Road Trip

Road Trip: Chapter 1

I hate making choices.

Like, if you want to know whether to get pepperoni or mushrooms on your pizza, you know not to ask Adalyn Brooks. Ok, maybe that's an exaggeration. But seriously, I can't make a decision. I can't. I can choose what to wear, sure, but when it comes to making a choice that doesn't just affect me, it affects other around me, I'm useless. Don't ask me to choose between movies and pizza or a school dance on a Friday night. And don't get me to pick what movie the group of friends is going to watch. And don't even THINK about making me decide between hanging out with my best friend or my family.

There may not be a real choice for you between any of these things, but there is for me.

Last school year - 9th grade - was my best year yet. I excelled in my PSATs, tried out and was accepted on to my school's cheerleading team, and Marina was in almost every single one of my classes. I'm really hoping this good streak will continue on into the summer. Because we got out on vacation yesterday. And the weather looks amazing. So everything is building up in my favor.

My smartphone dings and I reach to grab it from my nightstand. It was a text from Marina: Come over rn please!! I have big big news!!!

I groan. It is 9:44 in the morning, on the first day of summer vacation, and she wants me to get out of bed and walk down the block to her place. But I know better than to argue with my best friend. Once she gets an idea in her head, no one can sway her. Literally no one. Believe me, I've tried.

I swing my feet out from under the cool sheets and force myself to sit up. Yawning, I pick up my phone and open YouTube, searching for one of the old country Taylor Swift songs. Once the familiar lyrics are blasting out of my phone at full volume, I get out of bed.

In about 15 minutes I'm dressed and ready to go. I swing by the kitchen on my way out and rummage around in the pantry for a granola bar. Nothing. Of course. Mom doesn't believe in snacks. She is a firm believer in set meal times so as to not mess up the body's system of digestion. Or something. I disagree with this, number one because I'm always hungry, and number two because then we never have junk food laying around the house. But that doesn't really matter because the Greene's always have sour cream 'n onion chips laying around and chocolate in little porcelain bowls on their tables. I'm at Marina's house half the time anyway, so I pig out there.

I pocket my phone and slip on some flip flops for the five minute walk. I step outside into the warm summer air, locking the door behind me. My parents are both away at work, and my older brother, Jackson, isn't coming home from college for the summer for another week. Thinking of him, I finger the gold heart charm around my neck. I miss him. It's been almost six months since I've last seen him.

"Adalyn, what took you so long?" Marina's teasing voice reaches me from two houses down as she leans over the banister of her porch.

"It's the first day of summer, and you expect me to be here at a minute's notice? Nope, don't think so," I counter jokingly.

"Come on," she bounds barefoot down her front walk to grab my arm and usher me along. "I've got huge news."

"No, I've got huge news, which I told you and now you're telling Adalyn," Jess, Marina's older sister contradicts my best friend as she pulls me inside. "Hey, Adalyn."

"Hi," I respond breathlessly.

"Ok, sit down," Marina urges, giving me a small push in the direct of their sofa. I sink into it, thinking back to my unmade bed and remembering how comfortable it was. . .

"Good morning, Adalyn," Josefa Greene, Marina and Jess's mother calls from their kitchen. "I assume you are staying for breakfast?"

"If you don't mind," I reply gratefully.

"Fantastic. I'm making chilaquiles as a first day of summer celebration!" she added benignly.

"Adalyn," Marina sits on the carpet in front me, grinning. "Ok, so Jess and all her friends, you know, Lisa and Kath and Dustin and Hunter, are planning a trip for ten days down to Myrtle Beach. And Jess offered to drive us too. Mom is letting us take the minivan, so we'll all fit. It's going to be amazing, Ad. Did you bring your phone? Call your mom and ask her if you can come."

I lean back into the couch, torn. Jackson was coming back next week, and I hadn't seen him in months. But it had been two years since I had been to the beach and Myrtle Beach was awesome. Plus, Marina was going. It would be a trip with upperclassmen. But my parents were probably expecting me to be here to greet my brother. And he was family. Ugh. I told you I hate decisions.

"Wait. No," Marina sees the argument going on in my head. "Give me your phone. Right now. I'll ask for you."

I laugh in relief, glad it wouldn't be me presenting this to my mom. I hand it over, and she unlocks it, opens the phone app, and finds my mom's contact. Then she puts it on speaker so I can hear the conversation.

"Hello, Mrs. Brooks? This is Marina."

"Oh! Hello Marina, how are you?"

"Great, thanks. Um, Mrs. Brooks? I was wondering if I could steal Adalyn for ten days for a trip down to Myrtle Beach with Jess and some of her friends. We'd leave tomorrow. Jess has already reserved the motel rooms. They're amazing. We're literally two minutes away from the beach. Ad and I would share of course."

"Wow, that sounds like a really good deal Jess found. Who all is going?"

I bite my lip. I can't believe Mom is considering it. In front of me, Marina is grinning wildly.

"Lisa, Kath, Hunter, and Dustin. Hey Mrs. Brooks!" Jess calls as she walks towards the kitchen. An amazing smell is coming from it. My mouth waters.

"Oh ok, Jackson knew Hunter and Dustin. They were on the football team right?"

"Yeah," Marina affirmed.

"Alright then. I'll call Adalyn's father and see if he's ok with it. I guess you'll need to know soon?"

"Yeah, that'd be best."

"Ok, I'll see what he says and call you back. Bye, Marina."

"Bye Mrs. Brooks!" Marina turns to me, smiling so wide I can see her bottom teeth. "Ad we're going to the beach!!"

"Not yet, we aren't. Not until Dad says it's ok," I reply.

"Oh, come on Adalyn. You know he'll say you can go."

"Chilaquiles are ready girls!" Josefa calls.

And despite all my doubts, I allow myself to hope, just a bit, that I can go.