Always Be Mine

Maya's P.O.V

The morning sunbeams peeked through the clouds and cascaded onto my blinds, indicating that it was the morning. I rolled over to check the time on my phone.

6:45 am.

That means I had precisely forty-five minutes until the bus came. The first thing I do every morning is open my window, taking in the fresh morning air. After my short therapeutic session finishes, my typical morning routine begins as I fumble my way to the toilet to brush my teeth and wash my face.

Once I finished getting ready, I headed downstairs for breakfast. The kitchen was an absolute battlefield with mom stirring chocolate chip pancake batter and cutting up fruits at the same time.

"That's a lot of food for just breakfast," I said.

She shook her head in denial. "Breakfast is the most important meal of the day."

With a defeated exhalation, I dug into the pile of food onto the table. Fifteen minutes have passed and I was finally cleaning my last place. My mom wouldn't let me leave the table unless I ate all my food. She was a strong believer in finishing plates to fight against food wastage.

By the time I reached the bus station, the driver was already heading away. I picked up my speed and managed to bang on the side of the bus, signaling the driver to stop. When I walked up to the bus, I felt the stares directed towards me, making me feel uneasy.

I absolutely hated being late. I hate it when people turn and stare, like I was some sort of abnormal creature stumbling into class. That's exactly why I was so obsessive when it came to waking up and leaving at the right time to make sure I wasn't late.

Today wasn't any different, apart from the fact that my mom made a whole feast for breakfast and wouldn't let me leave until I finished my food.

I searched for an empty seat, making my way there and sliding off my bag. As I settled down, I realized that I was completely out of breath and panting like I've just ran a whole marathon. I needed to exercise more often.

My schedule today started with Mathematics, then Spanish, Literature then ending the day off with Science.

The day went by in a flash, mostly with my head buried in my notebook as I hurriedly took notes as the teacher spoke. Everyone seemed to be relaxing, some on their phones, and the rest barely paying any attention.

The sound of the bell filled my ears as Spanish class ended. I made my way to Literature with Ms. Doris Wilson, one of the strictest teachers in the school. Unlike all the other teachers, she didn't have a good list. She treated everyone with the same stern manner and held a strong belief in putting in the effort to receive the desired outcome.

I admired her passion for literature, amazed at how she could speak for hours and highlight so much meaning from just a simple text. Ms. Wilson cut my thoughts short as she cleared her throat. I looked up, appalled that she had called me out.

I lowered my face to hide from all glances directed towards me, praying that this nightmare would be over soon.

She points at the question on the board then turns back to me, one eyebrow raised and impatiently waiting for me to come up to the board. My body tenses as I gather all the strength I had and stood up.

If there was one thing I feared the most, it was attention. While most people crave for it, I despised it. I never quite understood what gains did being in the center of attention have, apart from pressuring you to be perfect. It all came down to confidence, which as an introvert, I had none of.

As if things weren't bad enough, I hear faint sneers from the front of the room gradually getting louder as I make my way up. It was the group of jocks, whispering to each other. I felt self-conscious, positive that they were talking about me. Panic filmed over my vision as I try to look away, avoiding as much eye contact as possible.

My suspicions were confirmed when I heard a voice groan. "Anytime now."

I pressed my lips together as I mentally curse myself for being so shy and weak. Ethan Morrison nudged the guy and told him to shut it, which made my stomach twist in knots. For the Captain of the football team and the most popular guy in school, he was awfully humble.

It seemed like forever until I made it to the board. The pen was shaking in my hand, but I somehow managed to scribble down the answer. I whipped around and sprinted back to my seat, making eye contact with Ethan on the way back.

Ms. Wilson checked the answer, and her lips curled upwards, satisfied with my response. "Please pay attention next time."

I sink in my seat while she continues her lecture.

Finally, I closed my eyes and took in a deep breath to calm down, forcing myself to breathe in and out slowly. Not long later, the bell rang, and immediately, everyone stood up and packed their things.

