Staying on Course (Finding our Way 2)

“Who the F cares about Israel? Let’s hear it—where we goin’?”

He clears his throat and does nothing to hide his excitement. “We, my friends, are heading to Rio De Janeiro, home to the 2016 Olympics.”

My stomach lurches, and Quinn and I screech at the same time. We jump to our knees and hug clumsily, this time not caring that the computer falls over into the mattress. The excitement is shared equally with everyone, as screams can be heard through the phone.

“Fuck yeah!”

“Holy shit!”

“This is fucking cool!”

One guy even yells, “Mom, you’re gonna love this shit!”

This sends a round of laughter.

Some of my irritation is replaced with thrill. We set the computer back up right and wait to hear the rest. It takes a few minutes for everyone to calm and Professor Grant to continue. For the next hour, we receive multiple emails with instructions, agendas, and basic travel rules.

When the call is over, both Quinn and I fall back on the bed and make a list of things we now know we need. My phone dings with a text from Bryce.

Bryce: How’d your call go?

“Is it creepy how in tune he is with you? I mean, the call ended less than ten minutes ago. How did he know?” Quinn asks.

“I don’t know, but are you ready to go? Once I reply, we need to run.”

She gives me a knowing grin. We get to her car and back out of the driveway before I send my response. He could be down the street or across town, but no doubt he will be barging through the door soon.

Me: Call was great. Israel’s out But, no worries. Istanbul should be fun. Phone is dying. Out with Quinn. See you later! XO!

He’s going to flip, but let him stew on it for a while.

*****

When Quinn and I walk into my house a few hours later, Bryce is on the couch with his arms crossed, staring directly at me. His expression is eerily blank. Quinn stands close and puts her hand to my back. “Should I go?”

“No, Quinn, you need to stay. Put down your bags, and both of you come here,” Bryce orders and we move fast.

When we get to the couch, he pats the cushions on either side of him, and we drop down.

“Istanbul, Devon? Really? I almost believed it.”

“It was a joke. I was aggravated at you for interfering with the program. Do you have any idea how embarrassing it’s going to be when I see these people in two weeks?”

“I don’t give a flying fuck if you’re embarrassed. What I care about is you coming back alive and unharmed!”

“What exactly did you do, Bryce? How did you make this happen, changing an entire planned and sanctioned trip? We already know you had help, but you were with me in Florida.”

I look to Quinn for support, but she’s silent.

Bryce blows out a breath and runs his hands down his face. “If you want me to say I’m sorry, I’m not.”

“Bryce—”

“No, Dev, here’s what happened. I forwarded the email on your phone to Nate. There was a spreadsheet attached with all students accepted and their contact information, including their emergency contacts. Most of these were the parents. A few calls and emails were exchanged. Karen, Steve, Michelle, Paul, and Nate all called your professor and expressed concerns. Believe it or not, they were not the first, nor the last. Once the administrators understood the ultimate dangers, they made a different decision. It wasn’t all us.”

“But you should have talked to me! Y’all promised we’d talk about it logically when we got home. All the while, you were plotting behind our backs.” I point to Quinn who nods eagerly. “They wouldn’t send us into a country without protection.”

“Baby, they wouldn’t purposely do it, but threats don’t stand on the street corner warning you the