More Than Just Luck

I was about to leave on a dream vacation and all I could worry about were leprechauns. They were supposedly defeated, but I wasn’t sure I believed that.

I packed the last of my clothes and volleyball gear into my bag and zipped it up, then
checked the closet and desk to make sure I hadn’t forgotten anything. I scooped up the few pieces of leprechaun gold sitting on my desk, and set them in the bottom of my trunk. Just before I closed the lid, I touched the sword that had saved me many times over. There was no way I could take it with me on the plane, but I felt bare without it. Besides, we were just going to play volleyball. It wasn’t exactly dangerous.

“Hey, Megan. Are you ready to go? We need to get to Twin Falls.” Mom stood in the doorway, smiling. We would be meeting the rest of the All-star volleyball team at the
airport before heading off to Europe.

“Yeah, just finished packing.” I fiddled with the four-leaf clover ring on my finger, and
brushed away the wish that Jared and Beth could come with me. This was my thing
this time. They had other places to be.

“You’ll be fine, sweetie. You got the bad guy, remember?” She put her arms around me.

I sighed. “Yeah, I know, but you can’t blame me for being jumpy.” I pulled away and
grabbed my bag. “Let’s go before Adam and Dad change their minds about letting
you come with me.”

Mom laughed. “There’s no chance they’re keeping me home. I need a vacation and some time with my daughter. Besides, someone’s got to keep you out of trouble.”

Yeah, like that would ever happen. Trouble hadn’t left my side since halfway through my junior year, when a leprechaun had shown up at my door and stolen my luck. No, seriously.

Mom and I headed downstairs to say good-bye to everyone. Adam and William barely looked up from the TV. Dad kissed Mom, promising to go out for dinner only if they
absolutely had to. I figured that meant every night.

Dad and Maddie followed us out to the front porch and watched as Mom and I put our luggage in the back of the car. We hopped in and pulled out of the driveway, and I couldn’t help grinning as I waved. We made our way to the freeway, and a few minutes later, headed for Twin Falls. I looked out the window, enjoying the peaceful silence of the car. The fields were green with wheat and potatoes. I loved the summers in Idaho, but I couldn’t wait to go to Europe. I’d been in
Ireland just a few months before while saving the day, and it had been freezing. I looked forward to seeing it in the summer.

“So, are you excited?” Mom asked.

“Yeah. It’s going to be awesome. We have a few games, but I’m more excited about the
sightseeing. How about you?”

“I’ve been dying to travel through Europe since I was your age. I can’t wait for the
tours.” Mom hummed to a song on the radio, smiling. This vacation would be good for her.

We pulled in at the airport and parked. I helped Mom grab our stuff, and we headed inside. We stood in a small line to get checked in, and then met up with the rest of the team.  I could see by the smiles on their
faces that everyone was just as excited as I was.

I heard my phone buzz and checked the message.

Be safe. I love you. Sorry I couldn’t see
you off. Don’t forget me.

Love you!

Jared

I grinned and messaged him back with an I love you. I sighed and put the phone away.

“They’ll still be here when you get back.” Mom nodded toward the phone.

“I know. It just feels weird doing something without them. It’s kinda … lonely.” I blinked
back tears that popped up out of nowhere, surprising me. Jared and I had been inseparable—much to his parents’ dismay—since we’d graduated, and I felt like I
was leaving a piece of me behind.

“Hey, thanks a lot.” Mom nudged my shoulder. “It’ll be okay. You’ll have so much fun, the time will fly and you’ll be back before you know it.”

I cringed. Telling my mom I’m lonely was probably not the smoothest thing to say.

“Hey, Mrs. C, do you know where we take our luggage?” Shelby’s mom asked, standing nearby.

“Oh, I’ll go with you.” Mom smiled back at me and walked away.

I wandered over to the other girls and sat down.

“Hey, Megan. Did you remember to print off the itinerary?” Brinley asked.

“Yeah, it’s in my backpack. I can get it for you. I can’t wait for Scotland.” I pulled out the
papers and looked over them again. We’d spend a couple of days in each place,
and play once in every city. I got butterflies in my stomach just thinking about it.

“I’m excited for Ireland. I want to see their castles. I’ve heard they’re amazing.” Shelby
said.

“They are. Except when you’re stuck in their prison.” I muttered the last part.

“Huh?” Shelby looked at me, head tilted to one side.

“Never mind. I’m going to go see when we board. It should be soon.” I stood and left to hide the frustration I felt. I needed to be more careful talking about my trip in front of these girls. They still thought I was somewhat normal, but I needed to talk to someone who understood me. I pulled my hair up into a ponytail as I stared at the board that held the flight information. The summer had decided to hit hard and fast. It was hotter than usual, and I hoped the plane would be cooler than the airport.

There was still another five minutes before it was time to leave, but it felt like hours. When
they finally asked us to start boarding, I grabbed my bags and followed Mom outside to stand in line for the plane. We climbed on the plane and found our seats. It was smaller than the ones I’d taken on the way home from Ireland, and could barely fit our team. Thankfully, it was a quick trip to Salt Lake City from here.

Mom sat next to Shelby’s mom, insisting I needed to hang out with the team. There would be plenty of time for that. I pulled out my phone just before we left and texted
Beth to tell her good-bye. She’d just gotten a job at the ice cream place and wasn’t happy she had to miss me leaving.

I looked out the window, watching the crews finish getting the plane ready to go, and looked down when my phone buzzed. It was Beth.

See ya. If you get to ride any dragons
without me, I’ll never forgive you. Xx

I laughed and texted back.

Not a chance. I’m avoiding everything
magical.

Just as the flight attendant told us to turn off our phones, I got a message back.

Who are you kidding? You just better text
me as soon as you’re in trouble.

I sighed and sent back a smiley face before turning off the phone. She knew as well as I did that I probably wouldn’t stay out of trouble. I just hoped we were both wrong.