Sure, the kfar had less homework, but that wasn’t the real reason they decided to leave. “It’s the cushy rooms and gourmet food.”
“They were lucky to escape,” Jordyn said.
I wasn’t gonna fall down like a domino. Their decision reminded me how much I didn’t want to give up. “Solitary confinement would be worse.”
Jake walked over to us. “Miss the defectors. We’ll get through their betrayal. Let me hug ya.”
“It’s not all about you,” Jordyn said.
I thought of my bedroom at home. I had an extra plush mattress and my own bathroom. “I miss my bedroom and bathtub.”
“I miss my friends,” Mia whined.
“You told me they’re boring,” I reminded her.
“If I were at home, I’d be at a yearbook committee meeting,” Mia said.
I closed my eyes again. If I was at home, I would have been alone in my room studying or watching TV. “I’m tired. Be quiet.”
Jake pulled my hair. “What was that?”
My heart bounced. I hadn’t been able to fall asleep after he left my room the night before. He could get any girl. Why me?
“Nothing,” I said.
“What’d you say?” he said.
The bus horn honked. “Does anyone have an aspirin?” I asked loudly. “I have a headache.”
Jake walked up to Jordyn’s seat. “No tight tank tops or short shorts for the religious sites.”
“Shut up.” Jordyn adjusted the strings holding up her bikini top. “I’ll cover up when we get there.”
“Tight and see-through, I hope,” Jake said.
Mia handed me two aspirin. “He likes a good-girl challenge.”
“We’re blowing off his flirty talk,” I reminded her.
“That’s over. I’ve got Ben.”
“I’m into Avi.”
“Sure.” Mia stepped over my feet and sat down with Ben.
There were several Avi questions floating around. Was the kiss a one-time thing? Would he become my boyfriend? Avi was cool—a safe hookup. There would be less embarrassment if I messed up the relationship. Jake wasn’t as safe. Any mess-ups would be talked about by everybody at the kfar . Why jeopardize my reputation? Mia had made her entrance, and I was progressing. I had Mia for a friend, Jordyn was focused on Caleb, and Jake was nothing but a friend, a guy who flirted with everybody. Taking him seriously was plain stupid.
As we pulled into our first stop, my headache went away. Outside, I smelled salt water. We followed Chatterbox to the foot of a hill covered with evergreen trees. “That’s the Baha’i Shrine and Gardens. The gold-dome building is a combination of eastern and western architecture.”
The off-white marble lines detailing the dome made it look like a golden upside-down cake that had a point in the middle. Huge columns held up the dome on top of the white square building. After climbing millions of steps to the entrance, the view of ships sailing and ivory buildings dotting the surrounding hills was postcard-perfect.
“The Baha’i built their religion based on the unity of all world religions,” Chatterbox explained.
“We know this already,” Ben said.
“Take off your shoes,” Chatterbox ordered and spoke in Hebrew to Leah.
Mia turned on her phone and typed her parents a message that we were on our way to see the Baha’i shrine. “I like that they think all the major world religions represent one changeless and eternal belief of God,” she said as she sent the message.
“You sound like a textbook,” I couldn’t help but point out.
“That’s me.” She raised her hand. “Call on me, teacher. I know the answer.”
“My parents used to live here in Haifa,” Ben said. “This is the best city. It’s just like San Francisco.”
“Caleb told me buses and restaurants don’t close for Shabbat,” Jordyn said, bragging about her inside source.
Chatterbox removed his black leather sandals. “We’ll see the visitation room of the complex where the Baha’i leader is buried. No talking or taking pictures.”
Ben smirked at Chatterbox’s rule.
The white walls inside the
“They were lucky to escape,” Jordyn said.
I wasn’t gonna fall down like a domino. Their decision reminded me how much I didn’t want to give up. “Solitary confinement would be worse.”
Jake walked over to us. “Miss the defectors. We’ll get through their betrayal. Let me hug ya.”
“It’s not all about you,” Jordyn said.
I thought of my bedroom at home. I had an extra plush mattress and my own bathroom. “I miss my bedroom and bathtub.”
“I miss my friends,” Mia whined.
“You told me they’re boring,” I reminded her.
“If I were at home, I’d be at a yearbook committee meeting,” Mia said.
I closed my eyes again. If I was at home, I would have been alone in my room studying or watching TV. “I’m tired. Be quiet.”
Jake pulled my hair. “What was that?”
My heart bounced. I hadn’t been able to fall asleep after he left my room the night before. He could get any girl. Why me?
“Nothing,” I said.
“What’d you say?” he said.
The bus horn honked. “Does anyone have an aspirin?” I asked loudly. “I have a headache.”
Jake walked up to Jordyn’s seat. “No tight tank tops or short shorts for the religious sites.”
“Shut up.” Jordyn adjusted the strings holding up her bikini top. “I’ll cover up when we get there.”
“Tight and see-through, I hope,” Jake said.
Mia handed me two aspirin. “He likes a good-girl challenge.”
“We’re blowing off his flirty talk,” I reminded her.
“That’s over. I’ve got Ben.”
“I’m into Avi.”
“Sure.” Mia stepped over my feet and sat down with Ben.
There were several Avi questions floating around. Was the kiss a one-time thing? Would he become my boyfriend? Avi was cool—a safe hookup. There would be less embarrassment if I messed up the relationship. Jake wasn’t as safe. Any mess-ups would be talked about by everybody at the kfar . Why jeopardize my reputation? Mia had made her entrance, and I was progressing. I had Mia for a friend, Jordyn was focused on Caleb, and Jake was nothing but a friend, a guy who flirted with everybody. Taking him seriously was plain stupid.
As we pulled into our first stop, my headache went away. Outside, I smelled salt water. We followed Chatterbox to the foot of a hill covered with evergreen trees. “That’s the Baha’i Shrine and Gardens. The gold-dome building is a combination of eastern and western architecture.”
The off-white marble lines detailing the dome made it look like a golden upside-down cake that had a point in the middle. Huge columns held up the dome on top of the white square building. After climbing millions of steps to the entrance, the view of ships sailing and ivory buildings dotting the surrounding hills was postcard-perfect.
“The Baha’i built their religion based on the unity of all world religions,” Chatterbox explained.
“We know this already,” Ben said.
“Take off your shoes,” Chatterbox ordered and spoke in Hebrew to Leah.
Mia turned on her phone and typed her parents a message that we were on our way to see the Baha’i shrine. “I like that they think all the major world religions represent one changeless and eternal belief of God,” she said as she sent the message.
“You sound like a textbook,” I couldn’t help but point out.
“That’s me.” She raised her hand. “Call on me, teacher. I know the answer.”
“My parents used to live here in Haifa,” Ben said. “This is the best city. It’s just like San Francisco.”
“Caleb told me buses and restaurants don’t close for Shabbat,” Jordyn said, bragging about her inside source.
Chatterbox removed his black leather sandals. “We’ll see the visitation room of the complex where the Baha’i leader is buried. No talking or taking pictures.”
Ben smirked at Chatterbox’s rule.
The white walls inside the
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