“What a beautiful day to take a drive,” Jonathan said to himself while throwing his duffle bag into the trunk of his 1999 Ford Explorer, “this is going to be a great weekend.”

Jonathan had recently been released on spring break by his local high school. Upon release he immediately staggered to all of his friends trying to find someone, anyone who wasn’t going to be in a tropical climate for the break. Much to his avail, no one was home still; all of his friends had already left for their spring break heaven.

Cold, wet, and gloomy Michigan is where he’s stuck for the next ten days. The cloudy weather constantly played games with his head. All he could think about was all of his friends being in beautiful, sunny, warm weather for the week, while he was stuck, caught, trapped in the dreadful weather of Michigan. With nothing to do but to go to work day in and day out, more and more routine became his spring break life. Wake up around noon; sit around watching television; eat some junk; go to work; come home and play videogames; take a shower; go to bed late. That was the routine Jon went through for four days in a row. Entirely sick of the circumstances, Jon went online to face book trying to find anyone who was available. There were plenty of people on, one person saying they’re in Jamaica, another in Cancun, and one in Florida. The list went on and on with beautiful, fabulous places until he ran across a friends name who didn’t go to his school. In fact he had already graduated and was posted up at Michigan State for the academic school year. A light bulb went on in Jon’s head and at the same time he instant messaged his companion.

