The Day I Took a Different Path

Before graduation, my boyfriend, Landon Freeman, my two childhood friends, Clyde Medina and Mason Rivera, my best friend, Willow Castillo, and I set out on one last road trip through the Northwest. We plan to complete the entire loop together. However, on the third day, one of our vehicles breaks down, leaving us with a four-seater. Without the slightest hesitation, Landon hands me a ticket for a six-hour bus ride. "You don't get carsick, so bear with it for a while. We'll wait for you at the next stop." Willow offers to take my place, but Clyde and Mason immediately stop her. "You just threw up yesterday. Why are you trying to be a hero?" Landon chuckles as he helps unload my luggage. "She's tough as nails, and she has never been one to hold a grudge." As usual, I agree. Yet, six hours later, I arrive at the small town we'd agreed to meet in, only to find out that they'd changed course at the last minute and gone to another city. In the group chat, the four of them are gathered around Willow, having a barbecue and beaming. Not a single one of them remembers to tell me. All of a sudden, I see the pattern I've been blind to all these years. Whenever Willow feels cold, three jackets are waiting for her. Whenever she's tired, everyone stops. Yet, the more sensible I am, the more they expect me to be the one who makes sacrifices. This time, I don't want to chase after them anymore. I buy a ticket back home and reach out to the out-of-town company that I turned down two weeks ago. "Hello. I'd like to accept the offer." I don't want this group of people who've been by my side for more than a decade anymore.