The Senior Trip

Chapter 39

HARPER

The crowd is still partying, but I'm feeling lightheaded. I'm not drunk, but I'm high off Asher and whatever is happening. I'm confused too. This is a dangerous game I'm playing. He loves her and I might just be a placeholder until he can figure out how to get back together with her.

"I need some water," I tell him, pulling away from our embrace.

"Right. Sure. That's a good idea," responds and allows me to slip from his grip.

There is a bar set up and we head in that direction, our bodies hot and tired from the day. I'm so grateful to see familiar bottled water and I point to it and motion for two. There has to be someone around here that speaks English.

"Just the waters?" the bartender asks and I can't believe what I'm hearing.

"You speak English?" Asher asks excitedly from beside me.

"A little. You aren't from around here." He hands us the waters with a small smirk.

"No, we are here on vacation," I answer. Asher slips his hand in mine and gives it a small squeeze of warning. In my excitement to get some answers, I almost forgot that the bartender is a stranger and we shouldn't just offer up all the details of our misadventure.

"Most tourist stay close to the beach," he answers knowingly. "You are a far ways away."

"Shit," I say.

He laughs. "How did you get here?" he asks as he sets a beer on the counter for another guest.

"It's a long story," Asher answers. "Do you know how we might be able to get back?"

"Sure," he replies. My heart races with the hope that we might have found our connection back to the school trip. "Bus leaves at 6am."

"Oh, thank God," Asher says. He squeezes my hand and we use our water bottles to cheer our good fortune.

"On Friday." With this answer, the bartender could barely hold his composure.

"Friday?" I ask. "It's only Wednesday."

"One bus. Twice a week. That's why you were so welcomed here. It's common for strangers to find themselves a little lost. You're in a good place." The bartender smiles and then makes his way down to the end of the bar to help another customer.

"What are we going to do?" I ask softly. "Friday is the last night. We've missed the whole trip."

"Have we?" Asher asks. "We missed THAT trip, the one where all the teens get drunk and float in the pee pool. The one where my ex-girlfriend is pretending our entire senior year didn't matter."

"The one where Ezra ditched me for a new girl," I laugh. "I hope he's having a blast. I can't believe there is no way to get the scoop without our phones!"

"But," Asher says, water tipped in my direction as if he needs it to point out the obvious, "we didn't miss THE trip."

He's right. The purpose of this trip was for me to get away from the watchful eyes of my parents. I wanted an adventure. I wanted something that I could talk about for the rest of my life. I had said no to so many invites this last year that I had been going through life with blinders on. All work and no play. But this trip, this one was the end of that. It almost made up for the entire year of never going to one party. When was the last time I was drunk in the afternoon? When was the last time a boy held me and spun me around a dancefloor? Asher was right, we missed the trip we were never destined to be on and instead hit the ground running in this adventure. I wouldn't trade it.

"But Jess," I say, knowing that if we didn't get back there in time on Friday, he'd miss his last chance to talk to her alone. "Your excursion."

"If we make it, we make it. If not, then I guess it wasn't meant to be." Asher says the words, but I feel like that isn't what he truly believes. We'd let ourselves get caught up in the excitement of today. We are both tired and probably dehydrated. Would we feel the same way about each other in the morning?

"We'll make it," I assure him.

The woman who had been so kind to us early returns to our side. She speaks quickly and animatedly, motioning towards the house.

"She says the rain is coming. Go inside. Stay the night." The bartender returns to translate.

Just then a loud crack could be heard as thunder boomed above us and out into the wide open desert. Asher and I look up to the sky, time stopping for a moment as the once clear sky above us fills with clouds. The other guests begin to run inside or head for their cars. I'm expecting to see disappointed faces from the guest having to cut their party short, but instead it is just face after face of happiness.

One elderly lady passes by, gently reaching for my arm for support as she steps off the patio and onto the dirt. I miss her words spoken with such joy I felt them in my heart even though I didn't understand them.

"It's good luck," Asher says. His high school Spanish finally paying off.

I look into his eyes, waiting to see if being stuck with me another night is his form of good luck, or if he'll be the one disappointed face in this exuberant crowd. I hold my breath, my heart beating wildly as I watch his face for any sign that this newly married couple's good luck is Asher's bad luck. I tell myself not to be crushed, that I have gone into this knowing he isn't over Jess.

His face is unreadable. Finally his eyes look away, fixed on something behind me. Oh god, what have we done?

"Buena suerte," he says. His lips tipping up slightly as I watch him intently.

"Buena suerte. Good luck!" shouts the bartender as the rain began to pour from the heavens above us. Within seconds, we were drenched and water drops are bouncing off every surface. Asher stands unmoving even in the heaviest down pour. He chuckles a little and I turn to match his gaze. The bride and groom are still holding each other. Dancing in the rain as it covers them and washes them of their past so that nothing is left but their future and this perfect moment.

When lightning flashes in the distance, the groom scoops up his beautiful bride and carries her to the back door of the building. My heart is full and there is a budding of hope in my soul that one day I too will experience a moment this epic.

Asher's arms lift me to him, cradling me against his strong body. Maybe I will never have a husband doting on me during a good luck rain storm at our wedding, but I have Asher carrying me inside like a hero on a romance book cover and for now, that's good enough.