The behemoth crowd's roar filled my ears, making my head throb. I watched in a snaillike slow motion as people all around me lurched up and hurled their hands in the air. My pounding head whipped around to where the slow moving array was starring with a trance like look on their mystified faces. As time sped up, I suddenly knew what they were screeching about. Just a short few hours ago, my family, friends, and I would of never imagined ourselves as a part of this extraordinarily exciting moment. This was way more zestful than even the most hulking, thrilling roller coaster in the park!

Our breathtaking day started off with just an innocent car ride to one of the most exhilarating amusement parks in the world: Six Flags, Great America. Although going to extravagant places like this was considered splurging a bit, the fun things in life aren't exactly free. My friend, Megan, and I had our heated faced pressed up against the cool glass window of my mom's beat- up S.U.V. "Look! Look, Kelly, look!" Megan hollered as the gargantuan park came into our range of vision. The epic park's towering roller coasters forced us to lift our chins just to see the tops, the giddily swirling combination of rides made me dizzy just looking at them, and the irresistible aroma of cotton candy, popcorn, and pizza instantly made my mouth water. We instantaneously shared a gleeful glance, both of us knowing that the other was tremendously delighted. The bubbling happiness inside me formed a huge grin on my face as I turned to look at the approaching park once more. Suddenly, a phosphorescent, obnoxious ad caught my eye as our squeaky car inched to a halt. "Natasha Bedingfield, one day only here at Six Flags, Great America! Come see the lovely artist on August first!" As the overpowering chattering of the nearing park got within a spiting distance, something clicked in my head. "Mom! Mom! Mom!" I exclaimed, causing the car to perform an unexpected, abrupt stop. My face smashed into the soft brown leather of the seat in front of me, making me a little dizzy. Quickly, my mom swiveled in her seat, looking at me with a raised eyebrow, clearly waiting for an exclamation for my disturbing screaming. I shook my head, trying to recall what I wanted to say just a few short moments ago. "Um... Oh yeah! Today is the first right? It is! It is! We have got to go see Natasha Bedingfield! She's here today at Six Flags!" All of the sudden, Megan's eyes widened to the point where I was frightened that they would pop right out of her head. Afterwards, she started to bounce erratically in her plushy seat, making the car ride feel even choppier than it already was. My mom sighed dramatically and shot me an incredibly frustrated look that made my degree of happiness drop. "Look, girls. I'm sorry but I don' t think it would be appropriate to spend so much money on a park, and then spend even more money to go to a concert inside the park. Things like that, the most enjoyable things in life, aren't free," After that statement, I was feeling a teeny bit crushed. Saddened, Megan and I exchanged another one of our famous glances, and I knew she felt just as shot down as I did.

The roasting temperature of the sun on my shoulders was constantly reminding me how exceptionally hot it was outside. I licked my sweet, rapidly melting popsicle for relief from the heat and scanned the park around me. It seemed like we had rode the most blood tingling rides over and over again, making all the rides appear to be a bore. Ding, ding, ding, the huge, glossy clock in County Square went, reminding us that we were supposed to squeeze another endless seven hours at this stunning park, doing... I'm not sure what. Lost in thought, I bit my lip and glanced around the colorful display of rides once more, desperately trying to fill the empty moment with a perfect suggestion of something fantastic to do. The same chromatic sign from before was caught my eye, but this time featuring an element I hadn't noticed before. "Free tickets!" it announced boldly. All of the sudden, the same bewildering bedazzlement from before filled me from head to toe, making me do a strange, goofy dance. "Guys!" I said with enthusiasm, looking very out of place next to the rest of my fellow bored and tired amusement park visitors. "Free tickets!" Immediately, Megan's face lit up like a bulb, but my mom's expression changed to one of perplexity. "Honey, there had to be some sort of catch. Plus, if they are really free, the concert is probably just some scam," she said as nicely as she possibly could, "Look, I'll even go ask that employee in the ticket booth over there, if it would make you feel better." She subsequently turned on her heels, and made a beeline for the booth. Hastily, Megan and I shared a faithful look, and then pressed pass the herds of sweaty people to keep up. Just as we finally caught up, we heard my mom asking, "So... they are free?" The employee nodded with disinterest and my heart leapt. Impolitely, I shoved my red- faced mother aside and said to the bored ticket employee, "We'll take three!" She delicately ripped three dazzling tickets from her oversized, colorful stack and smacked them harshly into my hand. Just as I was about to say "Thanks," the employee rudely cut me off and said in the same, emotionless tone, "Next!" Megan briskly pulled me aside and we jumped in a tight circle. All of he sudden, I was ecstatic! This was going to be the most mind blowing exciting, day ever!

