I Turned Down the Cheap Graduation Trip-Then My Class Vanished Overseas Chapter 01

I Turned Down the Cheap Graduation Trip-Then My Class Vanished Overseas Chapter 01

After high school graduation, our class decided to organize a graduation trip, and I offered to have my family’s travel agency plan it.

Ten days and nine nights in Europe, all-inclusive, for just $1,299 per person.

Everyone was excited at first, and one classmate after another came to me to sign up.

Then Lily Morgan, the most popular girl in our class, suddenly spoke.

“We’ve known each other for years, Erin. Do you really have to make money off your own classmates? I found a travel company online offering twelve days in Europe for only $699. There are forty people in our class. How much is your family planning to pocket from us?”

Everyone who had been about to pay froze.

“That’s a $600 difference. I could buy a new laptop with that.”

“Then I’m not joining Erin’s family’s tour.”

In the end, everyone chose the budget tour Lily had recommended.

I didn’t try to stop them.

Our $1,299 package included everything, and the round-trip airfare alone cost close to $900. My family was already subsidizing the trip.

As for the $699 tour Lily had found, I’d heard of packages like that before.

All I could do was hope they made it home safely.

…

“$1,299? That’s ridiculously expensive.”

The moment Lily Morgan said it, the noisy classroom fell silent.

Everyone turned toward her.

“Travel companies are running promotions everywhere right now. I saw a twelve-day trip to Europe on a livestream for only $699.”

She held up her phone so everyone could see the ad.

The poster looked polished and professional, with LIMITED-TIME PRICE: $699 splashed across the center.

I didn’t argue with her immediately.

I had helped at my parents’ travel agency since I was a child, booking flights, confirming hotels, and organizing insurance documents. I knew better than anyone in that room what could be hiding behind an impossibly cheap travel package.

That price wouldn’t even cover the basic costs, let alone everything the ad claimed to include.

Amy, a friend of mine, hesitated before asking, “$699 seems way too low, doesn’t it? I checked the flights. Even the cheapest round-trip ticket costs eight or nine hundred dollars.”

Lily put away her phone, her voice brimming with confidence.

“I already asked the travel rep on the livestream. The platform and a tourism organization are running a joint promotion, which is why it’s so cheap. They also promised there wouldn’t be any mandatory shopping stops.”

After hearing her explanation, a lot of people started to think the price might be legitimate.

After all, there was a full $600 difference between the two packages.

“Erin, I’m only trying to save everyone some money. You’re not going to hold that against me, are you? Amy and Lucas both come from families on tight budgets right now. $1,299 is a lot for them. I just want everyone to be able to join the graduation trip.”

The two classmates she named really did come from families that weren’t particularly well off.

I nodded.

“Of course I don’t blame you. I’m only offering one option. Whether anyone joins is entirely up to them.”

I paused, then added, “But $699 is obviously far below the normal cost. Before anyone pays, you should at least verify the company’s registration, insurance coverage, and flight arrangements.”

Lily’s smile vanished.

She clearly thought I was questioning her in front of everyone.

“Enough, Erin. You can scare everyone else with all that risk talk, but I’m not buying it.”

Noah Hayes, who had been silent until then, finally joined in.

“Everyone knows your family’s travel agency made the news over a shopping dispute. And now you’re calling someone else unreliable? Do you have any idea how ridiculous that sounds?”

I turned to Noah.

Our families had known each other for years. His parents worked for an airline and had a long-standing business relationship with my family’s agency.

Everyone in class knew Noah and I had always been close, so the moment he spoke against me, they treated his words as proof.

The doubt in their eyes was obvious when they looked at me again.

“Erin, I think your family’s price is too high too. I’m joining Lily’s tour instead.”

“Refund my deposit, please. My parents told me to choose the cheaper one.”

The classmates who had signed up with me only moments earlier quickly changed their minds.

I took out my phone and refunded every deposit, one by one.

There had never been any profit in the trip to begin with.

Now that they had backed out, my family no longer had to lose money subsidizing it.