"We'll continue next class," Ms. Wilson says before wiping the board clean.

I put my books into the bag and headed out of the room. Three minutes later, I was in the canteen and lining up for the food. A tap on my shoulders startled me as I turned around to see Leah widely grinning at me. For a Monday, she was definitely excited.

We sat on our usual table on the side of the cafeteria. For as long as I could remember, this had always been the one that we sat at. The table in the middle, right at the center of attention, was reserved for the popular kids, meaning the jock and cheerleaders.

"How was Ms. Wilson's class?" Leah chirped, placing her tray onto the table.

"Horrible, she made me come to write on the board."

"You mean she called you out?" Leah jokingly gasped, pretending like it was the worst thing ever. Of course, she wouldn't understand the horror of having twenty pairs of eyes simultaneously looking at you. I could only wish to have a fraction of her confidence.

Her lips twitched into a small grin as I shot her a look. "I can't believe Maya Connors, the girl with straight A's, got called out for misbehaving."

"I wasn't misbehaving, just daydreaming."

"And not taking notes?" She opened her mouth slightly, "that's a crime in your world!"

"I'm not kidding. It was dreadful, the jocks were laughing at me," I informed her, frowning.

"God, during times like this makes me wish I was in your class to shut those dickheads up."

This was why I loved her. She was always there for me, as my protector. And that made me extremely happy.

"Well, Ethan did tell them them to shut it," I said, my mind replaying the moment over and over again.

"He's a nincompoop," Leah said, popping the p.

I laughed, amused by her choice of word. God, she was weird.

"Yeah, a very cute nincompoop," I explained, glancing over my shoulders. Thank God, nobody heard me.

I looked around the cafeteria, my gaze automatically darting towards Ethan's crowded table. There was a mixture of cheerleaders and jocks, but my attention was solely on Ethan. He looked effortlessly handsome as he sat on top of the table, his legs rested on the bench. He was joking around with the boys, occasionally smiling, which revealed his cute pair of dimples.

Leah caught me staring at their table as she rolled her eyes at me. "They're all full of themselves. I bet when they wake up, the first thing they do is check in the mirror to see how good looking they are."

Probably not Ethan, I thought to myself. He wasn't like the rest of them.

Why was I defending someone that I didn't even know? Better yet, he probably didn't even know my name. Instead of protesting, I stayed silent to stop any further discussions about this topic.

The last thing I needed was to talk more about some meaningless action of Ethan's. He probably just felt bad that a shy girl was getting picked on so being the nice guy he is, he told his friends to stop.

She watched me like I was a puzzle, but I wasn't even thinking that much. Was I?

"So, are you going on that trip to Europe?" Leah asked, placing her elbows onto the table and eating her sandwich.

I shrugged my shoulders. "I haven't decided."

That was a lie, I didn't have any intentions of going, but I wasn't going to tell her that. If I did, I'd never hear the end of it. Ever since the announcement of the trip, she hasn't stopped pestering me about it.

She tilted her head and looked at me like I was crazy. "It's your Senior year. You have to go!"

I gave her an apologetic smile, hoping that she would let it go, but she didn't.

"It's the very last trip we're going to have together, you can't just leave me with a bunch of people that I hate," she continues.

"I'll think about it."

"There's no need to think, and you don't have an option. You have to go, Maya!" She whines.

I let out a single laugh hearing how desperate she was for me to go, slightly feeling bad about leaving her alone, especially on our very last trip. If it were any other year, she would have blatantly shrugged the idea off, but seeing her this determined to get me to go makes me think that she wasn't going to change her mind any time soon.

But I really didn't think it was a good idea to go on a trip with a bunch of people I didn't even know. Leah usually wouldn't either, but since it was our last year, she was convinced that this trip was vital and that if we didn't go, it would be the end of the world.

