Chapter 1
The car smelled like energy drinks, strawberry lip gloss, and the faint panic of five teenagers pretending they knew what they were doing. They had all crammed inside before the sun even finished rising, bags stacked so high in the trunk that Liam had to kick it shut twice before it stayed closed.
Ethan sat in the passenger seat, hoodie pulled over his head as if that could block out the early morning. Jasmine was sprawled across the middle seat in the back, arguing with Aria, who was reading some article on her phone like the fate of the world depended on it. Caleb sat by the window, earbuds in, pretending not to know any of them.
Liam smacked the steering wheel with both hands. "Alright, idiots. This is it. The official, legendary, unforgettable Road Trip of the Century!"
"Please don't call it that," Aria muttered without looking up.
"I already regret waking up," Caleb added.
Jasmine gasped. "Excuse me? You should be honored to be part of this historical event."
"Historical for who?" Ethan asked. "Us or the police report?"
Jasmine pointed dramatically at him. "Don't jinx us!"
Liam revved the engine so loudly Ethan nearly kicked him."Bro, calm down," he said. "My dad might still be watching."
They all turned to look out the window.
Sure enough, Mr. Vale stood on the porch, arms crossed, eyes narrow. Not angry. Just… uneasy. Like he wanted to say something but couldn't find the words.
Ethan waved through the glass. His dad lifted a hand slowly, hesitantly.
Something about that expression stuck to Ethan's ribs, cold and tight. But Jasmine tossed a gummy worm at his face, snapping him out of it.
"Don't get dramatic already," she said. "We haven't even left the driveway."
Liam grinned, shifted gears, and the old car jerked forward onto the open road.
Music blasted instantly — something loud and chaotic that Jasmine insisted was "good for the soul" but sounded like a blender fighting for its life. Aria complained, Caleb turned the volume down twice, Jasmine turned it back up twice, and Liam threatened to pull over and leave all of them by the highway.
The wind whipped through the half-open windows. Sunlight spilled across their faces. The town slowly shrank behind them — the houses, the boring streets, the routines they were all secretly desperate to escape.
"Okay," Liam said, leaning back in his seat like he owned the road. "First mission: decide the snack rules. I propose that any spilled chips belong to the driver."
"No," Aria said instantly.
"Yes," Jasmine said instantly.
Ethan laughed. "I think spilled chips belong to science at that point."
Caleb finally spoke, voice low. "Can we have, like, five minutes of peace before the chaos officially begins?"
Jasmine turned to him with a bright smile. "Caleb. Sweetheart. Chaos already began when we got in this car."
He groaned. "That's exactly what I'm afraid of."
But even he couldn't hide the tiny smile pulling at the corner of his mouth.
The road stretched ahead endlessly — a smooth silver ribbon cutting through trees, hills, and morning mist. Liam rolled down his window fully, stuck his hand out, and let the wind crash through the car.
"This is it," he said. "No parents. No school. No responsibilities. Just us."
Ethan looked back at the others. Jasmine laughing at her own joke. Aria trying to pretend she wasn't enjoying herself. Caleb staring out at the trees with a calm he didn't usually have. Liam humming off-key.
For the first time in a long time, Ethan felt something loosen inside him.
Freedom.Warm and real.
But behind them — far back on the road they had already forgotten — a dark SUV pulled out from a hidden gravel path and merged onto the highway.
No one noticed.
The five friends kept laughing, arguing, singing, and pretending they had nothing in the world to worry about.
The trip had begun.And for now, that was enough.