“No.No. Ew. Definitely Not. Hmm,Maybe” Hope said as she rummaged through her closet and deciding which clothes she should shove in her bag. She only packed a couple of things. She didn't know where she was going or how long it would take her to get there so she wanted to pack light. Beep Beep. Hope pulled back her window curtain to see Nori waiting in her red Toyota Corolla. She smiled. She had texted Nori about how she wanted to go away. She didn't explain anything at all. All she said was that she should come asap but she hadn't actually expected her to come. She finished packing and rushed out of the front door with a smile so bright and big it could light up the dark 2 AM morning sky. “You came.” Hope said as she hopped into the car. “Well of course. What else are friends for besides going on spontaneous road-trips at 2 AM. “ Nori said. “But now that I’m here. Spill. What’s this about?” “ Where to start? Well Nori as you probably already know. I’m just an average girl with an average life. Nothing exciting ever happens to me. I spent my whole life hoping and hoping that something really cool would happen to me. But nothing ever did except now. Now I’m taking matters into my own hands. Hence the crazy spontaneous road trip.” “Hmm sounds interesting. Well where to?” Nori said. “I don’t know just drive.” And that’s exactly what the two girls did.

At around 6 AM Nori started getting tired and Hope was deep in sleep so she stopped at a rest station somewhere in Kentucky. “Nori,Nori, wake up.” Hope said pushing Nori on her shoulder to try to get her to move. “Leave me alone I’m trying to sleep.” Nori said groggily turning over the other way. “Ugh just give me the keys Nori and move in the back so I can drive while you sleep” “Ha ha good one, this car is my pride and joy. The day I let you drive it is the day I jump out of a plane.” “Whatever just drive then. Let’s find a Wawas so we can fill up on food and gas. I’m starved.” Hope laid her arm out of the open window and let the wind blow through her hair and hit her arms relishing in the freedom. “ Doesn't it feel nice to have no cares in the world?” Hope said smiling. Bloop Bloop. Hope looked down at her phone to see that she had 5 unread messages from her parents they wanted to know where she was so they could baby sit. Of course. As they pulled in to the parking lot Hope got out of the car and called her parents. “Yeah ,mom. No I can’t baby sit. I’m not even in the state right now. I’m going on a road trip for the entire summer. I’m tired of being ignored. Bye. “Hope stated and hung up before her mother could respond. Nori walked up beside her. “What was that about?” “Oh nothing. “Hope said coolly as she chucked her phone into a nearby trash can. She turned to Nori who was giving her a weird look for throwing her phone away. “Just a new start. The only person I need this summer to talk to is standing right beside me.” The girls hugged and walked into the store giggling and smiling. Hope’s life was finally looking up.

Two days later the girls finally arrived in the Big Apple. Hope certainly knew why they named it that. In such a big city she felt like a tiny little ant exploring a big apple full of so much potential. She had no idea where to start. The girls looked up on Nori’s phone some good salons to go to. They found one that was decently priced. “ Whadya want doll?” A lady with a thick New York Accent said as they walked through the doors. Hope was a little taken aback by this question. She knew she wanted a new hair style but she didn’t know exactly what she wanted. Nori could sense this and quickly chimed in. “Give her a blow out and bangs” “Ahh, nice choice. Flirty and fun” the lady said. “That’s all fine and dandy but nowhere in there did I hear the words thrilling, or daring, or risk taking.” ‘That’s the whole point of coming here. To take risk! Give me a blow out and bangs AND dye my hair red” Hope said with a sudden wave of energy flowing through her. “Woah girl. You sure about that?” Nori asked “Yeah. Go big or go home right?” “Right.” Nori said. “Well since you’re willing to look like Ronald McDonald I’m willing to give this whole new look thing a try. Dye my hair dark brown and cut to my shoulders please.” Hope gasped. “But you love your long blonde locks! Are you sure?” “Yeah well, being blonde is over rated now. It seems like everybody is nowadays. And what’s the fun in that? Besides, go big or go home right?” Nori said with a wink as she slid into the salon chair.

