Retreat (A.I.)

2. Goodbye

I wake up to AC/DC blaring through my speakers. I groan and pull my comforter up over my head. It's still dark outside, way too early to be awake. Any other day, I would just now be going to sleep! But instead, I'm waking up before the ass crack of dawn, getting ready to start the worst two months of my life! I finally throw the comforter off and grumble over to shut off my alarm. We're leaving in ten minutes and I really don't want to do this! But I have no choice.

I get up and throw on my clothes, brush my teeth, and put my hair up. I really don't care what I look like. I'm going to be camping in the Rockies for two months! It's not like I have anyone to impress, anyways. I grab my backpack that I packed up last night, toss my charger in it for the bus ride, and put my phone in my back pocket. I look around my room one last time, saying goodbye to Alex and Billie Joe on the walls, and close the door behind me. I shuffle my way downstairs, putting my toothbrush in my bag that's by the door for anything last minute, and walk out to the car. Dad grabs my bag behind me, tosses it in the trunk and climbs in the car. Mom's in the front seat tearing up already. Great, now they're going to embarrass me on top of it all. What an outstanding start! Welcome to the Losers Retreat.

Nobody is saying a word in the car, so I put my earbuds in and put my music on shuffle. "Therapy" by All Time Low starts and I skip to the next one. Sorry Alex Gaskarth, I love you but no. Not right now. It goes to Green Day "When September Ends." That works. I am already looking forward to September, when this damn miserable summer will be over.

A few songs later, we arrive in the grocery store parking lot where the charter bus sits. About twenty other cars are there as well, with parents hugging their kids. They look as bored as I am by the way. At least most of them do. I'm glad I'm not the only one being forced to go, and not the only one being embarrassed by their parents either. I look around at the people I am going to be spending the next two months with and my already bad mood turns pissy. I don't know anyone here, and there isn't a single person that seems like someone I could make friends with. I am not a judgmental person by any means, don't get me wrong. Look at who my friends are and who I hang out with! I don't care about how a person looks, or the things they do. I only care about how they treat people. The heart is the only thing that matters. It's just that no one here seems approachable. And I definitely don't fit in with any of these people if you base things off of looks. I'm the only one here in skinny jeans and a band tee. The only one who looks like a normal, average person, except for my purple hair that's currently in a high ponytail because I didn't want to mess with it this morning, of course. I am the loner on this trip, and that's quite alright with me. I just want to get through this and get back to my friends.

After Dad parks the car and gets all my bags out of the trunk, Mom and I finally get out of the car. Mom immediately grabs me into a hug and starts to cry. Great.

"Mom," I start, "If you're so sad to see me go, why the hell are you sending me on this stupid thing?" It's my last ditch effort to get out of this, even though I know that it won't work.

"Kelly, this is something you need. It'll be really good for you. But that doesn't mean I won't miss you. This is your chance to get better."

"Better? Really Mom? Better? You're acting like I have a disease! Having fun with my friends is not some horrible illness! I'm not sick, Mom. You're the one who thinks I'm a fuck-up. I'm perfectly fine with my life. And you're taking away my last chance to see my friends, just so you don't have to deal with me coming home at 4 in the morning."

"Kelly please? Just give this a chance?"

"Fine, whatever Mom." Dad has been putting my bags and gear under the bus and it's time for everyone to get on.

"Try to have fun, okay inchworm?" he says taking me in his arms. I look around quickly to make sure no one heard my hideous nickname. "Yeah, okay. Bye Dad. See ya in two months." I release myself from his grasp before he can start crying too, and I climb onto the bus.