Shattered Glass Unbroken Soul Chapter 01
The night before our trip, Drew tagged me in the group chat.
*”Check your flight.”*
I opened the booking app. The screen showed my ticket was canceled.
It had been refunded three days ago.
Before I could type a single word, messages blew up my screen.
*”Drew and I made a bet. We wanted to see if you’d actually check your booking before we left. I bet you wouldn’t. But he told you to check! Foul play!”* Piper’s text popped up first.
*”Come on. You lost anyway. She really didn’t notice until just now. Just book a new one, Avery. We just won’t be sitting together, that’s all.”* Drew replied right after.
They were having a great time.
Just like the last time. They bet on how many days it would take me to realize our hotel suite was swapped for a shared room where I had to sleep on a cot.
Or the time before that. They bet on whether I’d notice the only museum on our itinerary had been replaced with an escape room.
Every time I told them I hated it, their response was always the same.
*”If you don’t say anything, how are we supposed to know you care?”*
But they never asked.
I didn’t book a new ticket to Cancun.
I opened another app and searched for flights to Iceland.
Watching the aurora in five-degree weather.
All by myself. It sounded perfect.
***
When the front door unlocked, I was stuffing my last pair of wool socks into my suitcase.
Drew and Piper pushed their way in. They carried snorkeling goggles, sun shirts, and a bag of neon pool floats.
Piper noticed the heavy winter coat on my couch first. She froze for a second. Then she doubled over, laughing uncontrollably.
“Drew, Venmo me.” She pointed at my suitcase, wiping a tear from her eye. “I told you she’d be pissed. She even packed winter clothes just to scare us.”
Drew leaned against the entryway. He looked down at his phone to send the money, a helpless smirk on his lips.
“Fine. You win.”
He pocketed his phone and walked over to me. Reached out to ruffle my hair.
“Avery, I already bought your new ticket. We took the joke too far this time. Stop being mad. Take those heavy clothes out. You can’t wear them in Cancun.”
I stepped aside. Dodged his hand.
Drew’s hand hovered in the air. His eyebrows pulled together.
“Are you seriously throwing a fit?”
I zipped up my suitcase and pulled up the handle.
“I’m not going to Cancun. Have a good trip.”
Piper’s smile vanished for a split second. She quickly closed the distance, reaching out to hook her arm through mine.
“Come on, the ticket is already sorted. If you don’t want to sit alone, I’ll make Drew switch with you. I can sit in the back, okay?”
I stared down at her hand on my arm.
“Don’t touch me.”
Piper froze.
Drew’s expression darkened.
“Avery, it was just a prank with the flight. Do you really need to act like this?”
I looked at him.
“You canceled my ticket. You placed bets on my trip. And now you’re asking me if I’m overreacting?”
Drew pressed his tongue against the inside of his cheek, fighting his annoyance.
“Didn’t I already fix it? I bought the new ticket last night. It’s not like you actually can’t go.”
Piper nodded along, her voice dripping with grievance.
“Yeah, we never meant to leave you behind. We just wanted to mess with you a little. You never used to be like this.”
She paused. Her eyes suddenly lit up like she remembered something.
“Oh, right! I have good news. I was going to wait until we were on the road to tell you, just to cheer you up.”
My stomach dropped.
Piper pulled her phone from her bag. She brought up a screenshot and shoved it in my face.
“Your final portfolio for the Aurora Fellowship. I submitted it for you the day before yesterday. You’ve been pulling so many all-nighters lately, I felt bad for you. So I clicked submit.”
My fingers gripped the suitcase handle tight.
“You touched my competition files?”
“Don’t be so uptight.” Piper pouted, acting like I ruined her fun. “I even added a little Easter egg for you. I put an eye-rolling frog watermark in the corner of your favorite main piece. It’s hilarious.”
She winked at Drew.
“Drew and I bet on whether you’d notice. I wanted to reveal it when you won the award to maximize the surprise.”
A loud ringing exploded in my ears.
The Aurora Fellowship required strict anonymous judging. The submission files absolutely prohibited any irrelevant layers, let alone joke watermarks.
I hadn’t slept a full night in two weeks to finish that final portfolio.
It was the only recommendation slot from my entire college.
I grabbed my phone and opened my inbox.
The newest email was from the judging committee.
*Due to non-competition elements disrupting the artwork’s integrity and violating the anonymous judging policy, your eligibility for this year’s fellowship has been revoked.*Â