I plopped onto the hard, blue concrete bleacher in the middle of the enormous stadium, a prime seat. Hundreds upon hundreds of eager fans like us were rapidly pouring through the two teensy entrances. When I inhaled, the salty smell of popcorn snaked through my nostrils, making this adventure seem even more legitimate. It appeared as if we were in the most mammoth dome ever, making me feel like I was in the mouth of some monstrous fairytale creature. Although, unlike a real monster's mouth, this one particular one included a considerable large, circular stage smack in the center, equipped with the finest musical supplies that only big time stars with a billion hit songs could possibly afford. "When do you think she's going to come on stage?" Megan enthusiastically asked me again as she hyperactively swayed from side to side. Seeing my friend this captivated made me even more thankful we were able to get into this electrifying, dreamlike concert, and made me want to see Natasha more than ever. Leisurely, I reached down into the oversized bucket of yellow, buttery popcorn and pondered on how mind- blowing Natasha must be in real life. I wondered if her dazzling blond hair would shimmer and shine as much as it does in the many posters I have of her tacked on my wall. I also wondered if this concert would just be one big ugly con because it was cost free. This particular thought seriously concerned me as I bent down to search for a napkin underneath our seats. Unexpectedly, my throat tightened up at the very thought of letting every- all of the sudden, a defeating thunder of cheering rippled like a wave over the crowd and interrupted my depressing thoughts. I speedily leapt up to see if it could possibly be whom I thought it was- and it unbelievable was! Forgetting about the silly napkins, I started to cheer along with the rest of the elated mob. This could quite possibly be the greatest moment of my eleven- year- old life!

"Hey everybody!" Natasha shouted energetically to the crazy, rambunctious group of screaming fans. With poise, she raised one flawless hand and waved gracefully to the expanding swarm of admiring fans, her electrifying blue eyes scanning the entire, undivided assemble of us. When her eyes finally reached my section of the stands, I encounter a rush as my scream became ear- splitting and I lurched even higher, desperately trying to catch her attention. Soon after, for what seemed like an eternity, her magnetizing eyes locked with mine. In turtle speed, I separated my lips to shriek some more, but too soon her eyes strayed to the next fortuitous fan to get to have a stare- down with a celebrity. "Who's ready to get rocking?" she challenged the zealous gathering of fans. In reply, Megan and I whooped and hollered as uproariously as we possibly could, yearning to hear what songs she would sing at a changeless concert. The captivating music blasted out of the magnificent, long black speakers, playing my favorite song "Unwritten." My scratchy sore throat protested as I attempted to sing along to my favorite tune, but I was intrigued in the moment to give it a second thought. The devoted fans around us were slowly simmering down, taking modest, small sips of their sweet, cold sodas, and munching contently on their oversized mountains of fluffy pink cotton candy. Although once in a while Megan and I would steal a longing glance at these unruffled fans, we couldn't force our remarkably excited selves to just sit down and enjoy the fabulous show. Yes, we were some of those nutty, hardcore fellows who danced and sang along to every tune performed, no matter how burned out we became. Too soon as the breath- taking, orange- pink sun started to set over the horizon, setting an enchanting twinkle over the entire stadium, Natasha announced with a slight sadness that it was her final song. With a great effort, Megan and I straightened ourselves up from our hunched over panting positions, and mustered up the strength to savor one more song. Noiselessly we swayed back and forth, our eyelids like bricks due to an overpowering sense of exhaustion. Suddenly, without either of us even realizing it, Natasha was gone. The final faint whisper of words I heard before completely collapsing of exhaustion was, "Who knew a freebie could be that good?"

Beep! Beep! Beep! The obnoxious sound we all know too well was blasting loudly from my alarm clock. As I drowsily slapped my hand down onto the well- worn "Snooze" button, my mind wandered to replays of yesterday's exhilarating and exciting events. Scenes of the screaming, the dancing, and Natasha's perfect face flooded into my mind. At that instant, an enormous grin spread across my face as I thought, "My mom was wrong, the best things in life really are free."