All Chapters of Lost on the Road, Found by the Ocean: Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

Along the way, Josiah and Meredith kept up a lively conversation.They talked about shooting angles, drone flight paths, which stretches of highway were best for sunset shots, and what they should title the documentary if they turned this trip into one. They decided on "Escaping Into the Wild Before Graduation". I sat in the back seat with my tablet on my lap, reviewing the itinerary I had put together. I had every detail down—our departure and arrival times, where we'd stop for gas and meals, which stretches of the drive would have no cell service, and which guesthouses required a call ahead to ensure the hot water would be ready.I tried to speak up several times. "The owner of the guesthouse tonight said that the road up ahead will be narrow. We need to get there before dark."But nobody heard me. …As we were stopping for lunch, I sent Josiah a restaurant I'd looked up in advance. "This place has a lot of bad reviews. Many people complained about its hygiene. Let's go to

Meredith chuckled again and said to Josiah, "Calliope's just too spoiled. It's always like this with her. She always needs everyone to drop everything for her the moment something doesn't go as planned."A faint laugh escaped me. So they thought that being stranded in a rest stop wasn't a big deal. The sunset they were rushing to see mattered more than me being left alone in an unfamiliar place.I looked down at the cup of warm water in my hand. The cup was warm enough to turn my palms red. But inside, I felt bitterly cold. "Fine," I said.Josiah sounded relieved. "Send me your location once you get a ride. Don't wander off, and hey, don't cry. Nobody wants to deal with tears on a trip."I didn't answer and just ended the call.The wind hit me, and my tears spilled over. It wasn't loud sobbing. Just quiet drops falling one after another, making no sound at all as they dripped into the cup of warm water.I remembered my mom asking me before I left, "Are you sure you want to go on

I looked out at the distant sea. "Mooncrest Bay."Josiah was clearly taken aback. "What are you doing at Mooncrest Bay?""I just felt like it.""Calliope!" he shouted, his voice suddenly rising. "Can you stop being so willful? Have any idea how dangerous it is for you to run off so far away by yourself? If you wanted to go to the beach, I could have gone with you next time!"Next time. There it was again. I almost found it funny. "Josiah, it's always next time with you, but I don't want to wait for next time anymore."He seemed at a loss for words. After a long pause, he said softly, "Are you still mad about what happened at the rest stop?"I admit I was wrong that day. But we'd already driven so far off! Turning around on the highway was too much trouble. Besides, Mer's foot was bothering her, and we were rushing to catch the sunset. I thought you could find your own way over.""Josiah, have you ever stopped to think why I had to chase after you at all? That road wasn't one I w

Meredith arrived that evening, a few hours after Josiah.The moment she saw me, she walked straight up. "Calliope, don't you think you've made your point? Josiah came all this way looking for you, and the entire Windmere Plains shoot is ruined. The collaboration fell through. Do you have any idea how long we'd been preparing for that project?"I looked straight at her. "What does that have to do with me?"She clearly hadn't expected that response, and her expression darkened instantly. "What does it have to do with you? You made the itinerary, and you were the one who canceled the bookings! You knew perfectly well those rooms were impossible to rebook during peak season, but you deliberately canceled them anyway. You were just trying to make things difficult for us, weren't you?"I almost laughed at her tone of righteous indignation. "Meredith, I booked those rooms and paid the deposits with my own money. When you left me at the rest stop, did you think about how I'd get to the h

Josiah stayed in Mooncrest Bay for five days.He would show up around the agency every single day. Some days, he'd bring me a beverage, some days, he'd bring me food, and some days, he'd show up with snacks that I'd casually mentioned enjoying in the past.If all this had happened half a year ago, I would've been so happy I couldn't sleep. But now, it just felt absurd.On the fifth day, Meredith came to see me. This time, she came alone. She stood at the entrance of the old street, looking quite pale. "You win, Calliope."I looked at her in confusion.She sneered. "Josiah cut all ties with me. Our project at the Windmere Plains is dead, and the graduation documentary isn't happening anymore. All he thinks about now is you. Are you happy?""No, I'm not, because I was never competing with you."She flinched, her expression turning sour instantly. "Don't give me that holier-than-thou act! You barely have to do anything, and he still likes you. Why? "I climbed mountains with him,