Half Hour Bus Ride
Half Hour Bus Ride
Another Monday, another new week, another bus ride. Geena was already dreading the bloody half hour bus ride. It was the same every weekday; wait for the bus in a clinically unclean booth at the bus stop, get on the the vehicle that was usually stuffed like a can of sardines, have to stand up for half an hour until you reached you destination. And it wasn't even worth it -- school wasn't Geena's main interest, in fact she had very little interest to spare for it. If the subjects had been fun, it could've been different. But, unless every class was maths, there was no great chance of that happening.
Her hands were going slightly numb; she flexed her fingers. If only she'd thought of bringing gloves, but she had overslept and been forced to hurry the best she could. Breakfast had been reduced to a glass of apple juice and a sandwich, and the first lesson was art. Ms Sokol would probably be annoyed to the brink of insanity if Geena didn't concentrate today. Not that she did that too often – giving her teacher all the more reason to be irritated with her.
At least she'd gotten her bag with her. Everything was in there – notepads, pens, wallet, camera – everything but the essay she'd finished over the weekend and was supposed to hand in today. That was still safely on her desk, among the cat hair and scattered CD cases. Another teacher annoyed before the week's started properly. It was Geena's English essay, for Mr Peters. Well, nothing to do about that right now. Mr Peters would just have to wait till tomorrow. That's when Geena had English class anyway.
Bus, bus, where are you? Probably late as usual due to the huge amount of kids getting on by the park. Geena stuck a hand into her bag and dug out a paperback copy of 'The Catcher In The Rye', flipping it open at the page marked by a small dog's ear. Her mother always told her to stop doing those, as it 'damaged the books', but Geena really couldn't care less. It was just the easiest thing to do, easier by far than keeping track of bookmarks.
Finally; the sound of the bus coming around the corner. Closing the book with one finger held at the current page, Geena got her bus card from her coat pocket as the bus pulled to a stop before her, the doors opening. She smiled quickly at the driver who nodded after a glance at her bus card. The doors closed and Geena searched the bus for an empty seat. Tough luck. She made her way down the aisle, glancing around, the book still safely in hand.
”Gen, reading 'Rye' again?”
”It's just the seventh time in three years, Devon,” Geena replied, not bothering to look at her classmate.
Eventually giving up any hope of finding an empty seat, Geena leaned against the window, putting her bag at her feet and opening the book again. Another half hour of standing around...
”Is this space free?”
Geena could hear the owner of the voice was smiling, but it took her a few seconds to react. As she looked up, she was met by the sight of a brown-haired boy, with a smile on his lips and a fringe that mostly covered his green eyes. What really caught her attention though was the Led Zeppelin shirt he was wearing.
She felt a smile growing on her own lips. ”Sure, I'll just move my bag.”
With the bag out of the way, the boy took place beside her, glancing at her book. ”'The Catcher In The Rye'? That's a good one.”
”Seventh time I'm reading it. You a Led Zeppelin fan?”
”Any day,” the boy said with a grin. ”Damian, that's me.”
”Geena, nice to meet you. Where are you getting off?”
”Doe's Alley, you?”
”Pristine Road, I go to school uphill from there.”
”Really? My brother goes there too.”
”What are you doing in Doe's Alley, if I may ask?”
”I work at the café there, Cookie Minute. You should drop by sometime, if you haven't been there..!”
Having someone to speak to, the half hour seemed like five minutes. As the bus pulled up at the Pristine Road bus stop, Geena almost regretted having to get off and break the conversation.
”When are you going home?” she asked Damian, hitching her bag up on her shoulder.
”About 3:15, I think.”
”That's the same bus I take home, so maybe I'll see you then?”
”I'd hope so,” he said with another grin.
Sure, Geena was unfocused in art class. Sure, Ms Sokol got annoyed with her. But it didn't really matter. Geena had made a new friend that morning, and that feeling sort of overpowered anything else.
Her hands were going slightly numb; she flexed her fingers. If only she'd thought of bringing gloves, but she had overslept and been forced to hurry the best she could. Breakfast had been reduced to a glass of apple juice and a sandwich, and the first lesson was art. Ms Sokol would probably be annoyed to the brink of insanity if Geena didn't concentrate today. Not that she did that too often – giving her teacher all the more reason to be irritated with her.
At least she'd gotten her bag with her. Everything was in there – notepads, pens, wallet, camera – everything but the essay she'd finished over the weekend and was supposed to hand in today. That was still safely on her desk, among the cat hair and scattered CD cases. Another teacher annoyed before the week's started properly. It was Geena's English essay, for Mr Peters. Well, nothing to do about that right now. Mr Peters would just have to wait till tomorrow. That's when Geena had English class anyway.
Bus, bus, where are you? Probably late as usual due to the huge amount of kids getting on by the park. Geena stuck a hand into her bag and dug out a paperback copy of 'The Catcher In The Rye', flipping it open at the page marked by a small dog's ear. Her mother always told her to stop doing those, as it 'damaged the books', but Geena really couldn't care less. It was just the easiest thing to do, easier by far than keeping track of bookmarks.
Finally; the sound of the bus coming around the corner. Closing the book with one finger held at the current page, Geena got her bus card from her coat pocket as the bus pulled to a stop before her, the doors opening. She smiled quickly at the driver who nodded after a glance at her bus card. The doors closed and Geena searched the bus for an empty seat. Tough luck. She made her way down the aisle, glancing around, the book still safely in hand.
”Gen, reading 'Rye' again?”
”It's just the seventh time in three years, Devon,” Geena replied, not bothering to look at her classmate.
Eventually giving up any hope of finding an empty seat, Geena leaned against the window, putting her bag at her feet and opening the book again. Another half hour of standing around...
”Is this space free?”
Geena could hear the owner of the voice was smiling, but it took her a few seconds to react. As she looked up, she was met by the sight of a brown-haired boy, with a smile on his lips and a fringe that mostly covered his green eyes. What really caught her attention though was the Led Zeppelin shirt he was wearing.
She felt a smile growing on her own lips. ”Sure, I'll just move my bag.”
With the bag out of the way, the boy took place beside her, glancing at her book. ”'The Catcher In The Rye'? That's a good one.”
”Seventh time I'm reading it. You a Led Zeppelin fan?”
”Any day,” the boy said with a grin. ”Damian, that's me.”
”Geena, nice to meet you. Where are you getting off?”
”Doe's Alley, you?”
”Pristine Road, I go to school uphill from there.”
”Really? My brother goes there too.”
”What are you doing in Doe's Alley, if I may ask?”
”I work at the café there, Cookie Minute. You should drop by sometime, if you haven't been there..!”
Having someone to speak to, the half hour seemed like five minutes. As the bus pulled up at the Pristine Road bus stop, Geena almost regretted having to get off and break the conversation.
”When are you going home?” she asked Damian, hitching her bag up on her shoulder.
”About 3:15, I think.”
”That's the same bus I take home, so maybe I'll see you then?”
”I'd hope so,” he said with another grin.
Sure, Geena was unfocused in art class. Sure, Ms Sokol got annoyed with her. But it didn't really matter. Geena had made a new friend that morning, and that feeling sort of overpowered anything else.