Despite claiming that she hated everyone in this school and wasn't afraid to show it, she got along with people pretty easily. Maybe it was her naturally cheering demeanor that allowed people to approach her openly. Me, on the other hand, I preferred to stay quiet and unnoticed. I wouldn't be surprised if someone bumped into me in the hallway, saying that they didn't see me. It's partially one of the reasons why we were best friends. As my polar opposite, she's like the cream to my coffee.

I threw my hands up in defeat, knowing that this debate would never end unless I agreed to her. "Alright, I'll go!"

There are two important things to know about Leah. One, she was crazy, in a good way. Sometimes. And two, she never takes no for an answer.

A self-satisfied smile spread across her face knowing that she has once again won.

Almost ten minutes passed, and I've lost track of what Leah was ranting on about. I knew she was planning about the trip, but other than that, I was completely clueless.

Seeing how ecstatic she was about this trip made me scared to disappoint her. I haven't even asked my parents for permission, yet I already agreed to go with Leah.

The bell rang, and I sent a wave goodbye at her, heading to my last class of the day. It went by quicker than I thought, and before I knew it, the tiring day was finally over.

I made my way onto the bus, feeling happy that there were still empty seats in the front. I hated sitting at the back. It was where all the loud people were.

Upon arriving home, the delightful smell of food rewarded my nose as the sound of chopping filled my ears. I walked into the kitchen, the sight of my mom with a floral apron tied around her waist and peaceful piano music playing in the background.

She looks up and smiles at me, putting her knife down to kiss me on the forehead.

"How was school?" She asked, going back to cutting up the vegetables.

"Same old, same old," I forced a smile. I didn't know how to ask her about the trip, which ultimately made me more nervous.

"You must be tired, go rest. Dinner's ready in an hour."

I walked up to the stairs and threw my bag onto the floor, immediately jumping onto my bed. I unhooked my bra before taking it off, letting the breeze and freeness that my chest felt sink in. I swear, nothing feels as good as taking your bra off at the end of the day.

Time passed by quickly as I spent the remaining hour scrolling through Instagram and watching YouTube videos. My mom's voice hollered from downstairs once dinner was ready.

As everyone got seated at the table, we said our blessings before digging in.

"Thank you for the delicious meal, honey," my dad directed to my mom as she sent him a smile in response.

He then turned to look at me. "Tell me about your day, Maya."

"Well, I almost missed my bus, but thankfully I didn't. Then I went to classes, and now I'm home," I tried to summarize my day as short as I could, leaving out the important details about the trip to Europe.

We all ate in silence, and I can't help but shove all the food down my throat, finishing it significantly earlier than my parents.

"Is everything okay?" My mom asked.

This was it. It was now or never. I couldn't delay it any longer.

"I've been meaning to ask you," I played with the edge of my shirt, "so there's this school trip to Europe."

"Europe?" My dad's eyebrows raised slightly. I could tell he was already concerned.

My mom jumped in, thankfully. "Let her speak."

"It's my final year, and Leah really wants me to go on this trip with her. There's going to be about twenty people going, and a teacher accompanying us."

"Which teacher?"

"Ms. Wilson, our literature teacher."

"What is the trip for?"

"Well, we're studying a book called A Movable Feast by Ernest Hemingway which is set in Paris, and there's a series of sceneries in the book that we'll visit during the trip."

"I mean, since it's your final year, I'm sure a trip to Europe wouldn't hurt," My mom said. My dad was about to open his mouth to ask more questions, but my mom cuts him off, diverting the topic.

"If you're done eating, put your dish in the sink. I'll wash them later."

I nodded and picked up my dish quickly, leaving the table before my dad could say anything. Walking up to my room, a burst of excitement was filling my body as I immediately picked up my phone and called Leah. After a few rings, she picked up.

"Hey girl," she said.

"Guess what?"

"I just asked my parents if I could go," I said.

"And?" Leah exclaimed eagerly.

"And they said yes!" I yelled through the phone.

"Oh my god!" Leah screamed, "it's official, we're going!"

