“If either of them touches you, I’m going to beat them over the head with my abacus,” Zarek warns.
Declan laughs quietly. “It’s so cute when my little nerd gets violent.”
I shake my head as I load my suitcase in with the others and get on the bus. The driver is closing the lower storage where the suitcases are. I’m just getting comfortable in my seat when Zarek joins us.
The door closes, and I give the driver the go-ahead. We’re off. A feeling in my gut says I’m going to come back from this trip achanged man. My life is going to be incredibly different. I can’t explain why I feel this way. There’s just something in the air.
I’m ready for the change.
CHAPTER 7
BREVAN
The bus we load onto is one of those big, comfortable tour buses with cushy seats and darkly tinted windows. There are enough rows of seats for each of us to have at least a row to ourselves. I don’t take a full row though. I take one slightly separated from the others.
First, I move my passport and stuff from the front pocket to the hidden back pocket. I’ve never understood what it was for, but my brother bought the bag for me when I began flying back and forth from college to home and said it was perfect for air travel.
Maybe I should have asked why but it was a thoughtful gift and a really cool backpack so I didn’t. Just another one of those moments that make me feel… less than smart. I should have known what this hidden pocket is for, right?
It doesn’t take me long to rearrange my backpack while I listen to my peers talk. I hear someone ask, “What’s the purpose of these front pockets if they’re the most easily accessible to steal from? I have three on the front of my backpack.”
I’m nodding along, even as they continue to discuss this. One person uses the front pocket for travel packets of migraine medicine and cleaner wipes for her glasses. There’s laughter, butI’m not sure what it’s about. Another says she has a dozen pens in her front pocket. Then there are the obvious things like lotion and hand sanitizer. Chapstick. Nail clippers. Toothbrush and toothpaste. Mouthwash. A comb. This list goes on.
I’m amused when one of the guys says, “This is like a larger version of your purse, isn’t it? You have everything in there.”
When I’m relatively certain my backpack is now safe, I turn my attention to the bag we were given. I’m not the only one checking it out. I begin with the outside pockets and find two sets of gloves, one thick and one thinner.
Another pocket has a really nice scarf. It’s black with rainbow tassels. I’m not surprised to find the RDU crest embroidered on one end. Another pocket has a beanie—black with our crest—and then a hat with sides that come down around your face and a pom on top. It’s also black, but the pom is rainbow. One of the flaps has the RDU crest. I’m beginning to see a pattern.
The next couple of pockets have random things. A nail kit, which makes me grin, given the conversation I was listening to behind me. A mini first-aid kit. Water bottle. Sunglasses. Sunscreen. One of those bubble pop things and a stress ball in the shape of a unicorn. There’s a toiletry set and a packet that says it’s a quick-dry towel. A sleep mask. Just as I’m pulling out the power adapter for foreign outlets, I hear someone say, “Oh my god, thank fuck. I didn’t even think about different outlets.”
Same, bro. Oof.
From inside the big pocket, I first pull out a floofy parka. It’s black but has some really cool rainbow stitching all over. It’s tasteful and beautiful. Of course, the RDU crest is embroidered on the left breast.
Beneath the jacket is a pair of impressive boots. Lining the bottom are a hoodie, a zipper hoodie, a couple polo shirts, and half a dozen pairs of thick socks. This is the coolest gift bag ever. I’m super excited to get into the hoodie. It feels so soft!
I’m feeling really hopeful about this trip. It’s going to be fun, I’m going to learn a lot, and I’m going to think about Coach’s assignment. As of right now, I don’t feel any different than I had since receiving the acceptance letter for this trip. I don’t recognize any of the other students, so I’m not sure if they feel the same way as I do. In a way, it almost feels as if I don’t recognize them because they’re in more difficult programs. They’re not athletes. That’s probably why we haven’t crossed paths before.
I sit back in my seat and pull my earbuds out. I downloaded a whole bunch of shows and movies on my tablet, unsure what the Wi-Fi situation would be. I have a bunch of audiobooks on my phone, too. My parents added international coverage to my phone for the duration of my trip, but I don’t want to use data if I don’t have to.
So now, while we’re in the US, I’ll stream music and save all the downloads until we’re on the plane. The bus ride is eight hours down to LAX, so I have some time. I’m also thankful that there are outlets on the bus.
For a while, I lose myself in the music as I watch the world pass us by. About halfway through the trip, we stop at a truck stop to refill and stretch our legs. I use the bathroom and then find some lunch. I also grab a few snack options to stick in my backpack too.
I don’t get on the bus again until we’re called to. The email we received a week ago in preparation for the trip said that the total travel time would be almost twenty-four hours. Of those twenty-four hours, eight of them would be on the bus.
There are worse buses to be on as far as I’m concerned. This one is remarkably comfortable, and since there’s no one in my row with me, I shove both my bags on the floor and lie out as best I can. While I don’t anticipate sleeping, I end up dozing in and out until we’re driving through the twists and turns of theairport with loud planes overhead. Then, I’m sitting up in my seat, watching.
My heart races in anticipation. I can’t believe I’m heading out of the country. Not just over the border to Canada, but I’m getting on a plane to freaking Iceland! That’s so cool. Never in my life did I think I would travel like this.
I never thought I’d be chosen for such an important role, either. I won’t let anyone down. That’s not an option. It’s never an option.
The bus pulls up to the terminal, and we begin piling off and getting our suitcases from underneath the bus. Mine is a dark teal color with bright green straps that wrap around it in both directions. Just so I can easily pick it out in a flood of suitcases.
The first leg of our flight is between L.A. and New York. From New York, we’ll be landing in Reykjavík, Iceland. There’s a two-hour layover in New York.
“Ready?” Byndley asks as we gather on the sidewalk. When she’s sure we’re all there, she leads us inside. I imagine we’re following her like ducklings through the departures terminal until we get to the self-check-in terminals.
