Green-Eyed Monster

My parents were smiling as they watched a preview for the live New Year's Eve musical gala on TV.

When I turned my head, Ginnie Lane had leaned in so close that her face was almost in mine. "Zach, is that a yes or not?"

I jumped, then realized I was no longer in that drafty tent. I was at home.

My body was warm, and it was a feeling that I had missed.

Only then did I realize I had regressed, and I had returned to the day our family discussed where to travel for the holiday season.

When Ginnie saw me staring back blankly, she shoved me impatiently. "Zach, why aren't you saying anything? Home exchanges are so cool. They're really popular online now!"

I looked into Ginnie's eager eyes and took a quiet breath.

In my previous life, our whole family had frozen to death in the Northern Grasslands because of the home exchange she suggested. This time, I would not let the same tragedy happen again.

"No," I said.

Ginnie froze, and her eyes instantly turned red.

She turned to my parents and said tearfully, "Aunt Miranda, Uncle Fred, Zach looks down on my friend, and he looks down on me too..."

In my previous life, my parents had softened and gone along with her idea. This time, I did not wait for them to agree.

I took out my phone, pulled up several news stories about home exchanges gone wrong, and I turned the screen toward them. "Dad, Mom, I'm not picking on Ginnie. Look, this was from last month. Someone did a home exchange, but the other person turned out to be a wanted fugitive who cleaned out the whole house. Letting strangers stay in our home is just too risky."

Dad took the phone. As he read the headline, he slowly frowned. "This… Does sound a little risky. We have quite a few paintings and antiques at home."

Mom nodded as well. "That's true. We're traveling to enjoy ourselves, Ginnie. This home exchange thing really is too risky. If something were to happen, it would be too late for regrets."

When Ginnie saw my parents wavering, she became nervous. "But I already promised my friend! That friend of mine is really famous! How could he be a bad person? Zach, you're doing this on purpose!"

I responded by getting straight to the point. "Do you know his history? Why should you gamble with the whole family's safety?"

Ginnie looked a little guilty under my stare, but she still held her ground. "I... We had a video call. He looked really trustworthy!"

I ignored her and turned to my parents. "How about this? Forget about the Northern Grasslands. We'll go to Sunbay instead."

As I spoke, I opened the booking app for the air tickets. "Sunbay is warm. It's perfect for a relaxing vacation. We'll stay in a five-star hotel, enjoy the seafood, and go sunbathing. Isn't that better than going to the grasslands and freezing in the wind?"

Dad's eyes lit up when he heard that. "Sunbay sounds good. My old knee does act up in the cold."

Mom smiled too. "Alright, we'll listen to Zach. We'll go to Sunbay and spend some money for our peace of mind. Forget about the flashy home exchange thing."

"Then it's settled." I quickly picked out the plane tickets and hotel. "Ginnie, if you don't want to go, you can stay home by yourself for the holiday season."

Ginnie stared at how quickly I had shut everything down, completely stunned.

In the end, she could only bite her lip in resentment.

"I... Fine, I'll go." She lowered her head, but something malicious flashed in her eyes. "Since you've already arranged everything, I'll go along with it."

Still, I could not shake the feeling that something was wrong.

As long as we did not go to the Northern Grasslands, the tragedy should not happen again, right?