She Trusts Maps, Not People

After passing through security, I sat down on a bench in front of the boarding gate, savoring my hard-earned peace.

Suddenly, an announcement began blaring across the airport terminal. "This is a missing persons' notice. Ms. Amanda Rockwell, kindly proceed to the service desk in Area A. Your family member is waiting for you there. Kindly proceed to Area A when you hear this announcement. Thank you."

The announcement kept playing again and again, but I didn't budge.

We were in a foreign city, after all. Who else could it possibly be but the only other person who had come here with me, Sonia Sanders?

Only an idiot would try to go and look for her.

Before I could board, however, two airport police hurried toward me with Sonia in tow.

Sonia's eyes were red-rimmed, and her hair was disheveled. She looked like she was on the brink of insanity.

She rushed up to me and grabbed my shoulders, leaning against me as she sobbed.

"Amanda! I finally found you!

"I thought you got kidnapped by bad guys or something! It's all your fault! Why did you refuse to believe what I said? Why did you have to get on that shady bus just now?"

Her situation immediately attracted the attention of the other passengers waiting to board the flight.

I even heard a few of them saying softly, "She's the older one, yet she was also the one who wandered off on her own. Look at how worried her younger sibling is!"

"Yeah. She looks quiet and sensible. I can't believe she's actually that inconsiderate of others."

The other passengers' whispers floated into my ears. Suddenly, I was overwhelmed by the stifling feeling I'd felt in my past life again.

However, Sonia still wasn't done acting yet.

"I texted you, but you never replied. I also called you, but you never answered. I had no choice but to get the airport police to help me locate you! How could you be so reckless, Amanda?"

Sonia was pinning the blame entirely on me. She blamed me for not trusting OmniGo, for getting on the "shady bus", for making her worried, and for causing trouble for her.

Obviously, the airport police next to her also bought her pitiful act completely. He frowned at me and said, "Miss, you should communicate properly with your sister when you're out together.

"You shouldn't just run off by yourself, even if you're just throwing a tantrum. Look at how worried you made your sister! It's so dangerous for you both!"

I looked coldly at Sonia and drew my arm away.

"We are not siblings, Officer."

The airport policeman paused for a moment. Then, he waved his hand dismissively and replied, "I know. Your sister has already explained things to us. But cousins are still family, are they not? You should both just talk things out."

Then, seeing that we had both reunited, the airport policemen decided their job was done and turned to leave.

Seeing that the policemen were leaving, Sonia's expression changed to a smug one as she leaned closer to me and asked, "So, Amanda, this is our boarding gate, right? What's the boarding time?"

I looked at her calmly and said, "I've already canceled your flight."

The smile on Sonia's face froze at once. I thought I even saw her lips twitching in disbelief.

"What did you say?"

I added casually, "I'm also surprised that you managed to get through security without a boarding pass. Did the airport police bring you in?

"Oh, but they seem to be leaving already," I said, jutting my chin in their direction.

"If you don't go out with them now, purchase another flight ticket, and get through security, I'm afraid you won't be going home today after all."

Sonia's aggrieved expression vanished at once as rage took over, turning her face red.

"Amanda Rockwell! How dare you treat me like this?"

I couldn't be bothered with her and just said, "If you don't go after them now, they're really going to leave soon."

Sonia looked at me, then at the disappearing airport police. She started to panic.

She stomped her feet on the ground in anger before turning around and running after them, calling out, "Wait for me!"