Sweater Weather

Bus Ride

First thing I hear when I get on the bus is, "NEWGIRL!" Everyone on the bus stares at me. Not in a mean, or rude way, but I'm still uncomfortable. It's a good thing I'm not overtly shy. Actually, I'm quite the opposite...

"Oldman!" I call back with fake enthusiasm to the guy in the back who'd said it.

"Amber!" shouts Nicole, waving me over. Hey, just my luck. She's in the back, not too far from 'Oldman'... note the sarcasm in my joy.

I walk to the back to where she's sitting and can't help but notice that she's surrounded by a bunch of guys. Cute guys.

I sit down in the seat she saved for me on the inside. "Why didn't you text me back?" I ask as soon as I stuff my snack bag under my seat.

"Sorry." She replies. "I was caught up?" It's more of a question.

"In what?"

"A conversation." She says discreetly, motioning with her eyes at the guy sitting in the aisle across from us.

...ohhhh.

"He cute." I say, pursing my lips in approval.

"He the bae." She fans herself.

I give her a once over and cock my head to the side. "You look particularly glowy today." I raise an eyebrow. "Did you get a tan?" Since she's Asian, she has the perfect summer glow. I can't help being a wee bit jealous.

She turns back to the front of the bus and gives me a quick smirk. "Maybe."

"Alright!" yells the blonde check board woman. "Hey Everybody! I'm Maddie-"

"Sup Maddie!!" yells one of the guys.

"Hi, Justin." She nods at him, with a smile. "As I was saying, I'm one of you're camp superiors. This is Rocket Man, as most of you know." She gestures to the driver, an older and very tan man with bleached blonde highlights.

"Hiya kids!" he says with an Australian accent, and waves at everyone.

"Yo Rocket Man!" yells another guy in this area. "You ready to get splashed this year?" Everyone laughs, and says "Yeah!" Someone in the back clicks their tongue and says, "Or naww."

"No chance, Nico." Rocket Man laughs.

"Alright everyone, calm down." says Maddie. "Just let me take role call and we'll be on our way to CAMP WHISTLE!!!!" she yells. The whole bus erupts in cheers, and hoots for a minute before she starts the role call.

"Hey, Newgirl." says the guy sitting behind me. It's Oldman. Hey... Did he switch seats with someone? Whatever. He puts his elbows on the back of our seat, so Nicole would have to move to the edged to avoid getting hit in the face.

"Ever heard of a little thing called personal space, Mac?" asks Nicole, annoyed.

"Ever thought of getting a smaller head, Nicole? It's in my way." He retorts.

"Yeah, sure! As soon as you grow a pair." She bites back with a plastic smile.

"Babe, I got enough to share." He smiles.

"Why you lyin' man?" calls one of his friends from the back.

While he turns back to argue with the guy who'd said it, the one next to him reaches over the seat and holds out his hand.

"Sorry, for Mac here. He doesn't know how to act. I'm Jamie." He says.

I shake his hand. Funny, I thought I was the only kid my age that still shook hands. Nowadays, its fist bumps and high fives and other things I don't usually do.