Stephanie checked her luggage to make sure all was in place. Her father sat with her in the airport’s waiting area. She hated waiting areas. They were so dirty, but they smelled clean, and they were so…same. Nothing but rows and rows of thin leather seats stretching as far as the eye could see.

“Steph, got everything? Your flights leaving in ten minutes,” said her dad.

“Yeah, checked ‘em.” She swept her short blond, highlighted hair behind her ear.

“You excited?”

“Mm-hm,” Steph hummed. She wasn’t nervous at all, even for traveling to Germany without supervision. She was looking forward to no parents telling her what to do. She was seventeen, after all.

A gravelly voice came on the intercom. “Flight 203, flight 203, ready to board.”

“That’s you, sweetie. Bye,” her dad called after her as she went to join up with her friends accompanying her on the trip.

“Bye, daddy.” She filed into the line.