HEARTBEAT {h.s}

5

I felt a painful vibration on my head when I started to wake up from what felt like the longest sleep of my life. I woke up with a groan to find my head attached to my seat window. I uncomfortably peel my head off the glass, how long have I been asleep? My head was killing me, I think I had a minor headache. I rub my head with my right hand like it was going to magically make it any better.

I hear muttering voices all around me which embarrassingly reminded me I was on a public coach with other people except now the bus was full of people, almost every seat filled. Including the one beside me.

Someone was sitting next to me. Did they see me sleep? Please say I didn't snore. Humiliating and awkward thoughts of me sleeping while people were around made me fall into an anxious state.

I could tell the person was a guy. I couldn't see his face, however. Just by the way he was sitting, I knew he would be quite tall which was slightly intimidating. He was wearing a grey hoodie, hood over his face. The only thing I could see from his side profile was the tip of his perfectly shaped nose, his rosy pink lips and a few brown curls sticking out at the top. Who was he? He had black sunglasses over his eyes sitting on the bridge of his nose, it covered all sight of his eyes and most of his face. It felt unusual to me as I had never seen someone so covered up and hiding on public transport. I mean I wasn't one to judge but, sunglasses on a bus?

He reminds me of the guy I bumped into the other day.

Oh shit.

My eardrums were still aching as my headphones still played with the delightful music. I must have fallen asleep while listening to it. I'm quite surprised my phone didn't run out of charge halfway through.

Should I apologise to him? What should I say? My mind was all over the place trying to figure out what to do or say in this awkward situation. Should I even say anything?

But before I could even say hello, he stood off his seat. I tilt my head to look up at him, he was tall like I expected. The coach comes to a stop and he walks down the aisle and exits at the front. My hips were lifted off my seat as I half stood, looking over the chairs at him getting off the bus. I then sat back down and looked out my window.

I was in New York City. This was my stop!

There were lots of colourful commercials scattered around on the colossal skyscrapers and shops. I saw huge crowds of people rushing around the streets, coffee and phones in hand. I could do with one of those coffees right now.

Without hesitation or a detailed analysis of the spectacular view out my window, I grab my bag and phone and rush out of my seat to the front of the bus. I felt slightly dizzy from jumping out of my seat after just having woken up. Luckily when I got off the bus the elderly couple who got on with me at my stop was getting their luggage off the coach, they must have been travelling here too.

Once they got theirs, the driver turned to me as I pulled the headphones out of my ears.

"Which one's yours?" He asks politely. At least, my experience so far has been somewhat positive.

"Uhm, the bright red one," I replied.

He digs it out of the coach and hands it to me before shutting the section of the coach as I was the last one getting off here.

"Thank you." I make sure to use my manners before turning around to look at my surreal surroundings. Where to go now...

The bus driver had already returned to the coach before I could ask him for directions. I remember that I had picked up a map of the city from the front of the bus when I first got on it so I reached into my bag to get it. I opened it up to its full scale to try and find my apartment building in this big city. I stared at the paper trying to figure out where to go but then realised out of stupidity that it was upside down. I flipped it around and finally found the street I was on. Now I just needed to skim my eyes over the street where the apartment-