Daydream Believer

lxiv. the bus and coming home alone

lxiv. the bus and coming home alone

"Are you okay?" Aaron asked me on the bus ride home.

I didn't know how to answer that. Aaron knew me better than anyone. He, of all people, should know not to ask me. I glanced out the window and looked back at him. "I'm fine," I said.

"You don't seem fine," Aaron said. "Hey, want to hear a joke?"

"No," I said. Aaron's jokes were always unbelievably corny.

"Two men walk into a bar. The other one ducked." Aaron laughed at his own joke, but I didn't. I swore Aaron's jokes were just getting worse and worse.

"You're just making things worse," I told him.

"Oh. Sorry," Aaron said.

"It's okay," I mumbled. Aaron just didn't get it. Everything was different now that Mom was gone. When I got home, nobody was there waiting for me, not even Noah. Shonali and Brooklyn came over almost every night, which I didn't mind. In fact, a lot of things were better. Mom couldn't bother me about school and Dad let us have fun sometimes. Still, everything was different now. Not better. Not worse. Just different.

The bus pulled up to our stop and Aaron and I got off. I waved and walked over to my house. I knocked on the door, just to make sure Shonali wasn't there to let me in. Nope. I pulled out my key and unlocked the door. It was weird coming home when nobody was home. I didn't mind it that much though. It was just some time that I could have to myself. I turned on the TV and tried to relax. I couldn't though. There was too much on my mind.

A/N: Happy Heavy Irish Pepper Day!!!