The Senior Trip

Chapter 26

ASHER

Pounding. The pain in my head is pounding. I am afraid to open my eyes for fear they will explode from my skull. This hangover is gnarly. I crack open one eyelid and am blinded by the sun. I can still feel the weight of Harper on me, and that gives me some relief.

Last night we fell asleep on the beach, but right now we aren't on the beach. I'm so confused. I press the palm of my hand into my eyes and try to remember what happened.

"Ouch!" Harper says as she wakes up. "I think my head is going to split open. Maybe there's a demon inside," she jokes. "Or all the demons."

"Where are we?" I ask.

"I have no idea," she answers.

We both sit up slowly as the world still spins with our movement. We are in some sort of barn. The light is finding its way to us through a broken slat. I can smell animals, but I don't hear or see any of them.

"Wait," I say. "I remember being woke up and told the police were coming. Did I dream that?"

"I don't remember," she says with a grimace.

"Yes! The police were coming, and we had to get out of there. You couldn't walk so I carried up back up to the truck."

The driver, our friend, had let me put her in the back seat and sit with her so she wouldn't be tossed around in the bed of the truck again. We had to drive fast. They hadn't gotten much notice the police were on the way, but we had just enough time to get off the property thanks to the driver knowing back roads.

"So where are we now?" she asks.

"I have no idea. We were in the truck until the sun came up. I just remember him saying we could stay here until the morning but we'd have to leave before lunch." I can't remember why though. Maybe someone was coming to fix something? Or maybe we needed to catch a ride, and the bus doesn't come back after then? It all sounded right, but it couldn't be both. I must have dreamed one.

"We should go." She stood up and fixed her ponytail. Her make-up from last night was still on, but it had been smudged in her sleep. Instead of looking sleek and perfect like it had when we stepped out of our hotel, it looks messy and dark. But for some reason, I like this look on her too. It matches her fun and spontaneous personality. She really isn't as buttoned up as she appears to be.

"You're right. We could walk to the front and hail a cab." I stood and stretched. Sand ran down my back reminding me I had used my shirt for a pillow on the beach. I was going to regret that until I could take a shower.

We stepped out of the barn and into the total daylight. Not a person was in sight. And neither was a road. There were just acres of grass and wondering animals stretched out in front of us. I turned and looked at the barn, then back out at the property.

"I guess our best bet for finding a road would be to walk away from the front of the property. Since this is the barn entrance," I figure, "we should head that way." I point in the direction of a large cow.

"Right," she agrees with a nod. "We should walk right towards a large creature."

"Do you have a better idea?" I ask. Part of me genuinely hopes that she does. I'm not so sure my plan is going to get us any closer to getting back to the hotel.

"Yes," she says as she starts walking at a slight angle. "We should walk around the creature and towards a road I'm hoping actually exists."

"Are you always such a smartass?" I ask as I jog to catch up with her.

"Are you always so sensitive?" she retorts.

"Just not used to it, I guess." But I kind of like it. It keeps me on my toes.

"Sorry to hear that," she tells me. "You're welcome to make friends with the cow instead."

I chuckle. "Well, the cow probably doesn't snore."

"I DO NOT SNORE!" She turns on me.

I put my hands up in surrender. "Don't shoot the messenger. Your secret is safe with me." I laugh again and her lip twitches as she fights a laugh herself.

"I don't need you to keep any secrets about how I sleep," she tells me, holding her head up high, "because I don't snore. You must have mistaken my quiet slumber for something else."

"Ok princess," I say sarcastically as I follow her away from the barn.

"Not a princess, just a normal girl...who sleeps quietly."

"Right. My mistake." I acquiesce.

"You're forgiven."

The day is hot, and we are sweating by the time we pass the cow at a safe distance. My body doesn't feel like my own. I can smell the alcohol coming from my pores, and I'd give anything for a shower. But given that there isn't even a house in sight, I resign myself to the fact that it isn't going to happen anytime soon.

"Maybe the advisors will know we are missing and send help," Harper says hopefully.

"Let's be realistic. They aren't exactly doing head counts." I don't mention that plenty of people saw us leave together and might just assume we are out somewhere and don't want to be found. Safety in numbers and all of that.

"How are we going to get back?" she asks.

"I haven't figured that out yet, but I'm open to ideas." I look around to see if there is any sign of a vehicle or a road. All I find is waist deep vegetation in the distance. Someone works this land, but not often.

"We are those kids, aren't we?" she asks resigned.

"What kids?"

"The ones who go on a trip and disappear forever." She shakes her head.

"Well, that escalated quickly," I tell her. Inside my heart skips a beat at the reality of what she's saying. I want to keep her calm. "Maybe we're just those kids that drank too much and got a little lost. We'll be back by dinner."

"I hope so," she says quietly.

"Look," I tell her, trying to keep the situation light. "I know that cow looks shady as fuck, but I doubt he's going to kill us."

Harper laughs and nods. "You're right. I guess there is an upside to the two of us at least being alone and lost."

"No serial killers," I agree.

"None yet," she corrects with a smile.

**Hope you are enjoying the story so far!***