Mom and Dad,
I know you're going to be really angry, but I have to do this.
I'm eighteen. I'm an adult. In fall I'm going to college and I'm going to get my degree and make you proud like the good girl I want to be for you. But, now, I need to be free.
I'm going on a road trip around the country with Ivy, Monty and the twins. Please don't think I'm a bad influence on any of them, or vice versa, because we all chose to do this on our own free will. We'll be back mid-September.
Please call me. Nothing you say will bring us back, but please -- call me.
Love,
Vanessa.
I signed the letter, folded it and placed it in the dead centre of my parents' pristine kitchen bench. I looked at it sadly. I was really going to hurt them, with my leaving and not saying a proper goodbye. Then, when I got back, I would only have a few weeks with them before I left for Harvard with my friends. A small part of me wanted to call my friends, cancel the trip and burn any evidence of even plans of leaving.
But the bigger, selfish part of me won.
Right. Phase One of Operation Road Trip: Leaving the House.
I ran to my bedroom, threw myself to the floor beside my bed and pulled out a huge suitcase from under it. I then lifted the mattress up from the springs and grabbed the small velvet drawstring pouch that contained all the money I had ever spared throughout all of high school. Which was around five-hundred dollars.
I stuffed the pouch into my purse and picked up my suitcase. I locked the deadbolt behind me, exited my lifelong home and walked to my convertible. I shoved my case into the trunk and climbed into the driver's seat. With a sigh, I pulled out of the driveway and drove down the street.
That was it. I had done it. I had left, and I was free.
Phase One: complete.
Phase Two: Picking up Friends.
I drove across my tiny hometown of Dennisvale, Washington, trying to not look suspicious. I suspected I looked like I was smuggling something, or had a hostage in the trunk. I convinced myself I was being paranoid, and arrived at the home of Ivelissa Porteguo, one of my best friends.
I parked right in front of the house, popped the trunk and looked at the house expectantly. A curtain twitched, and the front door flew open. A blonde girl ran out, carrying a suitcase and a backpack. She shoved her case in with mine, slammed down the trunk and leaped into the front passenger seat.
"What, are you a ninja now?" I snickered.
Ivy punched me on the arm. "Mom's going to be here in fifteen minutes, and she's going to notice we're gone. We need to get Monty and the boys before she comes back, or she'll ring everyone and we'll never get out."
"Wow, thanks for the pressure."
"Oh, you're welcome."
Having Ivy in the car with me made the adventure feel real. I felt like we could pull it off, despite Ivy's incredibly realistic statement.
Ivy's blonde hair flew around in the wind as I drove. Her pale blue eyes sparkled. She could feel it, too. Freedom.
Monty was already sitting on the curb when we arrived. Montana Prince was less paranoid than Ivy, sliding her case in the trunk calmly and even taking the time to actually open the car door, which was pointless, as the roof of my convertible was down.
"Hey, girls," said Monty.
"Hey, Monty," I smiled.
Monty looked nothing like Ivy or me. Ivy and I both had pure blonde hair, pale, cream-and-roses skin complexions and pale blue eyes, but Ivy's face and nose were rounded and soft, where mine were pointed, sharp and defined. Monty, however, had golden skin, chocolate brown hair and eyes of the same colour, and had a square face and long nose.
"Now, all we have to do is pick up the twins, and leave," said Ivy.
I grinned at Monty in the rearvision mirror. "Ivy's paranoid that we won't get out."
Monty raised her perfect eyebrows and smiled at the back of Ivy's head. "You don't say?"
Ivy gave Monty one of her best death glares. Monty laughed, but dropped it.
The twins' house was two streets down from Monty's. Elliot and Ethan Draker were halfway across the lawn when I stopped. Elliot stuffed their cases in the trunk as Ethan climbed over the door and into the middle seat. As soon as Ethan was seated behind Ivy, I slammed on the gas.
Phase Two: complete.
Phase Three: Getting Out of Town.
No one said a word as I drove out of the housing streets and into the main town. Then, as I stopped at a light, Ivy gasped.
"Oh, no, no no no -- "
"What?" I said, alarmed.
"Oh, God, put the roof up -- "
Then, I saw it too. Ivy's mom's minivan.
I frantically jabbed at the roof button. It raised painfully slowly, but, eventually, we were concealed. Ivy even ducked down. We sat there, with our breaths held tightly, until the light went green, and we sped away.
"Oh, God, that was close," breathed Ivy.
"Agreed," said the twins in unison.
We sat in utter silence once more until we reached the large sign saying 'Welcome to Dennisvale' that marked the edge of the town. We crossed the invisible line.
And, there. We were out.
"Phase Three: complete," I said in barely a whisper.
I drove for about five minutes more, until I was absolutely certain we were out. Then, I stopped, and twisted around to face my four best friends.
We all wore identical grins of joy, ecstatic smiles of jubilance.
"We did it," said Monty.
"Well, friends, the adventure starts here," grinned Elliot.
"Alrighty, now we get comfortable," said Ethan.
I pulled the roof down. Ethan reached over, popped the trunk, and climbed out of the car to drag out a cooler he must have brought with him. I didn't notice. He extracted five bottles of Coke and passed one to each of us.
"Thanks, Ethan," I smiled.
"Thanks, nerd," said Ethan's brother.
Ethan and Elliot were the furthest twins from identical I had ever seen. Ethan's hair was straight black; Elliot's was brown. Ethan had sky blue eyes, and Elliot's were green. Elliot had a broad nose and square jaw, all defined lines and chiseled cheekbones. Ethan's face was smooth and oval. Elliot was precisely one inch taller than Ethan. Elliot was slender, but Ethan was just scrawny. Elliot had been on the high school football team until one week previously, when we graduated, but Ethan was the school's biggest nerd.
So, they were precisely polar opposites.
Which meant, even though they were brothers and they loved each other, they had that playful, I-love-you-so-much-but-I-can't-stand-to-be-near-you-for-more-than-five-minutes nature most siblings had. Which meant that if they were in the backseat together, all hell would break loose.
Ivy seemed to read my mind. "Hey, Elliot, can we swap? I wanna play corners with Monty."
"Uh, sure," said Elliot.
They swapped seats, and I took off again. Sure enough, Ivy and Monty were playing corners as I drove through the forest roads, and poor Ethan was being squashed.
Elliot unbuckled his seatbelt, and, to everyone else's protests, stood up in the car and screamed, "WOOOOOO! WE'RE FREEEEEEEE!"
