Adi Alsaid - Changing Lanes: A Road Trips Box Set

Dive into these three magnificent coming-of-age stories about love, loss, and adventure by Adi Alsaid!

LETS GET LOST

Four teens across the country have only one thing in common: a girl named Leila. She crashes into their lives in her absurdly red car at the moment they need someone the most.

Hudson, Bree, Elliot and Sonia find a friend in Leila. And when Leila leaves them, their lives are forever changed. But it is during Leilas own 4,268-mile journey that she discovers the most important truthsometimes, what you need most is right where you started.

NEVER ALWAYS SOMETIMES

Best friends Dave and Julia were determined to never be clich high school kids. They even wrote their own Never List of everything they vowed theyd never, ever do in high school.

But Dave has a secret: hes broken rule #8: never pine silently after someone for the entirety of high school. Its either that or break rule #10: never date your best friend. So when Julia impetuously suggests they do every Never on the list, Dave is happy to play along. It starts as a joke, but then a funny thing happens: Dave and Julia discover that by skipping the clichs, theyve actually been missing out on high school. And maybe even on love.

NORTH OF HAPPY

Carlos Portillo has always led a privileged and sheltered life. He lives in Mexico City with his wealthy family and attends an elite international school. Always a rule follower, Carlos is happy to tread the well-worn path in front of him. He has always loved food and cooking, but his parents see it as just a hobby.

When his older brother, Felixwho has dropped out of college to live a life of travelis tragically killed, Carlos begins hearing his brothers voice, pushing him to rebel against his fathers plan for him. Worrying about his mental health but knowing Felix is right, Carlos runs away to the United States and manages to secure a job with his favorite celebrity chef. As he works to improve his skills in the kitchen and pursue his dream, he begins to fall for his bosss daughter. Finally living for himself, Carlos must decide whats most important to him and where his true path really lies.

Titles originally published in 2014, 2015, and 2017.

Lets Get Lost
By Adi Alsaid

Never Always Sometimes
By Adi Alsaid

North of Happy
By Adi Alsaid

Back CoverText

FIVE STRANGERS. COUNTLESS ADVENTURES. ONE EPIC WAY TO GET LOST.

Four teens across the country have only one thing in common: agirl named LEILA. She crashes into their lives in her absurdly red car at the momentthey need someone the most.

Theres HUDSON, a small-town mechanic who is willing to throwaway his dreams for true love. And BREE, a runaway who seizes every Tuesdayand afew stolen goods along the way. ELLIOT believes in happy endingsuntil his own lifegoes offscript. And SONIA worries that when she lost her boyfriend, she also lostthe ability to love.

Hudson, Bree, Elliot and Sonia find a friend in Leila. And whenLeila leaves them, their lives are forever changed. But it is during Leilas own4,268-mile journey that she discovers the most important truthsometimes, what youneed most is right where you started. And maybe the only way to find what yourelooking for is to get lost along the way.

Lets Get Lost

Adi Alsaid

CONTENTS

Contents

Hudson

CHAPTER 1

HUDSON COULD HEAR the cars engine from blocks away. He stepped outside the garage and closed his eyes, listening, picking apart the sounds so that he would know exactly what hed have to fix before he even popped the hood.

Standing there against the garage, listening to the still-far-off car, Hudson could forget about everything else. About school and girls and his future and whether his friends were actually jackasses or just acting like them. With his eyes closed, Hudson could reduce the world to a single engine and nothing more; a world where he could not only name every little part but knew what it was for, how it worked, how to fix it.

He opened his eyes when he heard the cars brakes chirp as it slowed to turn into the garage. It was an old Plymouth Acclaim, the kind of car you either happily sent off to die or loved with your entire heart and refused to let go of. It had seen better days, its red paint job chipped and faded, its muffler not doing much muffling. He waved the driver forward to where he was standing. He was still identifying
the cars problems when the girl killed the engine and climbed out.

He only allowed himself a quick glance at her, knowing as soon as he saw her that she was the kind of girl who could make you think your life was not complete unless she was in it. She was a jumble of contradictions: short but with long legs, fierce green eyes but a kind expression, baby-faced but wise. She was wearing a snug, plain red T-shirt that matched her car. Her hair was down, the black locks reaching just past her chin.

Afternoon, she said, offering a polite smile.

He replied in kind, trying to adopt the professional tone he used with most customers. He asked her to pop the hood and then walked to the front of the car to release the latch. He meant to bury himself in work right away, but against instinct he stole another glance. How long would the memory of her face haunt him? Days? Weeks? You having trouble with anything specific?

Well, not really, she said, slipping her hands into the back pockets of her shorts, which made her posture change in a way Hudson couldnt help but notice. The quiet world outside the garage noticed the change in her posture, the damp Mississippi air noticed, even the various grease stains spread out on the garage floor noticed. I just got started on a road trip, and its making a lot of noise, so I wanted to be sure its in shape.

Hudson grabbed a clean rag off a nearby shelf and checked the oil and the transmission fluid. He liked working in relative silence, nothing but the subtle sound of the cooling engine, his hands and tools on the machine. Something about this girl, though, made him chatty. Where you goin?

North, she said. All the way north.

You from around here? He suddenly felt self-conscious about his drawl, the hitch in his vowels, the overall lackluster quality of his presence.

Nope. You?

He chuckled as he ran his hands around the engine, checking for cracks in belts. Born and raised. He nodded to himself as he made a mental checklist of what hed need to fix. Mind if I ask where youre from, then?

I dont, she said. He thought he heard her smile, but when he looked up, she was ambling around the garage, curiously examining the shelves and their bric-a-brac. I was born in Texas. A little town not unlike this one.

So, if youre from Texas, and youre going north, what brings you to Vicksburg? Not exactly on your way.

I needed my car fixed, and I heard you were the best around, she said. He looked up again, and she grinned. Weeks, he thought to himself. Ill be thinking about that face for weeks. She walked around the car and joined him in front of the hood. So, what do you think? Will she make the trip?