The Senior Trip

Chapter 14

ASHER

This had gone so differently in my head. There are so many little benefits to being in a relationship. I assumed I'd be with Jess at the hotel. Didn't have to scramble to try to find a roommate or worry that she would be with someone else. It was always Asher and Jess. But as the large group of us descended on the hotel lobby, it became evident that the two of us were not going to try to room together anymore. I barely caught the sight of the back of her as she rode the elevator up to her room with a group of girls. And just like that, this vacation took another turn into Shitville.

Last year two students raised hell about the same gender only sharing a room rule so it could no longer be imposed on us. That opens the door for all kinds of pairings and the buzz in the lobby is palpable. Who the fuck am I going to share a room with?

"Are we rooming?" Ezra says as he slides up beside Harper. He doesn't sound very sure about it, and I get the feeling he has new plans as well.

Harper glances over to see his new love interest hanging at the fray of the large group, glancing over her shoulder once in a while as if awaiting a signal.

"No. Go on ahead. I'll find someone else," she says. Her voice giving away her apprehension

"You sure?" he asks. "We could ask for a cot or something. Maybe we could take turns sleeping on the couch. She got into a fight with her friends, and they picked rooms without her. It's like a bad day in science lab. She's the odd number out."

"It's fine. I totally get it," Harper assures him.

"We'll still hang out. I'll call you," he says as he smiles and nods to Lindsay.

"Awesome," she answers dryly, but he is already too far away to hear.

I know that fear. She's scanning the crowd, looking for someone else. The problem is, we were the last bus, and that plane ride gave everyone plenty of time to pair up if they hadn't already made plans before we even took off.

"So," I venture. "Should we...?"

Her head whips around in my direction so fast. Her eyes are wide, and her mouth is agape.

"We don't even know each other," she says. She's right. It's a terrible idea, but there isn't really another choice.

"Harper," a voice says from beside us. Sunshine moves next to her. Her mom is the senior literature teacher and a known hippie at school. In her classroom, she doesn't even wear shoes. She just sits cross-legged on her desk with her dirty feet. The apple doesn't fall far from the tree.

"Hey, Sunshine." I can hear the panic in Harper's voice. I almost chuckle but manage to hold it in.

"Do you want to room?" she asks. I can already smell her from here. I'm not trying to be mean, but let's just say in her fight to save the planet, she's taken a firm stance on unnecessary showers—and to her, they are all unnecessary.

"Um," Harper stumbles. She's too sweet to say no. I almost let her struggle, but then I decide to save her.

"She already promised me," I say. I wonder for a minute if she'll argue.

"Yep. Sorry," Harper answers with a small wince.

"No worries. We can hang out sometime this week." Sunshine smiles and heads off in search of someone else.

"Thank you," Harper says.

"No problem."

When we get to the front of the crowd, the kid that isn't much older than us but is wearing a trip-sponsored shirt hands me two keys to the same room. "Names?"

We give him our names and step out of the way so the kids crowding behind us can get their keys. I don't miss the way a few gazes are pointed in our direction. It makes my stomach hurt. I waver between wanting my break-up to be a secret and wanting to rip the emotional Bandaid off and announce it's over, so I don't get the pity looks or the whispers not-so-behind my back.

I reach for Harper's bag since we are now headed in precisely the same direction. As I slip it over my shoulder, I feel the weight of it like a lead blanket. This is not how it's supposed to be. And that's a thought I know I will wrestle with for the remainder of the trip. 

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