The Thing That Happened

Chapter Two

I wasn't even that mad, but I avoided Vivian the rest of the day. I took different hallways to get to my classes, and even after school I went straight outside to wait for the bus instead of hanging out in the band room. Was I being ridiculous? Maybe just a little bit.

My bus pulls up in front of me in an abundance of bright yellow annoyance. The bus number, five, is right in front of my face by the time it stops. The bus door opens and I'm the first one to get on, which is different since normally I'm the last one on.

I sit in a seat around the middle of the bus, away from the other high schoolers, and grab a different notebook than what I had earlier. This is the time I normally spend to write without any distractions. Nothing I ever wrote was good, but it was more of a calming thing than it was an art for me.

"Ah, a writer. That's what I thought," a voice says, making me jump. The notebook falls out of my lap and onto the empty spot next to me.

I look up to where the voice came from. Not in front of me, and not behind me. Not necessarily next to me, but in the seat across from me. Him.

"Oh, my. Did I startle you out of your reeverie?"

I grab my notebook and hug it, not knowing why. "So what? You follow me now?"

"If anything I'd say you're following me," he says, mockingly.

"It's like you're a five year old trying to get what he wants." I glare.

"And what do I want?"

"I don't know, get laid?"

He made a face at me, like a disgusted face. I couldn't tell what it was. "Why would you think that?" He asks in what I assume an offensive tone.

"I-" I look away. "Isn't that what guys like?" I ask, suddenly shy. I can feel my face going red.

"I mean, who doesn't? That doesn't mean that is want I want."

"I am not talking about this with a guy I don't even know."

"This guy has a name."

"Do you? I'm so happy for you."

"And I'm assuming you don't have a name?"

"I have one, but you don't need to know it."

"But I gave you mine. You act like it's so intimate to know someone's name."

"And we're back to sex. Why?"

"I thought all guys like that."

"We are not talking about sex, okay?" I snap a little too loud. The bus driver gives me a questioning look.

"Well then..." he says. He smiles again and I can't help but crack a grin, too.

"Quit making me laugh. I'm trying to hate you."

"You haven't even cracked a giggle. All I've gotten you to do is form a dimple on just cheek."

"Ew, gross... I don't have dimples," I cringe and cover my mouth, feeling self conscious.

"You should smile in a mirror sometime."

"Smiling is gross." I look out the bus window and sit up straight. My stop is coming up soon.

"Smiling is beautiful. Everyone should do it more often."

I look towards him again. I remembered that I didn't see his eye color last time. Now I see that he has gray eyes, which startle me, considering his hair is black.

The bus slows down, then, and I stand up, getting my stuff. I start to walk toward the aisle and right when I get there a kid who must've moved behind me shoved me forward, and I landed in Torrance's arms.