Chapter 4

I had barely carried my things through the front door when Mom and Dad asked why my brother hadn't come back with me.

I thought of the message I'd just seen.

Molly had posted a group photo in the group chat, the three of them standing in front of a car.

"Jenna, we switched to a road trip! We're gonna check out some other places while we wait for you~"

So the tight budget had only ever applied to me.

I shook my head and told them the others still wanted to travel some more.

"I came back to say goodbye. I'm going to France for my PhD."

My parents had always supported whatever I did, and they didn't say much.

I went to my room and packed up my things to ship overseas.

Mom got a video call from my brother.

I walked past right beside her.

"Mom, who's that next to you?"

"Oh, come on, you can't even tell? It's your..."

"Mom, I've gotta go. Molly wants me to take pictures of her. Bye."

Mom held up the phone, frowning.

"Doesn't he hate taking pictures for people?"

I listened quietly. He had never once taken a picture of me.

Yet over the past year, just to photograph Molly, he had put together an entire guidebook, and his skills now rivaled a professional photographer's.

I stayed a few days until everything had shipped. When it was time to go, I hugged Mom.

"I'll come back to see you guys whenever I can."

By the time I landed in Provence, it was almost dark.

I followed my itinerary to the hotel I'd picked out.

Someone tagged me in the group chat again.

"Jenna, we made Provence our last stop so you could see it, since you love it so much."

"We'll take lots of photos and videos, and we can play them at our wedding."

"Don't worry, your brother will buy you souvenirs."

I left the group chat and stopped reading it.

While I was checking in at the front desk, Molly and the other two walked in from outside.

"Jenna, what are you doing here?"

I put away my key card and looked at them coolly.

"Jenna, you didn't follow the rules of the game."

"Neither did you."

"We only switched to a road trip to keep you company."

"Yeah, all those views and all that food we sent you the whole way, that was for you!"

I said nothing more, turned, and stepped into the elevator.

Behind me, Julian called out for me to meet them in the lobby the next morning.

I had just put my things down when my phone rang.

"Why'd you leave the group chat? Molly posted tomorrow's itinerary. Take a look."

"Julian, I'm going to follow my own travel plan."

"Haven't we already done all that? Switch it up."

"But I haven't."

The next day, I came down and found the three of them waiting in the lobby.

Julian stepped up first, telling me to stop throwing a tantrum and come with them.

I didn't want to, but he and my brother dragged me along.

When I came back from the restroom partway through the day, the three of them were talking.

"Julian, are we really doing this?"

"She broke the rules first. We've already given her plenty of slack."

"Besides, isn't it nice for us to stay a little longer?"

"If I could, I'd never let this trip end."

"I've got her phone. I left her money for a ferry ticket. We'll just have the waiter give it back to her later."

I stayed where I was until they'd gone, then used my passport to book a flight to France.

Along with the booking confirmation came a call from Julian.

"Jenna, just stick with the original plan. We'll be waiting for you at home."

"Don't be a sore loser. You drew that straw yourself. Who else is there to blame?"

"No one. Just go."

"Let's break up."

In the new group chat they'd pulled me into, Julian said I was throwing a tantrum again.

"Jenna, once you get home in a week, we'll go get our marriage license the very next day."

"Your brother and Julian will give you a grand wedding."

I ignored them and texted Mom to let her know I was safe.

I threw the straw that said "walk" into the trash.

This grand graduation trip was over for good.

No one would make me do all the heavy lifting anymore, on the excuse that I was the healthy one.

No more trips full of food and clothes I didn't even like.

From now on, there would be mountains and rivers between us, and we would never meet again.