Alright guys pls don't hate me, this chapter is kinda short bc it's a filler chapter before the like actual road trip adventures begin. Also, if I don't update like super often, I'm super sorry, I also still have to read like 4 books for school in a month and do reports on them and ahdskjds I don't even wanna think about school but I have to so yeah! But I will still finish this story don't worry about it! :)
Today was it, today was the day. The day I'd do the most rebellious thing I would probably ever do in my life. I'd leave my house and everything in it for an adventure. Even if it was only for a week, my heart beat accelerated anytime the thought crossed through my brain, which happened to be every minute practically.
I stood at my locker, clutching my backpack as the thought of backing out also kept its way into my brain. There was so many risks that came along with the trip. The risk that we might get lost or anything could happen to either one of us or anyone we cared about and no one would know where we were. I didn't want to back out but at the same time, I didn't want all these risks tearing at my insides every minute during the trip, ripping me apart, torturing every second with fear filled thoughts that would only make me not enjoy the trip.
I stuffed my head in my locker in frustration as who I could only assume was Eli walked up and knocked on my locker door.
"Knock knock." He said.
"Who's there?"
"That wasn't a knock knock joke!" he said, walking over to the other side of me that wasn't guarded by the door, "I'm assuming your head is in the locker because you just couldn't contain your excitement for the road trip."
"Complete opposite." I said, breathing heavily, getting anxiety just hearing the words road and trip.
"So your head is in the locker because you could contain your excitement for the road trip?" Eli said, chuckling.
"My head is in the locker because I'm not sure if I want to go on this road trip. It's exciting and fun and teenagers do this all the time, I get that but I'm already having anxiety about things happening and we're too far away and no one knows where we are for anyone to help us and I don't know if I'm ready for this."
"Alright well, first, if I could have the pleasure of seeing your face for the first time during this conversation," he paused, waiting for me to come out of my locker nest. When I did, he looked at me and continued, "Secondly, that's the whole purpose of this trip. You know, as much as I love being a reckless rebel without a cause or purpose, I also think over things as well. You need this trip, you've never done anything out of the ordinary or crazy or wild just for the heck of it. You're a senior in high school, in college I promise they're going to do worse and you need to at least have some sort of out of your comfort zone experience for later in life. Sure, things can happen during this trip while we're gone but wouldn't those same things happen if you were here as well? The answer is yes. Therefore, the answer is yes to this trip. You have to go and you know that you want to."
"I don't have to do anything." I said, as I closed my locker, hooked my backpack on the shoulder and turned to him.
"But you want to and you will because just as much I do, you know I'm right. No matter how stubborn you attempt to be, we both know we're headed to your house now and you're going to pack for this road trip." Eli said, with a smirk of knowing that he was right and as he walked away, turned his head back for a second, "Oh how great it feels to be right, you should try it sometime."
And right he was.
As I stood in my room, throwing clothes into a bag quickly and without attention, I heard Eli and Sam downstairs getting into a video game they were playing. I didn't even know what I was putting in my bag, I was just grabbing clothes that seemed 'road trip' fitting and put them in there or rather, stuffed them in there. I put all the necessities I thought I needed in there. Phone charger, toothbrush, toothpaste, a bag of ChapStick, etc. Alright, maybe the last one wasn't a necessity but it was definitely something I needed.
When I double-checked my bag about four times, went through a mental check of what I do each day to make sure everything I needed to do those things was with me, I zipped up my bag and turned the light off in my room, and closed the door. When I walked downstairs, Sam and Eli both looked at me, then at each other, then back at me with a look of disapproval.
"What?" I asked, when I reached the bottom of the steps.
"Nothing." Eli said, "You know, except for the fact that you have a bag sized for a month trip and we're gonna be gone for a week."
"This is not a month bag! This is a perfectly sized bag for a week!" I said, dropping it on the ground and ignoring the sound it made that could only be caused by a heavy mass.
"Right." Sam interjected with rolling eyes as he looked back at Eli, "Girls. Glad I don't have to deal with them yet."
"Yeah, but with all the trouble they cause, you'll be thanking them a lot one day. They do things you couldn't even imagine-"
"Hey!" I interrupted Eli's talk that I could only see going so many places that I didn't want Sam visiting yet, "Maybe this talk should continue in about 4 or 10 years."
"Summer, you act like I don't know this stuff already." Sam said.
And as much as I knew that what he was saying was true, that he knew things now that I couldn't even think of knowing when I was that age, I didn't want to believe it or hear about it. He was still my little brother, who wasn't supposed to know those things therefore, I'd make myself keep thinking that he didn't know those things.
"Whatever, we should get on the road now." I said, attempting to get that conversation out and flown away.
After Eli and Sam finished their game, we all hopped into Eli's car, first to Sam's friend's house to drop him off. As he got out, he told me he'd call if dad came home early though it'd probably be no use but just to let me know. And in Sam's secret terms, that basically meant he cared and for me to take care. And I told him to not have too much fun, which basically meant to not have too much fun but I gave a heartwarming smile and I think he felt the love.
Once Sam was dropped off and Eli and I were off to who knows where, I leaned back in my seat and stared out of the window. As trees went by and unfamiliar houses and strangers passed by, I sighed heavily, letting out all the worries that went along with those trees and shapes. I had nothing to worry about now, wherever we were headed, everything was new. Nothing was tainted with stress or apprehensions and I couldn't wait.
Alright, next chapter, road trip adventures start woop woop! Remember, review and let me know what ya think (and if you also wanna leash out your anger of me not updating then you can do that too, I approve!)