Maya's P.O.V

After I told Leah that I could go, she made it a tradition to talk about the trip every lunchtime, or realistically, any time she could. When she managed to convince me, it was about over a month until the trip. But before I knew it, time flashes right in front of me as I prepare to head to the auditorium for the final meeting before the actual event.

We walked into the auditorium to realize that nobody was here. The room was pitch black. It didn't surprise me that we were the only ones here as we were always punctual. Well, most of the time.

Putting our bags on the floor, we got comfortable in our seats before pulling out our sandwiches. A couple of minutes later, a group of people walked in, and nosiness filled the room. I frowned at Leah, wringing my hands together. She knew I didn't do so well in big crowds, so she held out her hand as a sign of reassurance.

When we heard the sound of Ms. Wilson's voice enter the room, both of our eyes widened as we hurriedly shoved the food down our throat.

There was a strict rule of no eating in the auditorium after the principle found a bunch of trash under the chairs.

A loud whistle came from the stage that made us all turn our heads. Standing in the middle of the stage was Ms. Wilson, dressed in a floral dress and cardigan with a microphone in her hand.

She cleared her voice. "Everyone in this room has given me a slip of approval signed by your parents, which means that you are coming on the trip to Europe."

A tall blonde boy yells out "fuck yeah" and all eyes were on him. My gaze then fell onto Ethan, who sat next to him, shifting in his seat and filled with embarrassment because of the scene his friend caused.

Ms. Wilson sends a frightening glare that makes everyone remain quiet. Leah scoffed, unimpressed by the lack of maturity that these boys had. She was one of the very few people in school that didn't view the jocks as another form of God.

The rest of the female population can't help but gawk and drool at the sight of these boys, especially when they were shirtless and playing football.

Every time they made an impressive move, it would result in a loud cheer. And I was more than positive that 90% came from girls. I mean, you could tell by the high pitch sound.

Ethan stood up and excused himself before walking out of the room, leaving his seat empty. Almost immediately, Leighton takes his spot and turns to the blonde guy.

He was whispering something into her ear, which made her giggle while covering her mouth with her petite hands and perfectly manicured nails. Her eyelashes were extremely long, which added a hint of flirtatiousness to her constant batting.

She flicked her thick platinum blonde hair that cascaded a little bit past her waist to one side. As the captain of the cheerleader squad, she was the epitome of beauty to most, if not all guys in our school. She had the body of a Victoria Secret model and a golden-brown complexion that you could only achieve after a long sunny vacation - but somehow, she manages to stay like that all year round.

If you were anyone else, you would probably think that she was flirting with the blonde guy next to Ethan, but I knew better. She was waiting for Ethan to come back so she could get his attention, maybe get in a flirty joke or two.

Despite sleeping around and making out with other guys, everyone knew she had a soft spot for Ethan. The thought of those two flirting made my stomach twist. They would be a perfect match, both being captains of the most prestigious sport in our school. And on top of that, both incredibly good looking.

She had the art of getting guys mastered like the back of her hand. I guess obtaining the attention of the male population was easy if you looked like Leighton.

The back door of the auditorium opened, and Ethan's presence blessed the room once again. While making his way down to his seat, I could tell that he realized Leighton took it as his pace slows down midway. Ethan's expression remains blank as he stood on the steps, backing up against the wall.

I looked over to Leighton, her mouth slightly hanging and her face clearly annoyed at the fact that her plan had failed. I had the same expression, except I was more shocked that he had just turned down the most beautiful girl in school.

I tried to come up with countless scenarios and reasons why he would turn down someone like Leighton, but couldn't come up with anything rational. Except for the fact that his mind made no sense at all.

For the rest of the lunchtime, we all sat and listened to Ms. Wilson going over the itinerary of the trip. Everything was going as expected until she said something that made me almost gag my sandwich back out.

"Since you all are so inclined to the idea of social construction, this trip is going to be about opening up to new people. So don't expect to be with your friends as I will be the person picking your travel groups."

