Chapter 1

My parents had never been anywhere in their lives. The second they heard I was taking them on a trip, they had their bags packed a whole week in advance.

Mom went into town to get her hair dyed, while Dad went around telling everyone he knew, grinning the whole time.

On the morning of the first day of the long holiday, Amelia Hurst and I drove over to pick them up. They were already sitting out front in brand-new clothes, waiting for us.

But once we reached town, Amelia first pulled into a gas station and spent 20 whole minutes fueling up. Then she grabbed a rag and started wiping the windshield at a snail's pace.

A sinking feeling hit me, and I couldn't help speaking up. "We can wipe it when we get back. Let's just get going."

Amelia's expression darkened. She was clearly annoyed.

"The whole front of the car is covered in bugs after driving on the highway. You didn't pay for this car, so of course you don't care."

My parents tugged at my arm, so I bit my tongue and said nothing else. An hour later, she finally put the rag down.

But then she headed straight into the restroom and spent another half hour in there.

Just when I thought she was finally done, she went into the convenience store. She spent 20 minutes buying a single bottle of water.

By this point, my parents had awkward looks on their faces. They asked me hesitantly, "Is Amy upset because we brought too many things with us? We've never traveled before, so we don't really know what's appropriate…"

I was so frustrated I couldn't take it anymore. I got out and practically dragged Amelia back in. When she finally started the engine, I breathed a sigh of relief.

Smiling, I turned to my parents. "Buckle up. It's going to be a three-hour drive."

What I didn't expect was for the car to swing right around and stop at the Pac Burger next door.

Amelia went in and ordered a meal for two, which consisted of two burgers, two sodas, and an order of fries.

She plopped it down in front of my parents. "You can't have fun on an empty stomach, so do eat first."

My parents hurriedly picked up the burgers and took a bite. "This is pretty good. Amy, you really know how to pick a spot."

"Yeah, this is really tasty."

Amelia kept her head down, playing on her phone without responding. I dug my nails into my palms, not daring to rush her.

I was afraid she'd suddenly lose her temper, throw a fit, and refuse to take us anywhere.

Once my parents ate every last bite, Amelia glanced over, then went right back to scrolling through short videos. "Give the food some time to settle. Being too full before a drive isn't good for you."

Somehow, that little break lasted until 4:00 pm. She finally put her phone away and headed back to the car. "It's pretty late now. We'll go tomorrow."

The next day, she didn't get up until noon. We drove around town for a bit, only to end up parked outside Pac Burger again.

I stared at the sign, my fists clenching hard. Amelia ordered the meal for two again. This time, she added two pieces of fried chicken on top.

"You guys were practically fighting over the food yesterday, so I ordered some fried chicken as well. Dig in."

My parents felt so awkward that they didn't even know what to do with themselves.

I couldn't take it anymore.