, aggressive heavy metal intro began shaking her car. Though the air conditioner was on, her shirt was still sticking to her back. She sighed and rested her head against the steering wheel. Traffic was always a nightmare after her psychology class got out. It ended right in the middle of rush hour. Honking from the car behind her made her sit back up and they moved a whole two feet. She was a car length away from the turn she needed. “I should have gotten a motorcycle.” She grumbled.

            When she was finally able to make her turn, she drove down the little alleyway to the parking lot behind the buildings. Her parents lived in a house that was closer to an apartment. All the houses on this block were connected and shared a community area with a sandbox and a couple pieces of equipment for the children to play on in the parking lot. All the architecture in this area was made of brick; faded brick.

She parked, grabbed her bag, and headed to the front door. She could already hear the shouting of her family horsing around. She smiled and pushed open the door. “Honey, I’m home!” She called out laughing.

James, the youngest of her three brothers, ran into the living room. He was a scrawny man with short brown hair. “Oh my God a stranger just entered the house! Someone call the cops, she’s a dangerous psychopath!”

“I have come to steal all your food.” She shouted back.

“No! Not my precious food!” James dropped to his knees and groaned.

Her eldest brother, Nick, came into the room. “You two are such dorks.” He shook his head and sighed. “Dinner is ready, come sit down.”

“I made stuffed bell peppers, Danny’s favorite.” Their mother called from the kitchen.

Aria smiled. “That’s everyone’s favorite, mom.” She and James ran to the kitchen pushing each other and throwing each other to the floor the entire way. Aria knocked him to the ground and ran to her seat. “Ha beat you again.” She stuck her tongue out at him.

He rubbed his butt as he approached the table, “I let you win.”

“Oh, keep on dreaming.” She punched him in the arm and both started laughing.

The morning air was chilly. Aria pulled her jacket tighter around her. She and Jenny were standing on the airstrip listening to the safety instructions.

Jenny was shaking and pulling at the zipper of her jacket. Her foot was tapping against the ground.

Aria reached over and put her hand on Jenny’s arm. “Calm down before you give yourself another anxiety attack,” Aria whispered.

“I’m ready to leave now,” Jenny whispered. She had sweat in her hairline despite the frigid air, and her face was pale. “This was a terrible idea.”

Several people were walking away from the group with their heads hung low.

“If you have a history of heart attacks, please do not get on the plane,” the instructor said. He grabbed a stack of papers. “I need everyone to fill out a release before we can get you suited up.”

A few of the people went up and grabbed the papers.

Aria pulled the strap of her messenger bag away from her neck. “You chose this as your fear to face," she said. "Either we go up there and you’re done with the project, or we leave, and you have to face another one of your fears.”

She waited for her friend to answer, but Jenny stayed silent.

“I’m sure you could do your project on asking that dreamy boy out instead. What was his name again? Sebastian, right?” Aria asked. She elbowed Jenny and gave her a goofy grin.

“Nope! Onto the plane of death we go,” Jenny said.

She grabbed Aria by the arm and pulled her up to the papers. They filled them out and were taken to a white, scratched-up airplane. The instructor paired up the new divers with the experienced ones.

“New divers, just follow the directions of your partner and you won’t have any problems on the way down,” he said.

The engines flared to life. The plane taxied for a few minutes as everyone got seated.

“Once we are in the air, your guide is in charge," the instructor said. "Safe falling.”

Jenny made eye contact with Aria again. I’m gonna die, she mouthed. Aria just rolled her eyes and sat back, waiting for the plane to get into the air.

The ascent was nothing exciting. The plane went up with no turbulence. The experienced divers got up and called quick orders to their partners.

Aria stood up and put her goggles on. She secured her hair in a tight bun so she wouldn’t have to untangle a rat’s nest later.

Her guide signaled for her to move up to the door. When they were there, he fastened a hook to the belt of her jumping suit. “I’m Juan. Just follow what I do, and I’ll get you down safely. Keep your arms and legs against mine.” He shouted over the sound of the wind.

Then they jumped.

Aria’s stomach was in her throat. She was suddenly thankful that she hadn’t eaten breakfast before driving with Jenny to the airstrip. She squeezed her eyes shut and imagined that it was just another rollercoaster and she wasn’t freefalling to the Earth.

The air in her lungs felt heavy. She held her breath for a moment before she began getting a headache. She breathed out and opened her eyes. They were getting close to the point where they would pull the parachute. She thanked every supernatural being she could think of.

“Looks like your friend passed out," Juan laughed.

She nodded, not trusting her body with opening her mouth. She could feel the blood pumping through her veins. Her pulse was hammering in her chest. She was starting to enjoy the freefall just a little more once her guide pulled the chute. As they slowed down, her stomach settled.

Juan positioned their legs so that they would make a safe landing. After a thud to the ground, Aria was unhooked. She turned to Juan.

“You know, that wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be,” she said. “Might have to try it again.”

“Your friend isn’t going to say the same,” he said.

Screaming could be heard all around. They looked up and there was Jenny in her total panic mode, as Aria called it. She was flailing her arms and legs like a child being pulled away from a candy store.

“I hate you!” Jenny was screaming. “You tricked me!”

She and her guide landed. Jenny flopped to the ground, panting heavily.

“Stupid class,” she groaned. “Worst day ever.”

The two girls stumbled across the sand lot they had landed in headed for the car. When they got in, Jenny asked, “Now that torture is over, what are you doing for your project?”