the bus ride

cheapter 1, somthings off...

As Jackie lays in his bed, dreaming about everything and nothing at all, he gets jolted awake by his alarm going off. he tries to drown out the sound of his alarm clock blaring in his ear. However, he can't, so he gets up out of bed and slams his fist on his alarm clock to make it stop when he looks at it he notices that he'll be late for the bus so he quickly gets dressed brushes his teeth grabs his book bag and rushes out the door when he gets to the bus stop he notices that it might have not come yet so he waits and waits some more until finally the bus comes to his designated bus stop.

However, it seems off in a way.. like it's not quite his bus, like something isn't right with it. but nonetheless he pushes down his feelings and begins to board the bus when he notices out of the corner of his eye the bus number reads 13 and not the usual 47, but that didn't seem to be quite the strangest part of the bus. he had a new bus driver. He looked well in old age and had a beer belly. Hair was all gray it, looked ragged and unknapped. He had a scar along the right side of his face, and his clothes seemed to match his cold demeanor, he was wearing a button-up red and black blouse along with some jeans, black boots with scuffs of dirt on them and was wearing a orange puffy sleeveless jacket.

He felt like he should turn around and run back to his house, but before he could even turn, the driver looked at him up and down and spoke. " Are you supposed to be on this bus, boy?" Jackie must have looked shocked because the bus driver looked at him quizzically. Jackie quickly musters up the courage to speak, "Yeah. This is my bus..sir." The bus driver nods his head to the seats before speaking in a more rougher and aggressive tone," then sit down before I start moving this bus while you stand." Without saying another word to the man, Jackie looks out at the Isles and spots his best friend Robin he quickly makes his way to her and sits down next to her in the same seat, Jackie gives a sigh of irritation, Robin being the morning person she is begins to speak. "Do you know where Mrs Jackson is? she usually never takes off of work, and we have a different bus number, too? this doesn't seem right," Jackie replies."Maybe she's just out sick? I don't know, and I don't care at the moment it's too early for this" without missing a Beat Robin Jabs him in the side causing him to yell out in pain, he gives her a glare and says " did you not hear what I just said? It's too early for this, especially for you to be poking at me like I'm a bear!" Robin replies." Then how about you stop being a bear and actually talk with me asshat!" She says, giving him a glare.

Jackie looks down at her small pale form and Iceberg blue eyes. He gets lost in staring at her, the jet-black hair that seems to go all the way down to her butt and her pale pink lips her seemingly perfect form. He feels like he could stare at her for the rest of his life. Before he can think any further on it, Robin snaps her fingers in front of his face, snapping him out of whatever trance he is in. She glears at him before speaking, " Earth to Jackie!? What part of space did you travel to? I was talking to you, and all of a sudden, you spaced out!" Jackie looks away sheepishly before looking back at her with more of a cold demeanor to him. He's obviously putting up a front.

He feels so embarrassed because he is thinking of his best friend. who he's known his entire life at this point. in a romantic way, he feels like an idiot for thinking that way and immediately shuts down the idea of Ever Getting with her. He's not who she wants to be scene with! And he's not her type! I mean, she likes women for God's sake! Doesn't she? He's never seen her with guys! only girls, so that must mean that she only likes women! Right? Before he could finish that thought, she snaps in his face again but more aggressively this time. "Hey! Will you stop spacing out on me?! I'm freaking out about this bus driver guy, and you're just sitting here like it's another Tuesday!" Robin exclaims. Jackie rolls his eyes at her freaked out state before speaking, " You really need to stop listening to those stupid crime audiobooks. They're getting to your head, you know. " she waves a hand in the air as if dismissing the idea of her precious audiobooks being the problem instead of the seemingly disturbing bus driver.

Jackie feels like he should pay attention to his best friend's rambling now. " All right, I'll humor you. what's going through that weird little mystery crime audiobook brain of yours?" She looks around the bus and spots someone else who doesn't look like they belong on a high school bus. She looks back to Jackie and says, " The bus driver isn't the only weird one." She says. "Oh yeah? Who else is suspicious looking to you?" Jackie replies to her in more of its playful tone rather than a serious one. Without mentioning his seemingly inappropriate tone of voice, she speaks. " There's a little girl in the back of the bus not too far from where we're sitting, on the right side near a window. Have you ever known a little girl to travel on this bus route? Let alone on a high school bus?" Jackie feels Goosebumps going down his spine he turns around in his seat and looks back to wear Robin pointed out, sure enough not missing a beat there was a little girl staring out the window at back of the bus.

She had a white and brownish looking dress going down to her knees. She had red hair, no freckles, and brown eyes, with pale skin to match. He feels like she's not supposed to be on the bus, so he turns back to Robin, and he asks. "Was she always on this bus or not?" Robin rolls her eyes before replying." No, you idiot she's never been on this bus before she showed up today. Do you think her bus number is 47 and go on this one by mistake?" Jackie shakes his head."No, that couldn't be it, couldn't? It would make some sense, but at the same time, she would have to read the lettering on the side of the bus to know which school it goes to, right?" Robin shrugs." Maybe she's part of the kindergarten group in our school? Or maybe she's just the bus driver's kid, and he had to take her along with him?" "Robin, that doesn't make any sense she looks too old to be in kindergarten for one, for two the bus driver looks like he could be her Grandpa and not her dad, so I highly doubt that they are related and if they are I still say fat chance" Robin looks at him and shrugs "you might be right" Jackie replies " I probably am right" Robin shakes her head before giving a yawn ans asking " what time is it? It still has to be early in the morning." Jackie Scruggs and gives a short reply." I don't know, I forgot to put my watch on when I left the house." Robin looks at him confused "really?, you never forget to put that thing on like ever. Are you sure you're feeling all right?" Jackie rolls his eyes and says,"Yeah, I'm good. I just have a bad feeling about this bus driver, is all."
Robin nods her head and looks out the window, not feeling like she shouldn't pry on how he's feeling.

An: yo, it's the author here. It's my first time telling people bout this story. Please treat it kindly! And give me your feedback on how you like it!