Junior Class Trip
For this class trip, the school gave us two options.
Both choices include the main attractions like the Empire State Building and the Statue of Liberty, which we’re doing tomorrow. For today, however, track one has the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), a walk-through of Rockefeller Center and Times Square, lunch involving pizza and pretzels, an afternoon at the Met, and an art installation in Central Park. Track two has the Intrepid Sea, Air, and Space Museum and a Yankees game before they meet back up with us in Central Park.
I’m doing track one with Grace and Max, while Nick and Caleb chose track two. At first it made me sad I wouldn’t be hanging out with my boyfriend today, but it’s not like we have to do everything together. If I want to talk to him, he’s only a text away.
Kids from school begin pouring into the lobby, swarming the Starbucks like zombies. At this hour, everybody needs a caffeine fix. I wave at Grace, who accepts a cup of coffee from the barista. She blows into the lid to cool it as she walks my way. Grace looks super cute wearing a white tank top and a pair of denim overalls featuring cropped short shorts. Totally going to steal those tomorrow.
Grace joins me on the couch. “I am so excited.”
Max and Caleb plop down across from me with large iced coffees. Max rests the cup on his thigh, closes his eyes, and leans his head back, his camera nestled safely against his stomach. He’s not awake yet. Caleb smiles at him sideways.
Mr. Sanderson, the chemistry teacher, and Coach Rice appear. Coach Rice brought his trusty bullhorn. He clearly does not care if he wakes up other hotel guests.
“Okay!” Coach Rice shouts into the bullhorn, startling Max awake. His coffee starts to tip over, but he catches it. “We’re going to split you up into your tracks. Bob is leading track one,” he says, pointing to Mr. Sanderson. “I’m taking track two. Wooo, Yankees!”
“Booo,” a bunch of his baseball players say. Being from Tennessee, we’re all Braves fans.
“Track two, follow me,” Coach Rice says, and nearly all of the boys and a couple of girls, including Marcie and Dana—who are wearing cute baseball caps—rise to follow him. Caleb squeezes Max’s knee before joining the track two group, looking over his shoulder to smile at Max.
Nick leans over and gives me a quick kiss goodbye.
“Take lots of selfies for me,” he says, winking.
Max, Grace, and I are all smiles as we follow Mr. Sanderson out of the hotel with our drinks in hand, but my smile disappears when I see that one other guy decided to take the museum track: Alex.