We Were Free

DAY 2

DAY 2

I sat on the dark bus, only lit by the occasional streetlight, sliding from the front to the back, lighting me up for a second.

"Hi, can I sit here?" came a voice.

I looked up and a girl, probably in her early twenties stood above me.

"Uh, sure," I said, uncertain, the bus hadn't stopped in twenty minutes, why was she asking to sit next to me now?

"Uh, sorry, awkwardly perverted guy decided to take up my whole row when I went to the bathroom," she laughed, as if reading my mind.

"Oh, fun," I awkwardly laughed, not knowing what to say.

"So, where are you going?" she asked me.

"Boulder," I replied, blankly, "you?"

"Phoenix," she said, "why are you heading to Boulder, with no parents, might I add."

"My parents are the dictionary definition of douche bag," I said blatantly, "I needed to get away from them, why are you going to Phoenix?"

"For a job," she said.

"Nice," I replied awkwardly.

We sat in silence for a few seconds before she broke it again.

"So, why Boulder?"

"I already told you... my parents are about as sucky as any two humans can be."

"No, that's why you left, why are you going to Boulder? It must have some appeal."

"Oh, right," I muttered, "well, that's where I lived before my parents whisked me away to Detroit."

"Don't you think that'll be the first place they look?" she asked.

"Well, even if they do choose to look for me, I won't be there for long," I laughed, "I won't be anywhere for long."

"You're running away?" she questioned.

"Well, yeah, but, uh, I have liver cancer, stage 4, so I'm dying soon," I said, not bothering to sugar-coat it, "so I figured I might as well live how I want."

"Wow, that sucks, when did you find out?" the girl asked.

"You ask a lot of questions," I laughed.

"Just trying to get to know you better," she laughed back.

"Ok, well, I found out about the wonderful mass in my belly about..." I looked at my watch, "three hours ago."

"That's it!" she gasped, "three hours?"

"Yeah, well more like three-and-a-half-hours," I attempted to justify.

"Oh my god," she whispered.

"What?" I asked.

"Oh my god," she repeated.

"What?!" I practically demanded.

Suddenly she started laughing, laughing hysterically.

"Will you just tell me what?!" I yelled, drawing the attention of the whole bus.

"Okay, this is ridiculous, but I just found out I have a mass in my belly three and a half hours ago!" she said between breaths.

"What?" I asked, did she have cancer too?

"I'm pregnant!" she squealed, "and I left my parents too!"

Suddenly I couldn't help it, I started laughing, just like she was laughing. Laughing so hard I was crying, both of us were.