Get Home Safe

Spring break came at a grudgingly slow pace, due to the anticipation of the five teenagers. But once it was here, it was here. The trip had been planned since last year after they'd spent the two weeks in the all too familiar presence of the city they called home.

Then

The group were sitting in Axel and Jude's lounge when the idea came to be. The idea that would make up for a shitty Spring break, one where they had to go without their annual trip of competing at water sports & getting ready for nights out or drinking beers & meeting strangers on the beach. An idea that would guarantee a trip to remember. A trip not only monitored by their parents, but at some point the whole world. A trip that would gain the five their own trending social media hashtag. A trip that would change them for better or worse.

"If I see one more post of someone shotgunning a white claw, I might just smash my phone," Monet gave her words a second thought as she turned the phone’s screen away. "Okay, maybe just delete my Instagram account, but still." The group laughed, as if they'd all had the same thought- there’s no way the girl could go a moment without that precious device. A doctor was not needed to know Monet Campbell was a phone addict.

"Almost everyone is in another city at least, and we're here doing what exactly?" Axel piped up twirling the straw in his now still Dr. Pepper. "Come on, it's not that terrible. It's not like it's summer vacation," Chris tried to stay optimistic, but that didn't seem to change anyone's mind. Everyone's replies came in unenthusiastic shrugs.

The five of them pondered, waiting for someone else to speak. "You do one thing and everything gets pulled out from under you," Isaac exaggerated as he stood up and approached the mini fridge. "Would you chill out, it's not like our college funds have been taken away." Chris replied. "Well they might as well have been. I know which one I'd prefer," Isaac spoke gaining a roll of the eyes from Chris, "I'm kidding," he retorted putting his hands up in defence.

After a night of partying that led to a wrecked house & an arrest, Monet, Christine, Isaac, Axel & Jude had been denied their annual spring break trip. If anyone was to blame technically it would be Isaac, but nobody was pointing fingers, no one had the time. It wouldn’t change the fact that they would all suffer the consequences.

“What about next year?” Jude had been quiet for a while, his closed eyes & still body would have deceived anyone into thinking he was asleep. “What about it?” Monet questioned the still ‘sleeping’ boy. “There’s no point moaning about what we don’t have now. It’s done, we didn’t get to go,” Jude explained as he began to open his eyes & stretch. “Let’s think about next year. We’ll be seniors, our last spring break in high school.” He continued. “So?” Axel prompted his now enthusiastic brother to continue. Jude paused for a moment. Unexpectedly he jumped off of the beanbag where he sat onto & flung it across the room. “Jude!” everyone called his name, shocked by his sudden burst of energy. Everyone except Axel who was now in a fit of laughter. Jude took pride in these moments he created. Most of the time he was quiet, calm & collected, but he sure did pick his times to be dramatic. Whether it was in the company of his best friends & brother or the rest of their families. Jude shushed them all like children and continued. “So let’s make it our best one yet. Next year, the five of us and a trip to remember.” The friends exchanged looks and not a word had to be said to confirm that they were all in agreement. And that was it. The trip to remember was set in stone. No slip ups. Good grades. It was smooth sailing from here. Smooth sailing to a trip that would be remembered forever.

Now

The last two weeks seem like a fever dream as a sweat covered Chris drives without even a glance back. What was expected to be a time of freedom and pleasure turned gory and terrifying. Friendships and what was considered family was exposed for what they truly were. Secrets were revealed. And trust was lost. Is that really the measures someone will take to show people actions have consequences or see who can mantain a challenge, even if said people are privileged trust fund babies? And not just anyone, but your own parents. The thoughts all floated around Chris' mind. Each one taking their turns in the spotlight, as a random song blasted on the radio of the beat up Jeep.

It wasn't a dream though. It all happened. And now she drove back to face the orchestrators of it all. The very people who had stood in front of cameras, sat in interviews and made posts for their dear children to "Get Home Safe." Chris' body began to fill with fury and pain as she thought of those three words. They cut off almost everything else but still managed to give the five teenagers a glimpse into the documentation of their disappearance in the media. The very people who watched for almost a year as their children planned this trip and beneath the surface they planned their own form of discipline. For how long, Chris wondered. For how long did they sit like fools while their beloved parents and someone that was considered a brother to them keep up the facade. But that didn't matter. It was done now. And in their parents' minds they were gone. It has been too long for them to be alive after all. And even if they were, would they still come back? At this rate only one teenager would be headed home to put on a mask and sell a false story of the holiday gone wrong, just like they'd planned. One teenager was headed home. They were right about that part. Just not which teenager.

It took every little ounce of energy Chris had left to get herself home. The energy itself was not even enough to cry. The girl was physically drained of any tears she could possibly have left. Not to mention she was also dehydrated. But she was back. Back to a place that over the past two weeks went from feeling safe and somewhere she longed to be most to a place she was not even sure whether to call home anymore. As she drove up to the tall house she spotted what appeared to be a couple of news vans sitting outside. The vultures obviously still had not stopped. Were people really still interested? The girl was shocked, impressed even. These days stories like this turn into a trend and then are out of sight and replaced by something more glamorous that catches the human eye before one can say boo. But obviously this was more than that. Maybe it was because of who they were. Or it was just another part of the whole ploy set up by their parents. Keep people watching. Keep their children watching.

Chris pulled the car up to the curb with a halt. She got out, not even bothering to close the door behind her. It was well past dawn, Dad would be up and finished his workout by now. Mom would be up as well prepping for work. Good. She wanted them to see. See the outcome of their participation in this "plan" or "set-up" or whatever this spring break's past events could be called. The next few moments felt as if they happened in slow motion. Cameramen and reporters hopped out of their vans as Chris approached the house. Questions and microphones were thrown in her face. As the commotion increased, neighbors and onlookers stopped . The girls lone presence put a halt to everyone's routine. The volume got louder. Chris stopped in front of the black door with its shiny gold knocker. Before she could knock, the door was flung wide open. "John, what's-," her mother's words came to an abrupt stop. The two parents looked at their daughter wearing looks of shock and almost fear. Meanwhile Chris' face began to form a somewhat sinister smile as she stared at the two strangers. It was now all up to her what happened next. The role of orchestator had been passed on. The puppeteers had now become the puppets. Chris looked in her mother's eyes. "Hi mommy," her gaze moved to her father, "Hi daddy." As the cameras took it all in, Chris awkwardly put her arms around both parents almost collapsing her limp body onto them. Her father grunted as he struggled to keep his daughter up. Chris had made her decision. As the smile rested on her face she leant in close making sure both parents were close enough to hear her whisper, "I'm home safe."