I couldn’t stand just sitting here doing nothing. In fact I refused to just do nothing. We had a whole month out of school. Not just a day, or a week, or two weeks. A whole month. Not because of snow or anything, but because the school needed repairs. Usually this wouldn’t be that big of a deal, and they would just let the school continue rotting to the ground, but this time the state came in and looked around. I might have been the several leaks in the roof, or the cracks in the floor that anyone could trip over, or maybe it was the fact that it just had this naturally foul odor in it, whatever it was it was bad enough for the state to come in and shut down our school until it was all fixed. They even said they would fund the whole reparation process. On the last day that we were in school there was an assembly telling us that the school was shut down. They didn’t say why, but it wasn’t that hard to get information out of your teachers. I don’t really care why though. I was just glad we got a whole month out.
Unfortunately I have absolutely nothing to do with it, at least not yet. I was texting my friends, when suddenly I was struck with an ingenious idea. A road trip! I mean why not? Immediately after that thought I knew who I would go with, Alex and Luke. They were two of my best friends, except I didn’t know them very well. I didn’t know anything about their lives outside of school or their favorite color or anything. This trip would definitely be a good way to get to know them better.
Both Alex and Luke were 2 years older than me, they were seniors and I was a sophomore. Alex used to like me, and I liked him (in fact I still like him), but he didn’t want a relationship. He is also a musician; he plays guitar, bass, drums, and he can sing. Luke is smart and funny and kind of weird, but in a good way. We all got along really well. We don’t like get in fights or anything. And we all listen to the same music, rock. Metal, Alternative, Punk, or Ska, any type of rock. I decided to text both of them and propose the idea of a road trip to them.
The suspense of waiting for them to text back was killing me. I’m just lying on my bed, with my phone in my hand, staring up at the ceiling. I didn’t have time for them to procrastinate. An eternity or two passed by. I started finding patterns on my ceiling, patterns that I was most likely hallucinating, but patterns nonetheless. My text message had said:
Hey Alex/Luke, so I just got an awesome plan to go on a road trip. Are you in? Text me back ASAP!!! :)
I mean did they not know what ASAP meant? Finally Alex texted me back, his message said:
hey and sure sounds like fun. You should ask Luke to go too. Any idea where we will be headed? But ya, im all for this.
I texted him back:
Ya I already asked Luke. He hasn’t texted back yet. No idea where we will go. Nothing but the open road for one long month :) You should call Luke.
I sat there waiting for a text back until I realized he probably called Luke. I got up off of my bed and took the few short steps to get to my desk. I sat down and pulled out an old map I had. I didn’t mark any locations or anything, just looked at it. I looked at all the potential hiding in those lines and numbers and letters. I was excited. This was going to be an awesome trip. My phone, which was still on my bed, started vibrating. I quickly got up and ran over to my bed. I plopped down on it and looked at my phone. Alex was calling me; upon further observation I realized it was a 3-way call and Luke was on the line too. I slid the button over to answer.
“Tayyylloorrrr” was what both of them decided to scream in unison once I answered.
“What?” I said.
“Ok, so Luke said he’ll go and he already asked his parents and shit, so that’s fine. His mom even said that he could take the car. So transportation is taken care of.”
“Alright, I think I can get like 100 dollars from my parent. I’ll just tell them the trip is for school or something.” I responded. I heard my parents coming up the stairs. They were probably coming to talk to me.
“Why not just tell them the truth?” Luke was smart sometimes, but he obviously couldn’t understand why my parents would never let me go on a road trip, for a month, with 2 older boys, who they’ve never met, to places they’ve never been.
“They just wouldn’t understand. I have to go, my parents are coming. Text me!” and with that I hung up. It was just in time to, my parents had knocked, “COME INNN!!!” I yelled a bit too loudly. I couldn’t get this stupid grin off of my face, from making plans for the trip. I guess I’d just have to ask them now.
