Chapter 4: The Last StrawStrangers in a Second

I never got an explanation from Amelia. Instead, I started seeing her all over Caleb's social media.

She took Caleb to an amusement park to ride roller coasters. She took him to the zoo to see the giraffes. The two of them even went to see the latest romance movie.

In every post, Caleb mentioned the same words—little servant. It was his silent way of staking his claim.

I didn't react and quietly packed my bags.

Before the SATs, I'd set myself a goal. If I did well, I'd reward myself with a trip to Evermont.

I did exceptionally well, which meant I'd reached my goal.

…

However, when I got to the airport, I saw two familiar faces—Amelia and Caleb.

Amelia looked awkward, staring at me as if she wanted to say something but couldn't.

In the end, Caleb spoke first. "Colin, don't get the wrong idea. My parents gave me some money to travel, and I didn't want to go alone, so I brought Amelia with me. Besides, she's my servant now."

Amelia had Caleb's black backpack slung over her shoulder, his black suitcase in her hand, and one of his usual massagers hanging around her neck.

She handled his things with the practiced ease of a girlfriend carrying her boyfriend's stuff.

I said nothing and went through the ticket check.

Seeing how calmly I reacted, Amelia looked a little panicked.

Unfortunately, we were all headed to the same place—Evermont.

I didn't want to get too involved with them, so I kept to myself and did my own thing.

However, Amelia kept finding excuses to appear in front of me. She'd bring me a coconut, offer to put sunscreen on me, or volunteer to snap my picture.

No matter how hard I tried to get rid of her, she wouldn't go away.

…

On the day we were supposed to head home, my luggage suddenly disappeared.

Amelia and Caleb both acted frantic, tirelessly helping me look for it.

For some reason, I felt a little warmth in my chest. Then, I heard their voices around the corner.

Amelia looked upset as she urged Caleb to hurry. "It's been five hours already. The joke has gone far enough. Give Colin his things back."

I was stunned. So, they were the ones who had hidden my luggage.

Caleb shook his head. "No. Colin relies on us for everything. It's about time he learned to take care of himself."

She frowned. "You don't need to worry about that. I'm staying in the same place as Colin. I can take care of him."

He was getting impatient. "You're still my servant. Keep resisting me, and we're going to have a problem. Let's bet on how long it takes Colin to realize his luggage is in the public restroom on the first floor."

A sharp pain went through me. They had actually hidden my things in a place like that.

I turned around and went to look. Sure enough, I found my luggage sitting on a toilet lid in the public restroom.

After checking to make sure nothing was missing, I left Evermont on my own.

…

Yet, as soon as I got home, my mother started yelling at me.

"How could you come home without saying a word? Do you have any idea how worried Amelia was? She even called me. How did I end up with a son who causes so much trouble? Amelia and Caleb must have the worst luck having to deal with you."

My father chimed in with his own complaints.

I said nothing. I went inside and started unpacking.

…

The day my college acceptance letter arrived, I didn't tell anyone.

I took my suitcase to the airport.

Just before I boarded the plane, Amelia texted me. "You've gotten your acceptance letter, right? We can be together again. Where are you now? I have a surprise for you."

I didn't reply. I deleted her contact and blocked her.

From now on, anyone and anything that made me unhappy would be gone from my life for good.