The sound of whining and groaning filled the room as I stared at Leah with wide eyes.

"This cannot be happening," I said.

She shrugged. "It's not that bad Maya. It's just travel groups. We still get to hang out during free times."

"Hopefully we'll be in the same group."

Ms. Wilson told us all to be quiet. "I'm going to read out the list of groups now. You're all going to meet up and get to know each other before the trip."

I didn't move a muscle, a sea of anxiety curling into my stomach. This was it. The next few seconds of her reading out names was going to determine whether I was going to survive this trip or not.

I can feel my palms begin to sweat as negative thoughts consume me. No matter how much I tried, I couldn't pay attention to what Ms. Wilson was saying until she read out my name.

She points to the left side of the room, and I see that I'm the last person being called out to join that group. I turned and faced Leah with a sad look. She wasn't in my group.

"The remaining people will join together and make one group."

Everyone stood up and gathered together as I made my way down.

A broad-shoulder, tall, with blue eyes guy came to us with a grin on his face. "Welcome to the cooler group!"

"Let's learn more about each other by stating your name and one fun fact about you," he says, "I'll start."

He sits up straight and clears his voice. "My name is Connor, I'm part of the football team, and I'm student council president."

Honestly, he didn't have to introduce himself, and everyone would still already know who he is. Deemed as the nicest guy in Eastwood High School, he still hung with the popular kids and played the Fullback position in our football team.

"I'm Maya Conners," I mumbled under my breath.

"How about that interesting fact about yourself?"

"There really isn't anything interesting about me." I sent a small smile at Connor, hoping he'd spare me the embarrassment and move along.

"I disagree," Ethan said, "she's extremely smart and getting straight A's all the time."

Wait what. He notices me in class?

I wanted to thank him, but I ended up stuttering my words, unable to come up with something to say. So instead, I stay quiet, trying to hide my red hot face behind my hair. He chuckles at my nervousness and shoots me a wink.

The introduction game continued as Connor interrogated everyone in the group.

"Ethan, my boy," Connor exclaimed, "You're the last one, remember to make it interesting!"

His face was relaxed as he greeted everyone with a smile, revealing his dimples. "My name is Ethan, and I'm the school's quarterback."

"That's not a fun fact, we all know you're the captain of the football team," said Conner.

"Okay," Ethan started, "Bubbles is my favorite power puff girl."

His answer made most of the girls in our group melt and giggle. Just when I thought it wasn't possible for him to be any cuter, he always seems to prove me wrong.

Once we finished the introduction game, everyone sat with their friends and talked amongst themselves until the bell rang. I made my way to the last class of the day, sitting down in the last row as always.

There were five minutes left until class started, so I put in my earphones and turned up the volume, trying to avoid the disturbance that the jocks were creating. They were huddled up together, all looking at the same phone.

"God, she's so hot." One says, and they start high-fiving each other.

"I'd tap that."

"Look at that ass!"

"I hope she posts more bikini photos."

I spot Ethan sitting with the group of jock boys, scrolling through his phone and paying no attention to their discussion about hot girls on Instagram. My eyes widened in shock as he looked up, our eyes meeting.

I panicked. What if he thought I was staring at him like a creep?

Well, aren't you?

No, shut up.

Slightly slouching on the chair, he smiled at me. He moves away from the crowd and joins me at the back, sitting on the chair besides me.

"Let me guess. You want to major in Art?"

I stopped drawing and shook my head. "No, I'm not."

Considering that I've never joined an art class or displayed my drawings in school, I didn't know where he got the idea of an art major from.

He let out a chuckle, pressing his lips together in shyness. "Oh, I just assumed because you seem to like doodling so much."

A dazzling smile appears on his lips as I notice that he's referring to the cover of my notebook. It had all sorts of doodles on it, mostly drawn with my black ink pen.

Oh, so that's why he thought it was my major. Whenever I found myself in boredom, I'd sketch whatever came to my head. There was a cupcake, a flower, a clock and some random hearts scattered around the page.

