Turquoise

Chapter 3: Home sweet home

Home is not just a place with walls and a roof. It's like a warm hug that wraps around you, making you feel safe and loved. It's where our laughter echoes, and our dreams take place.

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I was standing at the bus stop, patiently waiting for my bus. This is it-I'm on my own now. Not that I'm not used to it; I've been alone most of my life, cooking my own food, doing chores. How hard could it be, right? Moving to a whole new city, and not just any city-it's New York. I've heard stories about how unsafe it is when you're alone, and here I am, a 16-year-old girl, moving there on my own. How bad could it be? I just need to make sure the locks work properly, and it's best not to walk alone at night. I can do that, right? Lost in my train of thought, I didn't even notice the bus already standing there. Wait-the bus! Oh my god.

The doors were closing, and I panicked. "Hey! Excuse me, please open the doors," I begged the bus driver, he only rolled his eyes but did open the doors.

"Sorry for the inconvenience," I said apologetically.

"Listen, missy, I don't need your whole life story. Cash or card?" the man asked gruffly, clearly annoyed.

"Right, right. Cash, please." My voice was far from confident, and if looks could kill, his would definitely do the job. He looked at me as if he could incinerate me on the spot. The thought made me giggle, but then I realized I probably looked like some sort of maniac, so I quickly tried to look serious.

"Okay, 28 dollars," he said, holding out his hand. I quickly grabbed the money from my wallet and handed it to him.

"Thank you, sir," I said as I walked away without any response. Charming man. I assume most New Yorkers are like this, always in a rush to get wherever they're going. My first real New Yorker experience-awesome! I looked around and noticed a few people looking annoyed. Oh well. At the very back, there was one seat left next to a mother and her baby. Lovely. Even my inner voice sounded sarcastic. I think the New York vibes are already rubbing off on me, jeez.

As I walked down the aisle, the bus started moving, so I quickly grabbed something to steady myself... only to realize it was a bald head. Mortified, I quickly let go and muttered a string of apologies. This time, I held onto the handles and made my way to the back.

"Excuse me, ma'am, could I take a seat next to you?" I asked, pointing at the numerous toys covering the seat.

"Go right ahead," the woman said with a forced smile as she picked up her baby and began breastfeeding. Well, okay. Not that I'm judging; if the baby has to eat, the baby has to eat. But on a bus? I shouldn't judge her. I carefully moved the toys and placed them on her lap before sitting down.

I shuffled to get comfortable, wedged my bags between my legs and on my lap, and pulled out my book, Pride and Prejudice, one of my favorites. As I got lost in the world of Darcy and Elizabeth, I heard a gagging sound next to me. I looked up, and the sight was anything but pleasant-the baby had vomited milk all over itself, the woman, and even part of my seat. The sour smell of curdled milk hit me. I handed the woman some tissues and wipes, which she took without a simple thank-you. Okay, rude.

Determined to zone out, I grabbed my book again, but the baby started crying. Great. Music it is, then. I put on "Heads Will Roll" from Sing, secretly one of my favorites.

I can't wait to explore more of New York after this bus ride.

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I'm officially going to arrive in New York in less than two minutes. Well, I'm already in New York, but you get the gist. I'm so excited I could do a victory dance, but I can't-not on this stinky, excruciating bus. But that's okay. Everything's going to be fine, right?