The Senior Trip

Chapter 21

                 

HARPER

I feel naked without my phone, and especially naked standing in the lobby of our hotel in my bikini. What were we thinking? I guess we weren't.

"That's it?" Asher asks the police officer.

"Yes. We'll get in touch if we find anything out." The officer closes his small notebook and turns away. He doesn't care. It's written all over his face. Usually cops ask other questions, but this cop listened to our story and made a few notes, then left. Our phones are never coming back.

"Damn it," I say under my breath.

"It'll be ok. Our parents survived without them," Asher reassures me. He looks so silly in that big hat and glasses inside the hotel lobby. I reach up and touch my own. If I were the cop I wouldn't have taken us seriously either. Oops.

"Now what?" I ask.

"Let's go get ready for the meeting. We can tell some people there that we lost our phones. Maybe someone saw something."

It's not the best plan, but it's the only one we've got.

Our room is frigid from the AC. It's amazing. I flop down on my bed and stare up at the old ceiling. My hat slips from my head. I toss it aside and lift my sunglasses to the top of my head. Asher does the same on his bed.

"At least I won't know that she's not texting me," he says quietly. My heart clenches.

"I mean...." I say in jest, "your phone is probably blowing up right now with texts of her begging you back." I turn my head in his direction and offer him a slight smile.

"I know," he says emphatically.

We both laugh. She's not texting him, but why not pretend if it takes the weight of reality off him for a while?

"It certainly isn't a plot twist I was expecting," I tell him. "We're in a forgien country with no phones. It's a nightmare." I close my eyes and tip my head back.

"It's an adventure!" He jumps up, his glasses falling from his head. In a split second he's on my bed, standing above me. "Of course this would happen," he says as he begins to jump. "This trip was doomed from day one."

My body bounces and I try to steady myself as his feet pound into the mattress at my side. I'm laugh and awkwardly moving so I don't get trampled. My own glasses bounce off and are catapulted into the corner. I get to my knees somehow. Asher doesn't miss a jump as he reaches for my arm and pulls me up to my feet beside him. The entire bed shakes as I join his childish game.

"Don't you call my first real taste of freedom doomed!" I shout, pointing my finger at him as we bounce. I can barely stay straight, the words bursting from my mouth with laughter.

"Sorry, babe," he says winded. "You getting the seat next to me sealed your fate. Doomed, doomed, doomed."

"What if I'm your good luck charm instead?" I ask, spinning and watching my bare feet and painted toe nails as they wreck the comforter.

"Hate to point out the evidence so far...." he says.

"Good point."

With a loud clunk, the end of the bed collapses and we collide and lose our balance.

"Ahh!" I squeal.

"Shit," he agrees.

We hit the top of the mattress, his arms wrapped tight around me to keep my body from flailing and meeting those sunglasses in the corner. We lie there breathing heavily, waiting to get in trouble or for the rest of the bed to crumble, but when it doesn't we burst into laughter again.

It comes to my attention we are very close. I can smell the sun warmed sunscreen on his skin and feel the heat of him beneath my palms. Our laughter stops. I push myself up and get to my feet. His eyes are on mine as he slowly lifts himself up onto his elbows.

"You alright?" he asks.

I can't speak so I nod my head. My hand flies up to my hair. I feel lightheaded, but I know I'm not hurt. It's as if my lungs couldn't pull in enough oxygen there for a second.

"Good," he says. "I guess I'll take the first shower."

I take a few steps back, but I can still feel the zip of his energy when he stands before me. It's intoxicating.

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