“Garret! How the heck are you man!” he typed in to his old pal. Jon had met Garret when they played on a baseball team together two summers back.
Jonathan and Garret immediately became friends, joking around in the dugout, hanging out on nights after games and going to concerts together. Garret was actually the first person who ever got Jon to try any kind of alcohol. One time a small group of friends from the team gathered at Garret’s place to have a small party together, alcohol was indeed consumed at this party, in small proportions though. The guys would go to “the room” which was a back room used for storage and secretive drinking. They’d go in and toast to things like a good season, and everyone hanging out together. That night was great up until it seemed like the drinking got a little out of hand where one friend actually passed out and another threw up in “the room” and innocent Jon, sober as a bird became the caretaker of his friends and teammates.
These were the normal activities while Garret was home, but there is a new home in Garret’s life; East Lansing, Michigan. Over the last semester, the first of his collegiate career, Garret had gotten to know the layout and basic aspects of his new home. Friends had been made and contacts have come into use for parties, and get togethers of any sort. Everything had gotten better in college for Garret, with the exception of nearly losing his girlfriend over the space that had come between the two. Garret had decided to attend Michigan State University and his girlfriend Jaclyn decided to go to West Virginia University. His girlfriend being so far away may really suck but there are also things gained that kind of fill in for hole in his heart. Things such as no parents and just about no rules, and the only people who will get you in trouble for partying are your RA’s and the Police. All of the partying and drinking that you want as long as all of the work for your classes gets done on time.
“Jonnie! I’m doing well brosef, its great to hear from you. What have you been up to lately big guy?” Garret replied, always happy to catch up with Jon.
“Oh my goodness Gary, you have no idea, I’ve been so ridiculously bored just chilling here in Saline since spring break started. I’ve worked almost every single day for the last 6 days and I’m absolutely sick of it. What kind of junk have you been up to?”
“I hear ya dude, I’ve been around man, just living the college life, going to classes getting homework done, and partying of course.”
“Nice, how’s all of the schoolwork going for you?”
“Really well actually, I pulled off a 3.8 the first semester so they let me in to James Madison College.”
“Congrats Garret, make me proud son!”
“Hahaha, yeah, well I’ve been working hard and it’s been paying off.”
“Aghhh man, I need to get out there and visit to get a taste of old MSU soon, real soon.” Jon put the emphasis on the real trying to get Garret to realize how desperate Jon was to escape his home and possibly invite him out.
“As a matter of fact Jon, my room mate is leaving this weekend to visit his mom for her birthday, I have class on Thursday and I’m free after that until Monday. You should come out; you'd even have your own bed and everything!” Garret said trying not to sound too desperate himself, even though he really wanted for Jonathan to come visit.
“Gary, that’s so crazy that it just might work. I’m sure that I could get off of work fro Friday night and I could come out there for Friday Saturday and come home Sunday.”
“I don’t know about you Jon but that sounds like a plan to me.”
“Hell yeah brother! I’m totally in! I can’t wait to get the heck away from here and do something with my spring break! Thanks so much Garret I can’t wait to see you man.”
“Well I’m glad I could help you out, just call me in the next couple days to confirm that you’re going to be able to make it out here.”
“Will do bud, you take care and have things ready for me and a few parties lined up if you catch my drift!”
“Haha, I already have one or two in mind, one for Friday and one for Saturday if you do stay that long.”
“Alright well I’ll talk to you later Garret, thanks again and I’ll talk to you soon.”
“No problem Jonnie boy, talk to ya soon.”
“See ya!”
“Later” Garret concluded the conversation.
Immediately after signing off the internet, Jonathan jumped up and pumped his fists into the air. Finally, something to look forward to about break! This is going to be awesome! The only problems left for Jonnie to conquer are getting permission to go and to get someone to cover his shift for Friday night at his work. The easiest of the obstacles should be to get someone to cover his shift. His parents on the other hand will take some convincing to give him permission to go on a two day quest in a college setting complete with no parents and alcohol flowing like water fountains.
First things first, getting someone to cover at work. Jonathan had been working at a restaurant in downtown Saline where he was somewhat of the manager’s favorite workers. So Jonnie called in to check with his manager to see if his missing work that Friday would be a big deal at all.
“Qdoba Mexican Grill, this is David speaking, how can I help you?” David, the manager of Qdoba answered. David was a short round Mexican man with a big heart and an even bigger sense of humor.
“Hey David, its Jon, how are you?”
“Hello Mr. Jon, life is beautiful, how are you?”
“Life is beautiful for me as well, my friend. Are you very busy right now?”
“No, why?”
“Could you check the schedule to see who could possibly fill in for me on Friday night?”
“You no work Friday night?”
Exactly what Jon was afraid of, he was hoping to just get an answer without any questions, but of course he had a plan made up before coming into the situation.
“My family decided they wanted to go out of town for the weekend and wanted me to come as well, I told them I have to work and they want me to see if I could get it off and go with them.” Jonnie said, hoping David believed it.
“Oh okay sure you can go as long as you find someone to fill in for you.”
“Yeah that’s what I figured. I just wanted to check it in with you first to make sure.”
“Hmmm, let’s see, the only person not on the schedule Friday night is Ashley, so you better hope she’s available because if she can’t, it’s not my problem, and you better be here or else you’ll get written up buddy.”
“Yeah I know, I’ll give Ashley a call, thanks David.”
“No problem Mr. Rich, bye.”
“Later, David.” Jon said before hanging up and calling Ashley seeming to be in a hurry even though he had a whole day to figure it out. Jon finished looking up Ashley in his contact list of his cell phone and called. No rings, straight to voicemail. What the heck? Jonathan thought to himself. Hoping for an answer, Jonnie waited a few minutes and gave it another shot. This time it rang. It rang again. And it rang one more time, immediately following there was an answer.
“Hello.” Ashley said in a sweet voice.
“Ashley, thank god, I’ve been trying to call you but there’s been no ringer.”
“Really, I must not have had any reception.”
“Ahh well, I kind of need for you to work for me Friday night if it wouldn’t be any trouble.”
“Sure, I’m not scheduled at Qdoba or my other job, so I can do it. Why can’t you work for yourself? She asked out of pure curiosity.
“See, my parents are sick of leaving me home alone and going out of town without me so they wanted to bring me along this time. I told them that I have to work Friday but they still want me to come so they asked me to see if I could get it off and come along. So, here I am asking you to cover for me.” He went along with the same lie so things don’t get too distorted at work and no can one figure out he’s lying.
“Okay well, I can work for you, just let them know and I guess have a good trip. Oh wait I never asked, what time is your shift?”
“Five to nine, that’s all. Thanks a lot ash, have fun I guess and ill see you later.”
“Okay Jon see ya.”
“Bye.” Finally crossing an objective off the list, Jonathan got a little excited inside and pumped his right fist in the air. The time has now come for the final and seemingly toughest objective to be confronted. Jonnie now had to somehow convince his parents into freeing their boy into the college life for a few days.
Jonnies parents aren’t very dumb; actually they’re some of the smartest people you’ll ever meet who never went to any type of graduate school. Even though they never went to a college, they know what the college life is all about; partying, drinking, hooking up with random girls you meet at parties and basically not being safe in any way possible. Though his parents are lenient, Jon knows that his parents are going to want to think it over. Jon, knowing that his parents need as much time as possible to think about it, immediately went to them to ask.
“Mom, Dad, where are you guys?” Jonathan shouted out into his home.
“In the living room, babe.” His mother shouted back.
Jon made his way up the stairs and turned the corner to the living room finding his parents staring at him.
“What do you need, Jon.” His father asked
“Well, I just got done talking to Garret on Facebook and it seems as though his room mate is leaving this weekend, and was wondering if I could make it out and visit him for the few days while his roomie is gone, Friday until Sunday. Of course I needed to see if you guys would allow it before I could give him a definite answer.”
“Go ahead—“
“Bye.” His mother and father said respectively.
“I mean I have money to pay for my gas and I promise ill be safe and— wait, what?” Jon was so taken back that his parents had so quickly approved of the idea. That he had to stop and completely rethink his plan of attack.
“Alright well, I’m going to be leaving around 5 so I can get there around dinner time so he and I can go out to eat together and possibly with a buddy of his or two.” Jon said.
“Then go get messed up?” his mother asked, jokingly but with a little bit of serious curiosity in the back of her head wondering what her son will really be doing.
“Oh yeah mom, you know me, big drinker over here, watch out.” Jonathan said, teasing his mother. “Honestly, I’m just happy to be able to get away for a few days during spring break, I literally think I was about to go crazy if I had to stay here much longer while all of my friends were somewhere else having fun.”
“Yeah that’s what we figured, you can go ahead and have a good time instead of staying home the whole time being bored out of your skull.” His mother said.
“So, you guys are being serious and you have no problem with me leaving?” Jonnie asked as a final statement.
“Of course Jon, it’s your senior spring break, it’s all about the memories, and I’m sure you don’t want to remember sitting at home the whole time with nothing to do but go to work. Go out and create a couple experiences that you’ll never forget as long as you live.” His father said to end the discussion, shooing him away with his hand.
“Thanks guys, I love you.” Jon exclaimed to his parents as he yanked his cell phone out to call Gary. He raced through his contact list to find Gary and pressed send. Two rings and there was an answer.
“Jon, what’s up man?” Gary answered.
“You better be ready because Friday, 5 o clock, I’m leaving this hell hole and entering yours for the weekend so be ready to party!” Jon exclaimed to Gary.
“’Atta boy Jon, ‘atta boy,” Gary said with a chuckle in his voice, “this just might be the best weekend of your short life so far.”
“Good lord, I hope so, I need it after this long dumb spring break I’ve been on this whole time.” Jon replied.
Finally the day came for Jon to leave. It felt like it would never come but it’s finally here, Friday, time to make something of spring break and make some memories he’ll never forget. Five o clock finally rolls in and its time for Jon to roll out.