“Was it necessary to yell that loud sweetie?” I don’t think my parents understood me very well. I will yell, no matter what the circumstances are.
“Yes, yes it was mom. Ok, so can I go somewhere? The school is organizing an educational field trip for the month, since the school was shut down for repairs. Do you think maybe I could go? It would be really good for me; you know how much I love to learn.” I really hope she says yes. . .
“You promise you’ll be good?”
“Yes mother! I promise.” I could barely contain my excitement. The stupid grin I had on my face was now stretching all the way across my face.
“Alright you can go then.” This time it was my dad who answered.
I looked over at him “Really daddy!?!?!” I ran over to him and gave him a bear hug. It’d be the last I time I saw him for a month anyways.
“Sure, your sister can do all of your chores while you’re gone. Here take 200 bucks too, just in case anything happens.”
“THANK YOU SO MUCH I LOVE YOU GUYS TO THE MOON AND BACK AND I’LL MISS YOU!”
“Taylor, please stop yelling. When will you be leaving?” my mom was always the one for details.
“In a few hours…oh my gosh! I have to pack!! Go, go, go get out! IHAVETOPACKOHMYGOSHLEAVEI’LLSAYBYEINASECOND!!!
With that I took the two hundreds from my dad’s hand and shoved them out of my bedroom door. I picked up my phone and immediately sent a message to both Luke and Alex.
I GOT 2 HUNDRED DOLLARS!! We’re leaving a couple of hours. Start packing!!!! :) im so excited!
I then threw my phone on my bed. I looked underneath my bed for my duffle bag, then pulled it out and started packing. I packed a bit too quickly, everything wouldn’t fit. So I had to take everything out of the bag, fold it up properly and gently place it in the bag. I ran to the bathroom, grabbed my toothbrush, toothpaste, hair brush, and my deodorant. Once I got back into my room, I grabbed my back pack and dumped all of the school stuff onto the floor. Then my Gameboy, a few games, the map that was sitting on my desk still open, and my little black sketch book, got shoved into my backpack. This was so I wouldn’t have to go searching through my duffle bag for everything I need when I get bored. I zipped it up and checked my phone for the first time since I sent the text, which ended up being half an hour ago. I had 2 messages, one from Luke, one from Alex. I read the one from Luke first. I got it at 1:37pm
Ok so am I picking both of you guys up? My parent gave my 150 for gas and what not. I’m assuming we’re all going to pitch in for the various hotels we’ll be staying at. Speaking of which who’s sleeping with who ;) haha jk.
I texted back
Ya you’re picking both of us up. You know where I live right? ya we’ll all pitch in. And I will be sleeping in one bed, and you and Alex will be sleeping in the other, got it? :P
Then I looked at the text from Alex, which was slightly less enthusiastic than Luke’s.
Alright, I’m done packing. I got 350 from my parents.
I got that message at 2:00pm. I simply texted back,
Ok you better be ready for Luke when he gets there. THIS TRIP WILL WAIT FOR NO ONE!
After that I grabbed a few books off my shelf, just some random ones, and shoved them in my bag and zipped it back up. I sat down on my bed and just looked around, taking it all in. I wouldn’t see this room for a month. All the adrenaline had finally ebbed away and I realized just what I was doing. I didn’t start having second thought or anything, it was just so unlike me. Leaving out of the blue, on an unexpected road trip, it was more like something my sister would do. She was more of the one for adventures, not me.
With that thought still in my head, I walked next door to her room. She was awake, but just barely. She was lying on her side in her bed, doing something with her phone. She was always on her phone. Whenever our parents took her phone away from her she would start crying. They usually gave it back within the hour. She just seemed to have this natural skill to get what she wants, and do whatever she wants without ever getting in trouble for it. If I did half the stuff she did, our parents probably would have killed me by now. Sometimes being the good kid isn’t always a good thing. She looked up at me. I didn’t even say anything before she started talking.
