The Bus Ride

Chapter Two

As I board the bus with Luke I have this unexplainable feeling of dread in the pit of my stomach. Now this isn't completely unusual as I am one of those people who is always thinking the worst, but this time was different. This time it felt real. So real, that I was debating getting off the bus and walking home. But I simply passed it off as one of my paranoid delusions, and continued boarding. Of course now I know why I was feeling that way, it's very obvious. I wish I had of listened to the voice in my head that was telling me to not get on that bus.

As Luke and I headed to our regular seat at the back of the bus, I notice that we have a different bus driver than usual. Normally we have a blond female, but the replacement is a forty year old man dressed all in black. I ignore it and continued walking down the aisle. Luke and I received some snickers and wierd looks from the other kids. This certainly isn't out of the ordinary, the group that I hang out with are seen as wierd and obnoxious, so we are made fun of a lot. Maybe that is why I am so cold to people who aren't my friends. For example, earlier today I was in science class, and Caleb, one of the most popular boys in the school attempted to hit on me. He was cute sure, but I wasn't about to betray my friends by dating someone who is part of the group that makes fun of us. The conversation went something like this:
"Hey, can I get the answer for number six please? I'm having a bit of trouble." I can tell that this is just an excuse to get to talk to me, especially since it isn't exactly a hard worksheet.
"The answer is structural and behavioural adaptations. It says right in the textbook."
"Oh yeah! Wow you are so smart! By the way, you look really pretty today." Considering I'm just wearing leggings and an oversized sweater, and didn't even bother to put in my contacts, I'm pretty sure that is a bold faced lie.
"Yeah, thanks" I basically completely shut him down, and I can see it in his eyes. Man I'm enjoying this.
"Um yeah, so I'm having a back to school party, and I would love if you could come with me." I knew it was coming. This certainly wouldn't be the first time. Time to go in for the kill.
"Sorry I won't be able to make it." I see his face fall, and fight to keep the same bored expression on my face.
"Well why not?"
"I will have better things to do than be a party where everyone hates me." I have now made him uncomfortable.
"Oh, well I hope you can make it." He turns away. Checkmate.

I suppose I could be part of their group if I tried, I certainly have the look, but I simply don't want to, especially after seeing how they treat some of the people in my class. I know I have the best group of friends ever, and that's what matters.

Luke and I sit down at the very back of the bus as usual. It occasionally causes some problems between us and the older kids, but for the most part they leave us alone. As usual, the bus is crowded and dirty. At least it is only twenty minutes or so. Sometimes I prefer to walk, but I was feeling lazy today.
"So, how was your day?" Luke asks me.
"Oh it was great. Homework on the fourth day, I shut down a popular guys advances, couldn't open my locker, you know, the usual." I reply with a hint of sarcasm. He laughs and goes back to his music. Luke is super into music, and I don't think I've ever seen him without at least one ear bud in. I pull out my book and start reading as the bus starts to move. We pass a bag of chips back and forth as the bus ride continues. We have been on the bus for about ten minutes and I am halfway through my chapter when Luke nudges me. I look up and see that we are turning onto a road that leads into the woods and that we have never gone on ever. The feeling that something was wrong returns and I start to get nervous again.
"Where are we going?" Luke shouts at the bus driver. All the kids wait for an answer expectedly.
"Don't worry kiddos, we are taking a short cut." This doesn't reassure anyone, and we all look at each other uneasily. We keep quiet though, and we continue to bump along the dirt road. I look behind me in the back window and see another bus behind us, with a man dressed all in black at the wheel. Now I know something is very wrong, as we are the only ones who ever go to my area, and the odds of another bus taking the exact same shortcut are miniscule. I nudge Luke and he looks behind us and I can tell he has realized the same thing. There really isn't anything we can do, as if we try to open the back door and jump out the bus behind us will see us and crush us. So we wait, fearful of what lies ahead. Perhaps we are being paranoid. Maybe it is just a shortcut. Perhaps this will just be a funny story that we tell our friends at school tomorrow. At least, this is what I tell myself as we continue to drive further into the woods, and further away from civilization.

Wow. It's about to go down. This chapter took me a while to write and get everything down, but next chapter is where the real fun begins. Thank you all for reading, and please remember to vote and comment. By the way I have decided to upload every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, but that may change.

Cat