Thank god I didn't write his name with a heart.

I lightly let out a small nervous chuckle at him while he continued to flirt his eyes at me. His eyes were a steel blue color, protected by a dense layer of lashes.

"Well, have you heard of the phrase, don't judge a book by its cover?"

"Touché," he smiled, "what are you majoring in then?"

"English."

His eyes grew wide in surprise at my answer. "I'd never take you as a literature girl."

"Apart from the 99% of the times my face has been buried inside a book?" I joked.

"Touché again, m'lady."

We both laughed at the same time, his face turning a light shade of pink. "So, we're in the same travel group."

"Yeah, we are."

"Well, I'm glad you're in my group, Maya."

Something about the way he says my name makes me grow a sudden liking to it. His voice is so deep and low. We don't say anything else, but his eyes hadn't left mine.

The bell rang, and the teacher told us to take our seats. Ethan breaks the trance as he stood up and walked back to his place in the front right-hand side, and I was able to let out a breath. He's greeted by nobody other than Leighton who happens to be sitting on the desk beside him.

As the polite person he is, he gives her a small smile and nods. She tries to talk to him but her attempt fails as the teacher tells Leighton off for talking while he's explaining.

For most of the class, I tried to keep my eyes on the board, but it was like Ethan had some sort of gravitational pull that always made me look at him. Even though I was only able to see the back of his head, I was mesmerized by the way his defined muscles would tighten whenever he laughed or moved.

I checked the vibration in my pocket and saw that Leah sent me a text.

"Want to go to Rise & Shine after school?" it read.

"Is that even a question?" I typed back and shoved my phone in my pocket before it got confiscated.

The remaining fifteen minutes of the class went by quickly as I continued the battle with my attention as it seems always to be directed towards Ethan.

The moment class ends, the view of Leah's head peeking through the door had me laughing. Wasn't her class on the other side of the school? How could she have possibly gotten here so quick?

Her car was parked right in front of school. It was where all the expensive cars were parked so the guards could keep a closer eye on it.

A small smile crept onto my face. I was actually going to ask her to go there, but she knew me too well. I looked over at Leah, and her forehead crumpled up as she concentrated on driving. She just learned how to drive not so long ago and wasn't that confident in driving. But it was still better than taking the bus.

"Leah, that grandma just walked passed us," I teased.

She exhaled a quiet laugh. I turned on the radio and heard Senorita by Camila Cabello and Shawn Mendes playing for the thousandth time. I wasn't even surprised anymore. This song played everywhere I went.

Usually, it only took about an eight-minute car ride to get here. But considering that Leah was driving at walking speed, we finally arrived at Rise & Shine ten minutes later. It was a small but cosy coffee shop with a bunch of warm colors and mostly wooden decor. But it was a great place that's perfect for doing work or reading.

We made our orders and not long after, two cups of caramel macchiato with an additional layer of frothed milk appeared on the other end of the counter. Grabbing our drink, we headed to a table.

"Can you believe that the trip is in two days?" she started, "we just have to get through the weekend."

"Yeah, the one month flew by so quick."

"Our first ever trip together!"

"We aren't in the same group, though." I frowned.

I couldn't imagine myself going anywhere with a bunch of strangers without Leah's support. She was like my backbone.

Her eyes perked up, and she turned to me. "You have a better alternative."

A better alternative?

My whole group was full of jocks, and people I didn't know. How could that possibly be a better alternative to my best friend?

She noticed my confused expression and rolled her eyes. "Ethan Morrison."

I groaned. "We don't even talk."

"You can just stare at him."

"That's just creepy."

"Only if you aren't subtle about it." She joked.

"But we talked today."

She dropped her mouth, and a goofy smirk appeared. "About what?"

"He said I was smart and was glad that we're in the same group."

We giggled at the same time as we continued on talking about the trip. I must admit, never in a million years would I think Ethan Morrison would talk to me, let alone be glad that he was in the same group.

