2

I drove home after school that day in my 1991 blue Toyota Camry wondering about how my parents would react when I told them I would be going with Whitney to Washington.

Part of me expected a major blowup from the both of them, a lecture on how I wasn't mature enough and how dangerous Washington could be.

I was prepared. I had retaliations for both arguments.

It was warm for the week heading into Memorial Weekend. I wondered if the weather in Washington would be as nice as it was here, or if it would be rainy. I guessed there would be rain, after living there as a young child I remembered being shocked when I came to Idaho and saw real sun for the first time.

When I got home, I found that both of my parent's cars were gone, a strange occurrence. Where could they be?

I shut off the car, slung my bag over my shoulder, and headed inside. The front door was locked, and when I looked through one of the front windows, I saw all the lights were off. I pulled my house key out of my bag and opened the door.

Even though I knew nobody was there, I called out "Hello?" anyway.

I threw my bag down on the couch as I came in, closed the door behind me and locked it.

I walked into the kitchen and saw a note on the countertop. It was the only item on my mother's sparkling granite.

Gone to Twin Falls to visit family. Be back tomorrow. Dinner is in the fridge and be sure to do your homework. Love you, us.

I groaned. Why would they choose today to go to Twin Falls? Was something up and they just didn't want me to worry? I figured that was the case.

Knowing that they would be gone at least until tomorrow, I sat down on the couch and leaned back against the overstuffed cushions, trying to decide if I should start packing or wait until I was sure I would be allowed to go.

It wasn't like I had anything better to do, I didn't have any homework, I wasn't the type who would lay around watching TV or sitting on the computer.

I closed my eyes and imagined myself packing and running away for the rest of the week. It was what my parents had done to me, and they wouldn't even know where I was unless they called and checked on me, in which case I could always lie. What was there in Washington that could kill me anyway?

My cell phone vibrated in my pocket, making my leg shake as if I were cold. I listened to it buzz quietly for a moment, comforted by a sound that I did not make. Besides the noise of the phone vibrating, the house was dead silent, everything turned off for my parent's quick departure.

When the sound had left me and all I could hear was my own pulse and breathing, I took my phone out of my pocket and looked to see who had taken the time to text. Of course it had been Whitney. It wasn't like I had that many people who knew my phone number. I shouldn't have been expecting different.

The text was in usual Whitney style, short and sweet and completely lacking in any sort of punctuation. As one who wrote regularly, improper text messages often disturbed me.

Sooooo r u cuming or not, the text said.

Shuddering internally at all the mistakes in the text like I usually did, I replied. Of course I'm coming. I have a suggestion, though.

Her response was instantaneous. I imagined her sitting somewhere in her house, her full, undivided attention on her phone.

Wats that

I texted quickly and cleanly, knowing full well that this was a spur of the moment decision that had to be made fast before anyone suspected me of anything.

Let's leave today, this afternoon. Let's start our vacation early.

As I expected there would be, there was a brief silence on the other end before my phone startled me by shaking violently. It was if all Whitney's emotions had been transferred into the vibrations of my phone.

WAT but 2day is thurs we wud miss school fri

I smiled. This was the point, of course.

Yes, I'm aware of that. Don't you think it would be fun, though? I texted as I stood up from the couch and walked down the set of seven stairs that led me to the family room and my bedroom. I was going to pack, and I was going to leave today, even if that meant I would meet Whitney there on Friday night.

Ya sure but idk bout missin school

I wondered where her sense of adventure went. It had obviously walked out on her.

I'm leaving today, the sooner the better. Come with me if you want.

I myself didn't know where this rebellious person had come from. Maybe it was because I was tired of being the perfect child, the one who always got perfect grades and did everything her parents told her to do. Maybe it was because I had never seen an opportunity more perfect than this to get away and be who I wanted to be.

Im cuming with b there n like ten mins

I smiled. I could really start to see this as a legitimate adventure, as well as vacation.

I threw enough clothes to last the rest of the week and some extras in a bag, added my toiletries and entertainment devices, as well as the chargers and my wallet and ran upstairs. I dumped my stuff on the floor before running back to my room to grab my pillow.

Last, but certainly not least, I left my backpack next to the note my parents had left and scribbled Gone to Washington. Be back whenever. Love, me on it.

I took my stuff outside, locked up the house, and headed out to my car, arms full.

Whitney stuck true to her word. She pulled into my driveway not seven minutes later.

"I don't see why we have to leave today," she said as she closed her car door behind her.

"I don't either, all I know is we are going to have a blast. Did your dad already load up your car with gas for the trip?"

"Yeah, so I guess you should move your stuff to the backseat, then. But Danielle, I don't quite-"

"Trust me," I said, grabbing my stuff out of my own backseat and throwing it into hers. "This will be what will change your life and make it worth something. This is the story we will be telling our children some day."