Tangled in South Park

Spring Break: The Trip Begins

*About a Month Later*

"Are you girls excited to be going not to Denver?" I plop down in the egg chair in Karen and Ashlyn's room.

"Anywhere other than Denver would have gotten me excited for Spring Break," Ashlyn says, pulling out her suitcase from the closet. "If we had to go to Denver and suffer with the snow for a second year in a row, I was going to lose it."

"I'm just happy to be going anywhere," Karen places a large floral duffle bag on the bottom bunk bed. "I can't believe that we're going to Seattle for the entire week."

"How are those in the group getting there?" I ask.

"A couple of the parents have volunteered to drive, and then they'll be staying with us during the week, of course," Ashlyn answers, walking back and forth from the closet to place clothes into her suitcase. "It must be nice to be able to get a whole week off of work like they'll be doing, and being with us to explore a new city. I've already looked into all the cute shops that will be in the area, and the non-expensive places that we will be able to eat."

"I've given us a soft cap of how much money we can spend," Karen pulls out her phone, a list of what she wants to bring most likely what she is pulling up. "I have been getting out of that idea of having to save every single dollar that we make, and I know that I can buy things for myself, but I don't want us to go crazy. I want us to be smart, but I can always have some fun."

"It's a good thing that you are safe and smart with your money," I say. "There's nothing wrong with wanting to save, even when it seems like you save a lot of money. You are fun though, Pumpkin."

"I know it's because I grew up with no money that I am wired this way, so I am trying to get out of that mindset," she shrugs, walking over to the closet to grab some clothes. "Not entirely, but just enough that I don't feel guilty when I buy things for myself."

"You deserve to get yourself gifts for all that you have gone through, as well as for all the hard work that you have put in to get that money," Ashlyn says. "I've always liked to treat myself when I get any amount of money, so it is better to have someone hold me accountable and save more."

"I think that's a good thing for you," I chuckle. "You are always good at finding the deals and making your money stretch, though. That's what is great about making a wish list and deciding what you want the most at a certain time."

"I will always be great at finding deals. That is like my superpower. It makes shopping more fun. Even though shopping is already a lot of fun for me. Might as well give myself a bit of a challenge when I go out."

"What about you, Rosa?" Karen asks. "Are you excited to be going back to California? I know that you went last year and all, but I didn't know if this year is going to be different because of who is going to be at the baseball tournament."

"Who's going to be at the baseball tournament?" Ashlyn's eyebrows furrow. "Is a professional team going to come out? Or is a really good high school team going to give us a run for their money?"

I sigh, shaking my head, "I wish that is was a pro team or something like that. Actually, my old high school is going to be there. I'm not sure if I'll see any of the people I used to hang out with there, but there is a good chance that they would come out to have a nice Spring Break while watching their team play. I'll be around my friends all the time, so even if I see them, I don't think it will be that big of deal."

"Wow, I haven't really thought about my friends from there in a long time," Ashlyn pauses in her packing. "After they came over that one time last summer, I felt like they thought this town was too weird, and that I would just become weird myself. It's their loss in the end, because I get to hang out with so many awesome people, and I gained a sister in the process. Friendships are fluid, and I shouldn't have tried to hold on so tight for people that weren't giving that much effort towards me."