“Whadya think?” the stylist asked the two ladies. “Ahhhhhhhhh!” Hope & Nori screamed in unison. They ADORED their new hair do’s. “It’s perfect.” Nori said. “Beautiful.” murmured Hope mesmerized by the face looking back at her in the mirror. Her hair was definitely not average anymore. “Well we have the hair look and now it’s time for the clothes.” Nori said pulling out a credit card. ‘Shopping spree!” she said with a laugh so loud it could have probably been heard all the way in China. The ladies hit up H&M, Forever 21, & Zara. As hope looked in the dressing room of Zara she realized that her height was average, she had very long toned lengths that seemed to go on for miles that made her seem 10 feet tall when she was really only 5’8. She wondered why she had just noticed this. “We have one last final stop here in New York.” Hope stated. “Oh really? & what would that be?” Nori asked curiously “Sephora! Well you’re already gorgeous without makeup it’s mainly for me” Hope explained. “Hope you’re a supermodel! You don’t need it. Just look at you. You have legs for days, you’re hair brings out you’re smooth, flawless skin. And you’re eyes are gorgeous. They’re mysterious. I envy you!” “Ha-ha, really funny. You, beautiful Nori Eastwood who travels the world every summer with her parents and has every boy drooling over you with your exotic beauty is jealous of me? Plain Jane? Yeah right.” Nori got a serious expression on her face now. “Hope. You’re beautiful. You may not realize it but trust me you are. You have this natural glow around you that can brighten up a room. And all that traveling the world stuff. Yeah it’s fun, but you know what’s a million times better? Being right here with you. There’s nowhere else in the world I would rather be than right here with my best friend. You are the farthest thing from average hope. You’re amazing. You know why? Because you’re you and don’t you ever forget it.” “I love you Nori.” “I love you too Hope.”
The girls gathered all their shopping bags and put it in the back of Nori’s car. “Hey Hope, catch.” Nori said as she tossed Hope the keys. “Really, you’re letting me drive?! What happened to the whole you would the day you let me drive your car is the day you jump out of a plane thing?” “Well.” Nori said with a playful smile. “I guess we better find the nearest sky diving area.”

“Where are we?” Nori said, waking up from a deep sleep. “Well missy that’s a very good question that I do not know the answer to. I gotta use the bathroom so why don’t we just ask someone inside.” Hope said as she pulled iip to the nearest Sheetz. When Hope emerged from the bathroom Nori told her where they were. “This man here says we’re in Texas.” “Texas? Well what’s there to do in Texas. Nori giggled and putting on her best southern accent stated. “Well I reckon we could hit up a Barbeque restaurant because I don’t know about the rest of y’all city slickers but I’m starved.” Hope burst out into a fit of laughter. “Looks like you got yourself a deal partner but first we have to go sky diving, you promised me that 3 states ago and we still haven’t done it.” Hope responded, pretending to raise a cowboy hat off her head. “Well looks like we’re off to go sky diving.”
Hope stared outside of the plane. She was excited, not nervous like Nori was who was in the corner literally shaking in her boots. She wondered why she wasn’t so scared. This was cool. She had discovered another fascinating thing about herself. She was a bit of a dare devil. It’s not like she did these type of things every day. Heck, she had only been on a plane for the first time a year ago when she flew to France. Nori on the other hand had been on planes since she was like two. “You ready?” The instructor asked the two girls. It was time for the big jump. Nori meagerly nodded. “I was born ready.” Hope said. And with that they dropped.
“That was the best thing ever!” Hope exclaimed when they landed. ‘Totally, I am so glad you dragged me along you little Evil Knievel.” Nori said with a wink “Who knew you were so daring? You didn’t seem scared at all” “I know right! It was so weird. I adapted to it so well. I feel like this trip is going really good so far. I’ve been finding out who I really am. You know?” Hope said. She knew she sounded silly, she didn’t think Nori would understand at all what she meant. “Same, I feel like I have a better understanding on who I am and what makes me special.” ‘Everything.” Hope said. “Everything makes you special. How many people do you know who would wake up at 2 AM, pick up somebody, and drive aimlessly for an entire summer?” “That is true I am pretty awesome aren’t I?” Nori said jokingly pretending to strike poses for a camera. “Ha-ha yes you are.” Now let’s get some food, I’m even hungrier than before.

After the girls finished eating they drove to the nearest ret stop. “Phew, I’m wiped out.” Hope said yawning. “Me too, who knew jumping out of a plane could tire you out so much and with all the food I ate, I’m ready to go into hibernation.”Nori said sleepily “Night Nori.” “Goodnight hope. Sleep tight, and don’t let the bed bugs bite” she said with one last yawn before she lay down and fell into a deep deep sleep.

At around 7 AM the girls woke up. “Nori, this summer has been the best time of my life. I know we set out with no destination but what do you think about California? “ “To like visit?” “ How about to live?” “What?!” Nori exclaimed shocked. “Hear me out, we graduated high school and this trip was for me to figure out who I was before college and stuff. And I have! There’s nothing back there for us in Virginia. Sure it’s fun and great…sometimes. But there are so many more opportunities for us to keep discovering who we really are in Cali! We both made it in to UCLA so that takes care of school. And we can rent an apartment put there too and get jobs. It’ll be fun what do you say?” Hope said pleadingly “I say I need time to think about this. This was never a part of my life plan Hope.” “Well neither was this road trip but we both had tons of fun on this!” “Valid point. There’s a month till school starts I still have some time to decide what I want to do. But in the meantime let’s continue with the good times.” “Let’s.” Hope said and with that Nori drove off.
“Where are we?” Hope asked. She had gotten sick after their Texas adventure so she spent all of two days sleeping and eating but now she felt much better. “California!” Nori said ecstatically. “Oh my gosh, what?! Does this mean that you want to move out here with me?” Hope asked “Why, yes it does, roomie.” Hope couldn’t believe it. She looked back to the beginning of the summer when she thought she was just an average girl and had lost all hope. She had come such a far way she became even closer with Nori and had discovered so many new things about herself along the way. But most importantly, she found had found hope.