Tales Of Lin // A Collection Of Oneshots

Stranger on the bus

Please don't be too harsh on me, alr? This is my first time publishing a story(well oneshot) and maybe like the third time writing any fiction at all outside of half assed 5th grade homework years ago. Also @Akio200 pls don't read this. I'd be increadibly embarrased the next time we meet

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It was 7:30 in the morning.

Way too early in Lin's opinion

As every tuesday morning the school bus arrived just a little late at the bus station and just like every day the bus driver looked like they would rather be anywhere else, no matter where, just away from the screaming students.
And again, like every morning Lin wondered why in the world anyone would ever choose to be a bus driver.

The doors opened and Lin quicky entered and took the first seat in sight. They had learned long ago that even at the first station on the bus's way there were not enough seats to fit all students and being picky only leads to not getting a seat at all.

As the last students entered the bus and it started driving again Lin took out their tresured headphones that they lost every few weeks and had found in a random jacket's pocket the day before, put on their favourite playlist and closed their eyes, blocking out the world around them and letting their thoughts wonder around.

Lin was a middle school student with a pretty boring life. They lived in a small city with their parents.
The only time something interesting happened was when the time of the yearly festival, that always took place near where they lived came close. It was their favourite time of the year. They loved it with all their heart.
All the noise and the hundrets of people flooding the usualy quiet streets never bothered them. The opposite was the case. They loved to walk through the crowds, maneuvering through them like it was what they were born for.
Lin was never much of a small town person. Sure, they were born and raised in one but their heart belonged to big and loud cities filled with people.
They hoped to one day be able to move into such a city but until that day they would have to stay in their usual boring life.
Oh how they wished for something to happen to break the repetitive everyday routine and change things up a bit.

The loud screaming of younger students having just entered the bus reaching Lin's ear despite their music blaring loudly through their headphones shook them out of their thoughts back to reality.

Anoyed by the excited chatting they turned their music up to an unholy volume until they couldn't hear anything else anymore exept their own thoughts. It was way too early for this.

They were just about to close their eyes again and lean back into the seat in an attempt to cure their endless tiredness as they noticed something interesting.

Or rather someone

They searched their brain for any information on this person as they continued to watch them talk to who was likely the strangers friend.

They seemed just a bit taller than Lin and had pale skin and dark brown hair. Though it could've also been a bit lighter shade of brown, it was hard to see under the hood of their long black hoodie. They were dressed in all black, not a single batch of colour visible. Black pants with a black hoodie, black shoes and a black mask in what seemed to resemble a simplyfied gas mask or a very mild punk-ish style, it was hard to describe but Lin loved the mask. It looked so cool yet so simple. Cool but simple was a good way to sum up the stranger's clothing actually. It clearly wasn't much effort but it looked good.

Something about this stranger drew Lin's attention for reasons even Lin themself didn't understand. The next couple of days they kept noticing the stranger on the bus. The stranger always wore the same clothes and took the bus every day. Every day Lin contemplated aproching them but they feared rejection.

After a couple of weeks had passed Lin had finally gathered their courage and spontaniously decided to attempt to talk to the stranger in black and walked over to them before they could chicken out again.

(Lin: L  , Stranger: S)

Lin walked over to the stranger. They shot her one glance before staring ahead on the road where the bus will soon arive again.
L: "Hi" Lin made sure to smile and hide their nervousness

S:"Hi" The stranger did not try to convey the same friendlyness at all.

Even though the stranger didn't show the slightest bit of interest in a conversation Lin wasn't going to give up that easily. After all it must be an unexpected situation for them.

Lin decided to ask a question they already knew the answer to to try and get the stranger to talk.

L: "Do you take the bus to school every day?"

S: "Yes"

This was followed by a very long very akward silence.

Lin was now strongly regreting ever walking up to this person but decided to try one last time.

L:"So what do you usualy like to do?" That was a good question, right? They'll have to answer a bit more to this one.

S:"Dunno"

Lin was torn between being impressed by this person's insane conversation avoiding skills and the urge to disappear forever and never be seen ever again.

After another even longer even more akward silence Lin gave it one last attempt. Maybe they could still save the interaction.
L: "So what's your favourite colour?"

S: " Blue but I usualy wear black because then people don't talk to me"

Lin might not be the best at taking hints but that was probably the most obvious "fuck off" they had ever heard. Now they knew for sure that this person wasn't just shy or very introvertive but simply didn't want to talk to them at all.

After another short akward silence Lin mumbled something under their breath that even they didn't understand and  akwardly walked a few meters away to where they stood before they walked up to the stranger.

They couldn't wait to leave and forget about all of this interaction.

For the next three years Lin never talked to anyone they didn't know well without a good reason ever again.

They kept seeing the same stranger in the bus but neither of the two ever talked to or even so much as looked at eachother again.

A few years later that conversation will be considered Lin's second most akward interaction ever and they will realise
they never even got the strangers name.

They will still think about it occasionaly  years later and develop a strong anxiousness of meeting new people their age from this and other interactions.

□●○~The End~○●□