𝐈𝐍 𝐁𝐄𝐓𝐖𝐄𝐄𝐍, leo valdez

𝐢

𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐢

The bus rumbled over a bumpy road, which woke Layna up. When she opened her eyes, she had to get used to the light again. Layna wore blue jeans, black converse and a thick black hoodie. She wore her wavy brown hair in a bun, a few strands of which were now hanging out. »Look who's finally woken up,« said a voice to her right. It was her best friend Leo.

Leo looked like a Christmas elf from south America, with black curls, pointy ears, a cheerful baby face and a sly smile that immediately gave away the fact that this guy was not to be trusted with matches or sharp objects. His long fingers just couldn't keep still. They were either drumming on the seat, pushing his hair behind his ears or tugging at the buttons on his military jacket. The boy was either naturally hyper or he had taken enough sugar and caffeine to give a water buffalo a heart attack.

»You slept most of the way,« said a voice from the row behind Layna. Piper was wearing worn jeans, hiking boots and a thick fleece jacket. Her brown hair was cut unevenly and fringed and she had thin braids on the sides. She wore no makeup, as if she was trying not to stand out, but she wasn't. She was just pretty. Her eyes seemed to be constantly changing color like a kaleidoscope: brown; blue and green.

»Leo,« Layna said, pointing her finger accusingly at him, »I told you to wake me up half an hour before we arrive!«

Leo shrugged his shoulders and couldn't hide his grin. »You looked so peaceful, I didn't want to wake you up. «

»Haha, you're so funny,« Layna said in a monotone voice and nudged him playfully.

»We're only a few minutes away,« Piper said, following Layna's example of looking out the window.

»Good, because I wasn't sure I could hold still for much longer,« Leo replied, fiddling with the buttons on his jacket.

»You call that keeping still?« Layna asked with a laugh.

Leo was just about to open his mouth to respond when the boy began to move to the seat next to Piper. Jason's blonde hair was visible as he moved.

»Ah, the dead man is risen.«,Layna remarked with a chuckle, »And you mocked me for sleeping long.«

Piper smiled at him and took his hand in hers. Layna grinned to herself. Her grin began to falter when she saw the look Jason was giving his girlfriend. Piper studied her boyfriend's face and squeezed his hand. »Jason, are you okay?«

Jason immediately let go of her hand. »Um, I don't know... «

Before he could continue, Coach Hedge interrupted him, »All right, cupcakes, listen up.«

Coach Hedge was a team coach of sorts. He had pulled his baseball cap low over his face so that only his piercing eyes were visible. He had a thin goatee and an ill-tempered face, as if he had eaten something mouldy. His strong arms and chest threatened to burst the polo shirt. His tracksuit bottoms and Nikes were pristine white. A whistle hung around his neck and a megaphone around his waist. He would have looked scary if he had been taller than one-fifty.

As he stepped into the centre aisle, one of the youngsters shouted, »Get up, Coach Hedge!«

»I heard that!«

»We'll be there in five minutes! Stay with your partner. Don't lose your task list. And if any of you cupcakes cause any trouble on this trip, I'll personally send you to school on foot.«

»Is he allowed to talk to us like that?« asked Jason.

»He always does,« said the girl in front of him as she shrugged her shoulders, »This is the desert school, after all. ›Where the kids are the animals‹ «