Holiday His Stories (BXB short stories)

Field Trip

A/N  If you don't blink, you'll catch the reference to the holiday in this story!

"I'm sorry Paul. It's the only one left."

I looked up at my choir teacher and then back at the long long row of seats in the cab of the bus. Every single one of them filled, my friends waving weakly at me.

Jessica beet red because she'd promised to sit with me on our eight hour drive to Anaheim. But clearly buckled under pressure, because Andrea sat next to her, already locked on her phone. Matt shrugged then gave me an exaggerated sad face. His text this morning, sent to our group chat, was more to the point. I told everyone I was running late, and he'd written. "Sucks to be you." He was sitting with Cole, a junior, who'd given my asshole friend the window seat without a whisper of complaint. Krista was sitting with Lily as they'd planned since they turned in their permission slips.

Traitors, all of them.

"It's fine." I said politely, trying not to sigh. I'm a polite guy. Always. A nice guy. At least I try to be. Because who in the world is a douche on purpose? I can't understand that way of thinking. Why be mean? How could someone live with themselves after hurting someone. How was that fun?

I sat down in the one empty seat.

Next to Aiden.

Aiden Little. A cute name for a ... well, I'm nice so I won't even think it. But ... Aiden was....something.

"Fuck you." A voice whispered at me. "Don't fucking even look at me, you fucking baby."

I composed my face to resting neutral. Ignore him. Just ignore him.

Eight hours. Eight hours.

At least it wasn't a school bus. That would have been a nightmare. Nope, this was one of those deluxe ones with the tv screens and a bathroom even. I bounced the tiniest bit on the seat, so grateful it was padded and comfortable.

"Knock that shit off, you fucking baby." My charming seatmate. Again, best to not engage.

"You heard me. Called you a fucking baby. Such a baby. You ever going to grow up, you little baby?"

I snorted a little, holding back laughter. He sounded kind of dumb, but he wasn't wrong. I was just barely five feet four inches tall. In choir, I always stood in the front, on the floor. And in class pictures. And it made going to the movies a challenge, because invariably someone taller than me would sit in front.

But it did come in handy when I wanted to see at a concert or a museum or in any kind of crowded place. People always let me go in front. Either because they didn't realize I was a freaking senior in high school, or just because I have one of those innocent faces, sweet and open. Because I do, but I've definitely learned to lean on it. Comes in handy more than anyone would guess.

"What's so funny, baby?"

I glanced at him for the first time, taking in his long legs scrunched in the tiny space, and his taller torso putting him not quite a foot taller than me.

"Are you ever going to stop growing, Big Boy?"

It did just kind of pop out of my mouth, unfortunately. I dislike Aiden, everyone does, but still, it bordered on teasing and I didn't mean to say it.

"Fuck you," was his clever rejoinder and turned back towards the window as the rumble of the engines reverberated through the bus, a loud cheer from our  choir members, despite the unholy hour of five am.