Midterms week had finally ended, and by some miracle of the universe, all of us had survived. Sack and I got good grades, which was expected, but what was truly surprising was that Olivia... passed. Barely. But she passed.
I could still hear her victory scream echoing through the halls of the faculty building when she saw her grades.
"¡I DID IT! ¡I'M A GODDESS OF KNOWLEDGE!"
Sack and I exchanged incredulous looks.
"What's your definition of 'goddess'?" Sack asked, raising an eyebrow.
"The kind that passes with the bare minimum, but still passes," she replied proudly, waving her phone to show us her grade.
"Olivia... you got a C-," I said, trying to process how something so borderline was even possible.
"That means I'm on the right track to passing, and that, my dear friends, is a triumph," she said with a smile so big it almost convinced me she was right.
Sack sighed.
"This is a statistical joke."
"No, Sack. This is destiny rewarding my effort," she shot back, putting her phone away dramatically.
It was Friday afternoon, and the sun was beginning to set, painting the sky with shades of orange and pink. As a reward for our grueling week of exams (and Olivia's miraculous victory), we had decided to go to the concert being held on campus that night. I didn't know much about the band that was playing, but according to Olivia, they were "pretty decent." Her definition of "decent" ranged from obscure indie groups to electronic music that sounded like someone had thrown a blender down the stairs, so I had no idea what to expect.
When we arrived at the event, the atmosphere was incredible. There were colorful lights illuminating the stage, and people were already gathering in front of the platform. Olivia was ecstatic, jumping up and down as she dragged us through the crowd.
"Come on, come on! If we stay back here, we won't see anything!"
Sack and I exchanged a glance, but we followed her. There was something contagious about her enthusiasm, and after a week of mental exhaustion, a night of music and distraction was exactly what we needed.
Of course, we didn't manage to get as close to the stage as Olivia wanted. We stopped at a spot where we could still see, but without the risk of being crushed by the crowd. Even so, Olivia was completely immersed in the atmosphere, moving to the rhythm of the music and singing along to parts of the songs. Sack, on the other hand, simply nodded along to the beat, arms crossed and his usual neutral expression intact. But I knew him well enough to notice that, deep down, he was actually enjoying it.
The music, the energy of the place, the fact that we could finally relax... it all felt good.
Then, in the middle of one of the songs, Olivia turned to us with bright eyes and a mischievous smile.
"Hey, we should do something fun after this. Something spontaneous. Like a surprise trip!"
Sack frowned.
"The last time you said 'something spontaneous,' we ended up in a yoga class with grandmas."
"And it was a great experience!" Olivia protested. "Seriously, think about it. A weekend getaway. Just the three of us. No studying, no responsibilities. It'll be amazing!"
"And where would we go?" I asked skeptically.
"We could go to the beach," Olivia suggested. "Relax, swim, sunbathe…"
"I'm not a fan of sand in uncomfortable places," Sack responded with his characteristic serious tone.
"How about the mountains, then?" Olivia tried again. "Hiking, fresh air, no technology for a while."
"That sounds better," I said. "But where exactly?"
Olivia thought for a moment, then snapped her fingers.
"Yosemite! It's beautiful, has incredible hiking trails, and besides, my family is a shareholder of The Ahwahnee Hotel, so accommodations won't be a problem."
Sack nodded, unsurprised.
"It makes sense. You mentioned your family was in the hotel business when we met."
"Exactly," Olivia replied with a self-satisfied smile. "But guys, trust me, it's going to be awesome."
I looked at Sack, waiting for his response. Finally, he sighed and nodded.
"Fine. Yosemite sounds good."
"Perfect!" Olivia exclaimed, clapping her hands. "Then it's a deal. We're going on an adventure!"
After the concert, we ended up at a nearby café, looking for some food and caffeine to keep us awake. As expected, Sack had some opinions about the band.
"They definitely weren't 'pretty decent,'" he muttered, stirring his coffee.
"Oh, come on, they weren't that bad," Olivia replied. "Besides, the atmosphere made up for everything."
"If you say so…" Sack responded, but without much enthusiasm.
As we ate, we began planning our trip. Olivia made a quick call to ensure the rooms would be ready at the hotel. We decided the best option was to leave early in the morning to arrive at Yosemite as soon as possible.
"The only thing missing is the car," I commented. "We don't have one here."
"Lindsay's is in her hometown," Olivia said, "and so is Sack's. And well, I'd rather not drive. Driving and I don't get along."
"That we know," Sack said, not looking up from his coffee.
"It's a shame my car and motorcycle are in my city," Sack added. "They'd be useful there, but here they'd just complicate things."
"So renting one is our best option," I continued. "Something comfortable for the trip."
"I'll drive," Sack said without hesitation. "I don't trust rental cars in your hands."
"Hey, what are you implying?" Olivia asked, pretending to be offended.
"That you don't want to drive, and she doesn't have the best luck with cars," Sack said, taking a sip of his coffee.
We didn't argue. In the end, he was right.
This trip was definitely going to be interesting.