Haven (On Hold)

Two's Company

You wake up as the bus makes a horrible grinding sound. You must have dozed off at some point. Beside you, Sam's head rests on the back of his seat, and you think he just can't be comfortable like that. But he's sleeping, so he must be.

A sudden jerk makes you grab the seat in front of you. It's dark outside, and you can't tell where you are.

"What's going on?" Sam asks, sleepily, as he stretches his back.

"I don't know," you say. "It doesn't sound good."

The driver gradually pulls onto the shoulder, and the engine roars like a sick lion until the bus comes to a complete stop. "Sorry, folks," he says over the speakers. "Looks like we have a bit of engine trouble. I'm going to check it out and if it's a simple fix, we'll be on our way again in no time." The radio clicks.

You look up over the seats in front of you as he opens the doors and disappears down the steps. This can't be good. You slump back down into your seat.

"I don't think that's an easy fix," Sam says.

"Shh," you say. "Don't jinx it."

He laughs softly through his nose. "Where are we?"

You shrug. "I don't know. I just woke up."

"Well, at least you got a little sleep, right?"

So he's a bright-side kind of guy. "Yeah." It's quiet on the bus. Most of the passengers are still sleeping, and those who aren't, wish they were. You dig your phone out to check the time. "Almost four."

Sam cracks his shoulder. "That should put us... somewhere in Illinois. I think."

Glancing out the window, you look for any signs that tell you where you are. You see a gas station and a payday loan center, and a sign for the local hospital. Up ahead, is a dark shopping center, closed for the night. "Not Chicago," you say, more to yourself than to him.

"Well, I would think Chicago would be a little bit... bigger."

You shake your head and before you know it, you're smiling. And it's real, genuine this time, not forced or fake like you've gotten used to.

"You've got a nice smile," he tells you.

And the red flags go back up - but only for a few seconds, because you're getting a vibe from him that tells you that you don't have to be afraid. A vibe you definitely didn't get from the guy you desperately want to forget.

The bus dips as the driver re-boards. He stands in the center aisle at the front and picks up his radio. "Looks like we'll be here for a while, folks. I've called it in, so another bus should be here in the next one to two hours. We'll get you switched over to that one and on your way. Thank you for your patience and I apologize for the inconvenience."

"That's just great," you groan.

Sam clears his throat. "You hungry?"

"Huh?"

"There's a diner over there. Looks like it's 24-hours. No sense in staying cooped up in here, right?" He has a nice smile, too.

"Uh... Yeah. Okay," you say, and run your fingers through your hair to make it decently presentable. You can only imagine what a hot mess you are after more than two days on that bus.

You aren't the only ones with the same idea. It feels good to stand up and stretch, and suddenly you like Sam's idea even more.

Yawning as you walk up to the diner, you reach for the door, but he beats you to it. "I got it," he says.