Maya's P.O.V

I didn't even need an alarm to wake me up. As soon as I felt the slightest hint of sunlight shine through my curtains, my eyes were already wide open. If it were any other Monday, I would have groaned and rolled back to bed, but today wasn't just any other Monday. Today is our trip to Europe.

Sliding off the bed, I skipped my typical morning routine and headed straight to the bathroom. There wasn't any time to mess around. I half-curled the ends of my hair and changed into some comfy sweatpants and a v-neck shirt.

I was, without a doubt, the most forgetful person in the world, which meant I had to double-check everything before I left the house. Rummaging inside my suitcase and mentally ticking off all the things I needed, after feeling satisfied, I went down to the kitchen for the most important meal of the day.

I poured some coffee from the counter and checked my phone.

Eighteen unread messages from Leah.

Apart from reading the very first message she sent at 4 am saying she couldn't sleep because she was too excited, I ignored the rest and just called her. It was too early for any reading or thinking.

Leah picked up almost immediately.

"Oh my god," she shrieked through the phone, "it's finally happening!"

I couldn't help but smile at her enthusiasm. "Yes, it is."

"Have you packed everything?"

Leah scoffs. "I already started packing two weeks ago."

"The packing checklist wasn't even given out two weeks ago."

"Who cares? I just used common sense."

She doesn't allow me any time to reply before cutting me off. "Anyways, I'll pick you up in 20 minutes!"

I didn't even realize my mom was standing at the island, her chocolate-brown hair a little messy. She grinned, her eyes brightening as she smiled.

"Good morning, darling."

"Morning, mom."

She turns off the coffee machine after pouring herself a cup. "Since when did you drink coffee?"

I rolled my eyes and sat down next to her on the island. "It's normal for teenagers to drink coffee, mom."

"Are you excited about your trip?"

I nodded excitedly.

For the next ten minutes, I sat and listened to my mom ranting about how I always need to stay with the group and not wander off by myself. She gave me a paper with a list of emergency contacts just in case anything happens. There was her, my dad, my aunt, my uncle, my other uncle, and Ms. Wilson's number on the paper.

Aside from being overprotective, my mom could be very demanding and frightening when she needs to be. I folded the paper just enough to fit my pocket before giving my goodbyes.

I give both my parent a kiss as they remind me to call and update them regularly. I looked down at my phone to check the time, and it was exactly twenty minutes since our phone call.

Almost immediately, I heard a car honk in front and smiled. This is why I love the fact that we're both punctual people. I pushed open the front door and dragged my suitcase behind me.

We were all supposed to meet in front of the school gate at precisely 7 am.

"Do you have everything?" Ms. Wilson asked, simultaneously ticking off our names on the name list.

I nodded.

An hour after seven, everyone was finally here. Ms. Wilson muttered something under her breath as she called everyone over. She was irritated about the students that showed up late.

"I see you don't own a watch?" Ms. Wilson said to Leighton. Not at all bothered, she pushes a wisp of blonde hair from her face. "When fashion calls, you have to answer."

"The next time you don't answer when I call, I'm leaving you behind with the rest of the people who came late."

Leighton's eyes widened at Ms. Wilson's harsh tone.

She pointed at the bus and told everyone to get in. That was my cue to follow. The bus door opened and I stepped onto the stairs. I tried to get on the bus before all the seats got taken so I could sit in the front. The once empty chairs were now filled with students. As Ms. Wilson does the attendance for the last time before we head to the airport, a series of "present" or "here" came up after she called out a name.

Leah pops up over to the seat next to me, a huge grin plastered onto her face. "I can't believe this is happening!"

I mirror the same excitement she gave me. "I can't believe I'm going to Rome for the first time."

"You'll love it," she says, "I've been quite a few times, and I must say, it's favolosa."

That was the difference between us. She was funny, charming, and traveled to many places. Her mom is like one of the most famous dentists and is responsible for the smiles of many famous Hollywood celebrities. To say the least, she was loaded.