“I’m proud of you, for lying to our parents like that. I don’t think they suspected anything. You’ve learned well. I heard about your actual plans while you were on the phone with them, whoever they are. It’s Alex and Luke, isn’t it?” She didn’t even give me a chance to respond, “HAHA, I knew it! Well good luck with that sissy. Love you. See you in a month.” She was never much for goodbyes. I wasn’t either. I’ll miss her, but there was no way in hell I would ever tell her that. She got up and gave me a hug, then lay back down. She was always so lazy. I walked out and closed the door behind me.
I went back to my room, and checked my phone. I had a message from Alex from 2:20
Luke just pulled into my driveway. Be ready.
I didn’t bother responding. What was there to say? I was about to grab my stuff and go down stairs when I heard somebody honking outside of my window. I looked over at my clock and saw it was already 2:50pm. I ran over to the window, what I saw made a huge smile creep across my face again. Luke’s car was parked out in my driveway and him and Alex were yelling and screaming stuff up at my window. I opened it up and looked down at them. Alex was the first to speak.
“COME ON TAYLOR! THIS TRIP WAITS FOR NO ONE, RIGHT?! GET YOUR LAZY ASS DOWN HERE.”
Then Luke called up, “YA WHAT HE SAID!” he then added on “GODDAMMIT TAYLOR DON’T MAKE ME COME UP THERE!” I could have sworn with that last remark he winked at me.
They were so crazy sometimes. “Stop yelling profanities guys! My parents are home!” they both made looks of mock horror and then got back in the car and honked one more time. I closed the window and grabbed my bag. I took one last glance at my room, and then closed the door. That door wouldn’t be opened again for a month. I sighed. There was no time for that though. I ran down the stairs, found my parents and quickly gave them I kiss goodbye. Then I went to the kitchen and grabbed myself a sandwich that I made yesterday, but did not eat. I stuffed the sandwich into my jacket pocket, hoping the PB&J wouldn’t get smashed. Once I got to the door I cursed under my breath, I had left my wallet upstairs on my desk. I dropped my bags, ran back up at lightning speed, and grabbed my wallet of my desk. I ran back down the stairs too fast and fell on my butt. I got up and shook it off, it was kind of soar though. Finally I grabbed my bags and ran out the door. It was another door that I will not walk through for a month. Life is just full of doors, some you run through, some you walk through, and some, well some you have to open them yourself.
As I was walking up to Luke’s beaten up black Oldsmobile, I heard him rev the engine. I threw my stuff in the backseat then jumped in after it. I slammed the door shut and told him to floor it. On second thought, I knew Luke would probably take that a bit too literally and screamed at him not literally.
“Gosh Taylor, can’t ever let me have any fun can you?” Luke replied turning around to look at me and stick out his tongue.
Then Alex looked back at me too. “Taylor can you at least give us a direction to start going in?
Luke and I responded to the question at the same time “NORTH!!!”
I settled into my seat and got ready for a very long, but enjoyable car ride. I got on my phone to find somewhere to go and see first. The first thing that caught my eye was a Megadeth concert in two days. It was in New York. I was pretty sure we could make it in time.
“OMG guys, guess who is playing in Central Park in two days??”
“Who?” was what the both decided to eagerly respond
“MEGADETH! Luke you now have permission to floor it so we can get there in time. The concert is free and everything.”
Luke replied “I don’t know Taylor, you clearly told me not to floor it…”
Alex screamed at him “you better f*ing floor this thing. If we miss this Luke I will punch you. Now goooooooo fassterrr”
“Ok, ok guys, I’ll go faster. No need to tear my head off.”
Then Alex turned around again to look at me but he didn’t say anything. He didn’t have to. The smile on his face, and the gleam in his eye told me exactly what I already knew. This would be the best road trip ever. We will tell everyone about this. I smiled back at him. At that very moment Highway to Hell by AC/DC came on. It just kept getting better and better.
“Turn it up”