A Ticket to Greece

AVA

“Riley won't agree to go to Greece if Ava doesn't come with us,” Lauren, Riley's mom, said, pouting her lips and looking at my mother with classic puppy-dog eyes.

My mom stopped cleaning the wine glass in her hand. She looked back at me, then over at Lauren, and then back at me again. She let out a soft sigh. “You kids will literally say absolutely anything just to get exactly what you want,” my mom muttered, though a small smile played at the corner of her lips as she continued wiping the glass with a towel.

“Come on, Mum, I am literally an adult,” I said, walking over to her. “And you know absolutely nothing bad could ever happen to me when I am with Aunty Lauren.”

I threw my arms around Riley’s mom, wrapping her in a tight hug. Together, Lauren and I looked over at my mother and gave her our absolute best, most innocent kid smiles.

My mom finally let out a real laugh, shaking her head at our antics. But then, her smile faded slightly, and a familiar look of worry took over her face. “But baby, you have never traveled so far away before. What if you get into a new environment and end up getting sick? The climate is totally different over there.” Her eyes widened with genuine anxiety as she stared at me.

“Oh, please! She will feel just at home with us, Lauren,” Aunt Mabel said, rolling her eyes playfully from her spot on the kitchen stool.

“Yeah, and that is exactly why I am so scared,” my mom retorted, pointing a finger at Aunt Mabel. “You always support these kids and all of their crazy fantasies. If one of them suddenly decided they wanted to try bungee jumping off a cliff in Greece, you would probably just let them do it!”

“Well, why not? Life is short!” Aunt Mabel said, bursting into a loud laugh.

I chuckled and quickly stepped in before my mom could spiral into more worry. “What Aunt Mabel actually means is that we are going to have absolute, safe fun, and there is nothing for you to worry about at all. Come on, Mum,” I said, walking over to her side and gently nudging her shoulder with mine.

After a few quiet seconds, I watched as my mom’s tense shoulders finally began to relax. I could tell she was right on the verge of giving in. I kept my face calm, hiding the massive wave of excitement bubbling up inside me. I didn't want to celebrate too early.

“I’ll… I’ll talk to your grandparents about it tonight,” she said, rolling her eyes in defeat.

“Yes!” I screamed at the exact same time as Aunt Mabel. We both cheered loudly and hugged each other, laughing at our victory.

“Don't get all happy and excited just yet,” my mom warned, pointing a finger at me. “Your granddad is way more strict than I am, and you know it.”

“Oh, don't worry, he is going to be totally alright with it,” I said, already turning on my heel and running toward the stairs. I needed to tell Riley immediately. She was going to be absolutely ecstatic.

Riley's parents were throwing a massive celebration for their 30th wedding anniversary, and they were doing it all the way in Greece. Talk about being incredibly extra. It was very obvious to me that this was exactly where Riley got her dramatic, extra personality from—and probably where Miles got his crazy love for wild house parties.

But truth be told, I genuinely loved the Thompson family. They had always treated me like one of their own. Well, I loved all of them except for Miles, of course.

The fact that they wanted me to come along on this luxury vacation meant the world to me. More importantly, Riley desperately needed me there. She absolutely could not stand her wealthy cousins, and she knew that if I wasn't there to keep her company, she would end up moping around and being miserable through the entire three-day stay.

Honestly, I didn't mind being there for my best friend at all—especially if it meant I got to enjoy the beautiful views of Greece for three fucking days. My mom almost never let me out of her sight. She was fiercely overprotective of me, even after knowing Riley’s parents for over five years. This trip was a massive deal for me. I was finally able to leave the strict vicinity of my neighborhood without getting grounded or having to worry about major consequences from my mother.

Riley and I had already made all of our packing plans way before I even gathered the courage to ask my mom. Deep down, I knew my mom would eventually budge, but I also knew she was going to make it hard for me. But hey, at least she always budged in the end.