She laughs and holds her fingers together, kissing it like what you see the Italians did in the movie.

"What does that mean?"

"It means fabulous!"

We spent the next twenty minutes planning what we were going to do during our free time. Ms. Wilson went first, as always, and told us to get our suitcases and head inside.

My eyes followed the direction that Ethan was walking. Swallowing, I met his bright eyes, and my stomach sunk. I'm at a loss for words. He was wearing dark sweats and a white v-neck shirt. I tried not to stare, but our eyes met for a second time. Dear God, I hope I wasn't turning into a tomato.

"Of course, it makes sense that a literature major would go on a trip to Europe," Ethan said, granting me a dimpled smile

"What does that mean?" I raised my eyebrows.

"Well you know, Charles Dickens, Ernest Hemingway, Virginia Woolf, Jane Austen, they're all famous European writers."

I didn't know what surprised me more, the fact that he knew all those names or that he made names of 19th and 20th-century writers sound so sensual.

"What?" he spoke again, "are you surprised that I know who those writers are?"

"Maybe a little."

"As you said, don't judge a book by it's cover," he said, sending me a wink.

Ethan was no longer looking at my direction, but I could see Leighton turning to stare at us with a growl. She whispered to her friends, and I could feel them turn to stare at me.

I sank on my seat to avoid unwanted attention.

Our gate finally opened, and we all lined up with our passports ready. I was still busy thinking about how he knew all those names. With a shove from Leah, I move up the boarding line. My passport clenched between my hands as we all waited to board the plane.

The flight attendant grabbed my carryon bag and shoved it up the cabin along with the other bags. We moved forward to clear the aisle. I moved away from the seat to let Leah go first as she slid into the chair beside the window.

I remember she told me she always liked sitting next to the window to look at the clouds because it made her feel like a bird. I didn't quite understand it, but as long as she was happy.

Her fingers intertwined with mine as our plane took off. I look over to see her eyes squeezed shut. I couldn't help but let out a chuckle at her nervousness. Even after being on hundreds of flights, she was still scared of them.

Before I knew it, I was fast asleep on Leah's shoulder as she rested her head on top of mine. After a long eleven hours, we finally landed in Rome, Italy. I didn't even notice how quick it took, mostly because we slept for the whole flight. By the time we woke up, everyone had already eaten and was full and fast asleep. Us, on the other hand, had to put up with our rumbling stomachs.

Leah had a massive grin on her face, and I smiled at her excitement. We both strolled through the aisle, and moments later, we were standing in line outside the immigration. The tour bus was waiting outside for us as the driver put our suitcases inside the trunk. It was a cute bus, bright red with the words "I heart Roma" printed on the side.

Ms. Wilson tore through the group of students and stopped next to the tour guide. "Everyone standstill, I'm going to count you off."

After she confirmed that everyone was here, we all went onto the bus and drove to the hotel. Another thirty minutes later, we arrived in front of a large white hotel that had a Moorish fountain placed in the middle. Around it were arches of roses, hibiscus, jasmine and about twenty other types of flowers. It had Renaissance-style architecture.

As we got off the bus and gathered our suitcases, a beautiful woman opened the door for us and greeted us. She was holding a tray full of drinks.

Before any of us managed to grab it, Ms. Wilson cut us off. "Is there any alcohol?"

"No ma'am, its lemonade."

Our tour guide gave us a quick tour of the hotel. The hallway was a dark red color with some green detailing which complimented well with the creamy white walls.

I was finding it hard to wrap my mind around how beautiful Rome was, and we haven't even gone anywhere yet. The hotel was already enough to amaze me. My head was moving in all sorts of directions as I tried to soak in the beauty of the city. I couldn't wait to find out more about the culture and history.

Our tour ended back in the lobby as Ms. Wilson was sorting out the rooms and giving us our keys. Room 304.

"Get some rest, or explore the hotel. We will meet back here tomorrow at 7 am for our first activity."