As the morning sun cast its gentle light over the campsite, the remnants of the campfire smoldered, and the group of friends began to pack up for their departure. With a sense of finality, they checked and double-checked their belongings, preparing to leave the serene wilderness behind. Lara, her expression tense, snatched her phone from Rosch's grasp, her frustration evident.

"What were you doing with it?" she demanded, her voice edged with irritation, as Rosch sat on a nearby boulder.

"Calm down, Lara," Rosch replied, rising to face her. "Someone made a call, so I was checking who it was."

Lara's anger flared at his response. "How do you know the password to my phone, Rosch?"

Rosch hesitated before responding, "You told me, Lara... What's wrong?"

Lara's fury intensified, and she stormed off, grabbing Stella's arm as she went. Meanwhile, Janed approached Rosch, concern etched on his face. Their friendship contrasted sharply with Lara and Rosch's tumultuous relationship.

"Why don't you try to make things right with her?" Janed suggested as they trailed behind Lara and Stella.

Meanwhile, Jui, lost in her thoughts, followed silently, refraining from joining the conversation. Rosch struggled to find a response to Janed's question as they reached the bus station. Moments later, a yellow bus arrived, signaling the start of their journey from Las Estacas to Mexico City.

Lara hurried onto the bus, clinging to Stella for support, while Janed exchanged a knowing glance with her. Sensing Lara's need for comfort, Stella settled beside her, leaving Jui alone in front of them, with Rosch and Janed occupying the seats ahead.

As the bus pulled away, Rosch gazed out of the window, finally exhaling the tension that had built up. Janed, listening to music through his earphones, paused as Rosch spoke up.

"Yeah?" Janed responded, removing his earphones.

"I haven't given you an answer yet," Rosch confessed.

Janed's curiosity piqued. "What have you decided?"

Rosch hesitated, then confided, "I haven't decided anything. But, Janed, Lara thinks I'm keeping tabs on her when I touch her phone."

"Just reassure her it's not true," Janed suggested.

Rosch remained silent, avoiding Janed's gaze. Janed's realization dawned slowly. "Wait... you actually don't trust her? You are keeping tabs?"

Rosch nodded, his eyes averted. "Because I'm insecure too, Janed. Lara and I don't have the same trust as you and Stella. We're both skeptical of each other."

Janed pondered Rosch's confession, the weight of his friend's struggles sinking in. Realizing it wasn't his place to intervene in Rosch's relationship, Janed fell silent, allowing the somber atmosphere to envelop them.

Arriving in Zacatepec, the friends disembarked for a break. Lara avoided Rosch's gaze, while Jui remained distant, lost in her thoughts. Janed pulled Rosch aside, embracing him in a supportive hug.

"What are you—" Rosch began, but Janed's warmth and reassurance silenced him. Tears welled in Rosch's eyes as he clung to Janed's embrace, overwhelmed by his emotions.

"I thought we could make it work," Rosch murmured, his voice tinged with sadness. Despite his ambitions and career aspirations, Lara held a special place in his heart. Yet, their relationship seemed plagued by misunderstandings and mistrust from the start.

Janed offered his unwavering support. "I don't know what you want to do, but I'm here for you. Don't worry too much."

Rosch nodded gratefully, finding solace in Janed's steadfast friendship amidst the uncertainty of his relationship with Lara.

As the bus pulled away from the stop in Zacatepec, the friends settled in for the long journey ahead. With each passing mile, the landscape outside shifted, transitioning from lush greenery to urban sprawl. Inside the bus, the air was filled with a mixture of exhaustion and anticipation as they neared their destination.

The hours crawled by, marked only by the occasional chatter among the friends and the steady hum of the bus engine. Lara and Stella, nestled together in the back row, exchanged whispered conversations, their exhaustion evident in their drooping eyelids. Jui remained quiet, her gaze fixed on the passing scenery outside the window, lost in her own thoughts.

Meanwhile, Rosch and Janed sat ahead, their silence punctuated by moments of contemplation. Rosch wrestled with his emotions, grappling with the complexities of his relationship with Lara, while Janed offered silent support, his presence a comforting anchor in the midst of uncertainty.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, the bus rolled to a stop at Terminal Central Del Sur - Taxquena. The friends disembarked, their limbs heavy with fatigue from the long journey. Two hours and six minutes on the road had taken its toll, leaving them drained and weary.

As they stepped off the bus onto the bustling streets of Mexico City, the weight of exhaustion hung heavy in the air. Yet, despite their weariness, there was a sense of relief in reaching their destination.

The bustling streets of Mexico City stretched out beyond Stella's window, a cacophony of noise and movement that seemed worlds away from the tranquility of the wilderness she had left behind. Yet, for Stella, the city held little allure. Her room, tucked away in a nondescript apartment, mirrored her sentiments – sparse, with only the bare essentials.

As Stella entered her room, her exhaustion palpable, she dropped her bag in a corner and collapsed onto her bed. The mattress creaked softly beneath her weight as she stared up at the ceiling, lost in thought. The room, with its solitary bed and flowing curtains, lacked the warmth and character of a home. But for Stella, it was enough. What she craved most wasn't material comfort or opulence; it was the promise of adventure and excitement that beckoned her beyond the confines of her room.

Her father's promise to repaint her room lingered in the back of her mind, a distant reminder of unfulfilled dreams. Despite his best intentions, his job kept him occupied, leaving little time for home improvement projects. Stella understood, her disappointment tempered by the knowledge that her father was doing his best to provide for their family.

Her mother, too, remained distant, lost in her own world of solitude and privacy. Stella often found herself yearning for a deeper connection, a sense of belonging that eluded her within the confines of their small apartment. But she held onto hope, believing that someday, her life would be filled with more than just planned camping trips and mundane routines.

With a sigh, Stella closed her eyes, surrendering to the comforting embrace of sleep. In her dreams, she wandered through untamed forests and vast landscapes, her spirit free and unbound by the constraints of reality. For in her dreams, she found solace and sanctuary, a glimpse of the adventures that awaited her beyond the confines of her ordinary life.