As a Christian I shouldn’t want to go away on a road trip with a girl, for God knows how long. But, I’m a 17 year old boy who hasn’t left his small town in the big city of New York; always been too cowardly to step up and do anything. It’s going to be different though, I refuse to let my teenage years slip away.

“Mom, Dad, I just got a letter from the church to go on this church retreat, I’m off now, bye,” I say as quickly as possible as I head for the door.

“Espera,” My dad says. I stop, my face to the door. How can I have thought my parents would fall for that?

“Gabriel, that retreat isn’t until next week,” My mother catches me in my lie. Luckily, I’m a very good liar.

“Yeah, but that one kid, Matt? He invited me to his house for a week for prayer and Bible study,” My parents glance at each other. They want to believe me, and they want to believe they raised a non-lying Christian son.

“Okay, but aren’t you taking any clothes?” Mom asks, but I’m already out the door.