Noah & Navid

Chapter 40 - Finals Week Trip

Navid's alarm woke us up early. 

For some reason the class, normally at 9 AM, had its final exam at 8.

He let me get by on a small bowl of oatmeal and strawberries and then promised his mother he would return after taking me to school for her big breakfast spread.

He drove me as close to my building as he could get and then kissed me and wished me luck.

I'd had two of the greatest scientific minds Iran  could offer tutoring me the night before and most of the questions on the exam made me chuckle a little as I remembered his father's little science stories or Navid's stumbling accent to explain the concepts.

I did so well and felt so confident with it, but I definitely never wanted to take a science class again. I was one of the first to finish so I went back and reviewed each question to make sure I wasn't being overconfident. 

Navid always had me rethink my answers when he thought I rushed through our tutoring sessions.

I turned in my exam and dashed out of there to text him. Navid wrote that he was on his way and I should try to pee before he got there. I couldn't wait to tell him how well I did and how easy it was after all our studying.

When he pulled up though, I noticed he wasn't alone. His parents were in the car along with some pillows and a small cooler.

"Surprise!" Navid yelled when I got in the backseat. "We are off to your relaxation and celebration!"

"Where are we going?" I demanded. He just shook his head though. He wouldn't tell me.

"Everything you need is packed in trunk. We will be there in two hours!" He said as he pulled away.

We cruised east across the valley and then through the hills of Glendale. Navid pointed out the views to his parents as we passed the Eagle Rock.

His mother opened the cooler and handed me a snack. She insisted I try it. It was some kind of pita wrap with meat in it and wasn't too bad. I didn't like eating in Navid's new car, but she insisted.

Two hours later we were in Palm Springs and pulling up in front of one of those big fancy resorts with a casino and restaurants. I saw a water slide peeking out behind a shiny tower. I hoped we'd have time to do that. I knew how much Navid likes gambling.

A valet came out and called over a guy with a cart to get our luggage. Navid and his father showed him which bags would go with which couple. His mother and I waited on a couch while he and his father checked us in.

The place was beautiful. It was different from the one he'd taken me to with my father. It was much fancier and a concierge came over to give his mother and me bottles of water while we waited.

Navid and I went up in the elevator with his parents, but our rooms were a few doors apart. Navid said his father had wanted one suite together, but when Navid booked it he had specifically asked them to say they didn't have anything like that when we got there.

He wanted us to have some desperately needed private time. We said goodbye at their door and set a time to meet up later for dinner.

"I feel bad that we just dumped them in their room like that," I said when Navid pushed open the door to our room.

The bags had already been delivered there and there was a bucket full of ice on the bar near the TV and a covered tray from room service.

"Yes, so sad," Navid said with heavy sarcasm. "I make you feel better!" He set down the keycard and swept me off my feet.