Benders

The wheels on the bus...

"MAYA!"
"What, mom?!"
"Come downstairs, you've got thee minutes to catch the bus!"
Damn it. I couldn't believe that summer was officially over. No more relaxing afternoons. No more pancakes for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. And no more time with mom.
I raced down the stairs and grabbed a pop tart on the way out.
"Have a good day. I love y..." I couldn't hear the end as I threw myself between the closing bus doors. There was a thick layer of gum under every seat and the air was heavy with the smell of morning breath.
"Maya! Sit here!" Glenn called to me from the seat all the way in the back even though he knew that's where I sit every day. "You look like shit" Glenn was just about the only person I knew that... well, he was just about the only person I knew. I didn't make an effort to meet that many people in my years at Rusty Oaks and I don't plan to meet anyone else as a senior. Something about Glenn intrigued me. Maybe it was his nutcase conspiracies or his bizarre obsession with popular 60's Afro-soul singer; Miriam Makeba.
I still remember the day I met him. It was the first day of high school. My parents had separated and I wasn't planning on humoring myself by attempting to make friends, so I sat square at the back of the bus. right next to the nerdiest kid I could find. He looked me square in the face and said, "You look sad. Pokèmon is translated to Pocket Monster." Ever since that day, I would sit in the back of the bus and receive an honest opinion from Glenn then a fact. It was usually about Pokèmon or Miriam Makeba, but u didn't mind. I had someone to talk to.
"Maya, did you hear me?"
I was snapped out of my flashback "what did you say?"
"I asked if I told you this fact before: hedgehog hearts beat about 147 times per minute"
"That's a good one, but not so useful."
"Not if you're an earth bender."
"Glenn, the only thing stopping you from getting into Yale is this crazy stories."
"Yeah maya? And what college are you going to?" He regretted it as soon as he said it and I could tell. I was going to community college while Glenn pretty much had his pick. "Maya I-"
"It's ok Glenn. You believe in whatever you want, but don't expect me to believe it too."
"You wouldn't believe me if this bus was swept into the air by a wind bender right now."
Just then the wind was taken from my breath as I was shoved to the floor. I felt gravity reverse as all the backpacks popped off of the seats for a split second. Our supplies came crashing down with the bus.
"Sorry for the scare, kids. Our bus momentarily took to the air. I hit a bump and the back tires flew off. I called in another bus to take you to school but for now, we're not going anywhere"
"I. AM. MAGIC."
"I still don't believe your crap."
"You wouldn't believe me if a million dollars landed in my arms." Glenn stuck out his hands and squinted his eyes as if he were praying to some unseen force.
"You're not magic and benders aren't real." Although that would make my life so much easier.