Behind Every Smile

You Need My Help

The next morning it was decided I start taking the bus to and from school, at that time I didn't realize that I was about to face yet another situation I could've avoided. That I chose to bring myself into.

"You're the first kid to be picked up today." My bus driver announced, watching me make my way towards the back of the bus, flinging myself into a chair that I could easily fall right out of.
Considering my height.

I was still half asleep, barley awake to notice more and more kids seat themselves around me as time went by.

"Hey Punk!" I heard a familiar voice echo in my head but I didn't bother to turn around.

"Hey! Stupid punk looking out the window!" I felt something hit against the back of my seat, my back curving completely.

Finally I looked around the seat, noticing Ryan and a group of other boys snickering at me.

"Looks like you and I are going to see each other everyday from now on. Aren't you excited?" He smiled sarcastically, starting to chuckle.

I turned back around trying not to sigh in front of him. That's when I heard the laughing stop and someone reach over the seat, grabbing my bag.

"N-No! Stop!" My reaction was too slow, my bag was already in their hands.

"I asked you a question! Now you either answer or I start ripping things. Just like you ripped my shirt yesterday!" Ryan shouted.

"I-I didn't know I ripped your shirt! I'm sorry!" I quivered, keeping my eyes on one of the boys who was opening my bag.

"No you're not, you thought you could just walk away! After tackling me over." Ryan shook his head, slicking his greasy brown hair back, starting to smile again.

"We're going to be good friends, but first, you need to be taught a few things about respect!" His glance moved to one of the boys holding my bag, opening the window.

"N-No! Don't!" I desperately reached across the seat, only reaching so far with my scrawny arms.

I was too slow and too small, I couldn't reach my bag in time. I watched Ryan carelessly throw my bag out the opened window. I could hear the bus driver shouting at us from the front of the bus.

"Ryan! Did you just-" The bus started to pull over, I could feel the rain blowing through the opening, the icy breeze only waking me even more.

I stood up as soon as the bus stopped, pushing my way past the bag backs out in the middle of the isle.

The doors flung open, I knew by now my bag was for sure going to be drenched in water.
My feet sunk into puddles of water each step I took while walking down the side of the road.

That's when I saw it.

Every book and binder was scattered all across the sidewalk, even a few loose papers out in the middle of the street. Luckily my umbrella was still somewhat usable.

Of course nobody came to help me, nobody wanted to get soaked by the rain.

I could still hear the bus driver giving a long lecture about bus safety to the kids in the back of the bus. I highly doubled they cared.

By the time I gathered every paper and every book I had, I was completely wet from top to bottom.

I flung myself quickly in one of the seats closer to the front of the bus, the only empty seat I could find.

"I told him if he did that again he'd get a detention slip. So he shouldn't bother you anymore." I noticed my bus driver glaring at me from the overhead mirror, lowering her sunglasses enough to see me clearly.