Page 43 of Broken Secrets
The drive home passes quickly, my mind occupied with mental packing lists and trip logistics instead of Emma’s silence. By the time I pull into our driveway, I’ve almost convinced myself that three days away is exactly what I need.
Inside, Mom’s making dinner while Robert reads the newspaper at the kitchen counter. The scene is so perfectly normal it makes me appreciate the stability they’ve provided all these years.
“How were the final trip preparations?” Mom asks, glancing up from the stove.
“Good. I’m rooming with Maya, Sophie, and Jessica. Should be fun.”
“That’s wonderful. And you have everything you need?”
“Just need to finish packing tonight.”
After dinner, I head upstairs with a sense of purpose. My duffel bag sits open on my bed, half-filled with the basics I’d packed earlier. I add the remaining items methodically: extra sunscreen, my underwater camera, the marine biology field guide Mr. Henderson recommended.
As I fold my last swimsuit, I catch myself glancing at my phone. The screen shows no new notifications. For a moment,doubt creeps in; maybe I should send one more message to Emma, just to see if something’s wrong. But I resist the urge. If she wanted to talk, she would have responded by now.
I zip up my bag and set it by the door, ready for tomorrow’s early departure. Three days from now, I’ll return with stories about marine life and memories of time with friends.
I set my alarm for five-thirty a.m. Catalina Island, here I come.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
I shuffleto my window and peek through the blinds. The street is empty except for a few porch lights glowing like lonely beacons. Even the ocean sounds muted at this hour, waves rolling against the shore in a sleepy rhythm.
I can smell coffee brewing from downstairs. I grab my robe and hurry down the stairs.
“You’re up,” she says, handing me a travel mug filled with coffee that’s more cream than caffeine. “How are you feeling?”
“Tired. Excited.” I take a sip, grateful for the warmth. “Ready to think about something other than… everything.”
Robert appears in his bathrobe, hair sticking up at odd angles. “Big day, kiddo. You have everything you need?”
I pat my duffel bag sitting by the front door. “Sunscreen, notebooks, underwater camera. I’m ready.”
“Call us when you get there,” she says, then catches herself. “Oh wait, they’re taking phones, aren’t they?”
“Complete digital detox for three days. No phones, no social media, no distractions.” The idea should make me anxious, but instead I feel oddly relieved. Three days without compulsively checking for messages may not come.
“I love you, see you when you get back.” They pull me into a hug and practically shove me out the door. Gosh, eager.
I’m pulling into the school parking lot, joining a small army of sleepy teenagers hauling duffel bags and sleeping bags toward the waiting buses.
Maya practically bounces over to me, somehow looking completely awake despite the early hour. “This is it! Three days of freedom!”
“You’re disturbingly cheerful for someone who’s been awake for less than an hour.”
“I’ve been up since three. Too excited to sleep.” She hefts her overpacked bag. “I may have brought too much stuff.”
“All right, everyone, listen up!” Mrs. Henderson appears with a clipboard and a megaphone, her voice cutting through the morning quiet. “Before we board the buses, we need to collect all electronic devices. Phones, tablets, smartwatches, everything goes in the lockbox.”
A chorus of groans rises from the assembled students. Sophie clutches her phone dramatically. “But what if there’s an emergency?”
“The chaperones will have communication devices for real emergencies,” Mrs. Henderson replies patiently. “This is about unplugging from the digital world and connecting with the natural one.”
Derek appears beside me, looking annoyingly awake for someone who probably stayed up too late playing video games. “Ready to survive without Instagram for three days?”
“I think I’ll manage.” I pull my phone from my pocket, staring at the dark screen for a moment before dropping it into the collection box.
“Buses are loading!” Mrs. Henderson calls. “Cabin assignments determine your bus. Cabins 1-8 on Bus A, Cabins 9-16 on Bus B.”
