ᴍʏ ʙᴜꜱ ʙᴜᴅᴅʏ. [ᴍɪᴄʜᴀᴇʟ ᴊᴀᴄᴋꜱᴏɴ ꜰꜰ]

Ch.2-Small Talk.

Ophelia walked into class, the heads of her classmates turning to look at her as she disturbed the peace. The man at the front of the class, with oval-shaped glasses and gray patches of hair at the sides of his head, glared at her. "Ms. Graham." He stated. "Why are you late?" Her grip tightened on her bag, embarrassed by their stares and her teacher's obvious irritation at her.

"I..missed the bus and I had to catch the next one. I'm sorry."

At her apology, his brows unfurrowed, and he gave her an empathic look. She seemed genuinely sorry, and he knew she was an honest person. "It's alright. Please, try to make it to your bus and to class on time, from now on. We're a little behind now due to the disruption," he said, trying not to blame her. The man didn't wish to make her feel worse. "Take your seat, Ophelia." Her hands

eased up on the strap of her bag. "Yes, Mr. McDowell."

She sat at her desk and took out her notebook as the teacher continued with his lecture. She listened and wrote down everything he said. Time seemed to go by fast. She went from class to class, consumed by the lectures from her various teachers. Before she knew it, the bell rang, signifying that she could now go to lunch. She put her notebooks and pencils away and left for the cafeteria.

As Ophelia walked, her best friend, Ariel, went up to her, walking by her side. "Hi, Phelia." She looked at her friend and greeted her back. She was a girl with long red hair and braces. Many people thought her appearance was nerdy, and she was a nerd, but so was Ophelia herself. She thought the girl was beautiful no matter what. "Is something wrong? You seem lost in thought today. You're usually talkative."

She smiled at her friend's concern for her. "Yes, I'm ok. I was just thinking about someone I had met earlier. He was really kind to me. I think I made a new friend." One of Ariel's brows raised while the other one dipped. "Friend, huh? You seem...enraptured by him."

"Maybe," she replied. "He just seemed so polite, too good to be in a city like Chicago. Y'know, with the high rates of crime and gangs we have." The redhead shrugged. "He sounds like a real nice guy. What does he look like?"

A light blush came upon her cheeks as she thought of his face. "Brown skin, dark, curly hair. Gentle, milk-chocolate eyes." She swooned unknowingly. Ophelia quickly snapped out of her trance, her head twisted towards Ariel. The girl smiled at her suggestively. "I, uh...it's not like that."

"Really? From you describing him alone, I think you liiiike him!" She sang. Ophelia shook her head and rolled her hazel eyes. "I just met him, Elle. Is it ok for me to think a guy's good-looking without being attracted to him?" She asked. "I mean, yeah, but for as long as I've known you, you never find boys cute. This is a first!"

"That's because a lot of the guys we know are pricks." Ariel shrugged. "Honestly, I can't disagree with that. Doesn't mean they're ugly, though." Ophelia's face twisted up in disgust. "I don't think looks are what makes a person ugly. It's who they are that makes them ugly." Her red-headed friend giggled at her. "Yeah. Let's get lunch."

= = = =

Ophelia walked, planning to catch the bus again. She really needed to learn how to drive. Unfortunately, she didn't have the money needed to buy a car. She sat and waited patiently for her ride home.

Eventually, the bus arrived. She stood and got on, paying the bus fee. Ophelia looked around for her bus buddy. She spotted him and quickly moved towards him. The woman sat down. Instantly, he noticed and looked up. He grinned at her, ecstatic to see her. "Hi," he greeted her.

"Hey," she shyly greeted him back. She felt a little awkward but would try her best to conversate with him. "So, where did you go after I got off?"

"School, just like you did." She looked down to see Darryl fiddling with his black gloves. Was she boring him or making him feel uncomfortable? "What school do you go to?" She asked.

"Nearwire." Ophelia seemed confused and didn't know what to say. She had never heard of it before. Catching this, all he said was, "it's a private school. It's not close to here."

"How far is it?" She asked. "Three hours away from here," He answered plainly. Her eyes went wide. "That's quite a bit away from here." She stopped, then continued. "You ride the bus there for three hours, every day?" She made hand gestures as she said this. He giggled at her bewilderment. Darryl nodded. "Yes. I promise it's not as bad as it sounds. Eventually, you get used to it."

"I guess so." The two sat in silence, with the exception of the occasional road bump. From time to time, they'd glance at each other and smile, reminding one of the other's presence.