Sudden Encounters

at the bus

It's raining. I'm wet from the rain. I'm freezing. And someone is being an ass.

I have a t-shirt, and a sweater over it. I have another jacket, but this one is dry. Thankfully, nothing got wet inside my backpack. My legs are freezing because I only had pants. But what made it worse is this air conditioner above me that is protected by this penguin of a passenger beside me. It isn't obvious that he likes the cold, right?

Not.

For the twenty minutes I've been beside him, I've tried multiple times turning the AC off. But this hibernating bear-man, with only a polo and sweater on (with pants of course, duh), wakes up whenever he doesn't feel the cold breeze anymore and turns the AC back on. It has dried and iced me. I can't even feel my hands anymore. I bet my fingers are gonna break any minute now.

Such fortune.

I tap the shoulder of the man wrapping his arms around himself. And it seems like he isn't hugging himself to make him warm. I think it's to make himself comfortable. I roll my eyes as I sigh. "Hey, mister?"

He groans at hearing my voice. I frown at his gesture and continue to tap him. "Mister?"

He doesn't respond. I think a nerve is going to pop if I don't handle it sooner or later. I went with the easy way but I don't think it's enough to budge. Well... I tried. Attempted. Whatever.

I turn off the AC again; and after a few minutes, like four or five, he starts to fidget--he's starting to feel that I turned the AC off. Did I mention he has a bonnet? Yes, he does. He lifts his hand from his armpits up to his head and fixes his bonnet that was covering his face. He reveals a pale visage that is more on the shade of Snow White's, in which, in this case, is all mopey and frowning.

"Are you provoking me, Ethan?" His eyes are closed and wrinkly as he asked me. Or is it me? "I don't care if you're shivering to death. Die for all I care, you're going to leave me anyway." He turns on the AC again, and I fail to deliver my plan.

Silence reigns between us, making me start to realize that we aren't the only ones aboard the bus. I can hear the chatters as I watch him return the bonnet to cover his face again.

Woah, isn't that edgy.

"I'm not Ethan," I finally answer. He pauses to hug himself again.

"I don't care either way," he finally responds, and continues to wrap his arms around himself.

I lost my words, as if my mind went blank for a moment. What does he mean by "you're going to leave me anyway"? Did he fight with this certain "Ethan"? Maybe he has left him already? I shake my head and lean back. Why should I care? If he doesn't, then we should be mutual.

I still mind the cold though. If this doesn't stop, I'm going to get sick. And maybe him too...

No.

I turn it off once again. As if on cue, he slightly squirms to the absence of the cold breeze. He stops when he realizes that I did it again. He turns it on without removing his bonnet, and sighs. "Do not provoke me, woman."

I can't help but make a super subtle "pffft" inside my mind. "Woman"? Really? Am I some human with XX chromosomes that doesn't deserve to be called a "Miss"? He sounds like he talks to a lot of people to confidently call me that.

Since I'm a rebel, I did it again. I squint my eyes in preparation, as he holds his bonnet and slowly removes it from his face. My eyes meet two blue orbs, frowning in irritation. He raises a brow, making me realize that I've stared at his eyes for more than a minute. I avert my gaze.

Why are his eyes so...

"I will continue to turn it on no matter what. Just give it up, missy." He leans on the glass window with his hands intertwined on his upper abdomen, making a slouchy pose. I notice his pupils making slow motions, as if he was scrutinizing my face. I frown at him.

"You'll get sick with that," I say as if I'm worried about him. If I can't confront him, maybe I can convince him. I'm having a long trip, and I'm not going to get sick because of this.

"What makes you think that I care?" Wow, he said "care" a number of times now.

I clear my throat after a pause. "Why do you not care anyway?"

"Because we're all going to die anyway, whether you like it or not." His eyes make it seem like he's emotionally dead. He's not done staring at me though, and I'm getting uncomfortable.

"Is... life not enjoyable for you...?" I ask, but I didn't mean to trail off.

Wait, why are you curious?!

"Oh, it is. Working 24/7 is my ecstasy," he answers with a serious face. "But even my work is gone now." His eyes are still staring intently.

"So that's a no?"

He smirks at me with amusement. This guy is messing with me. I shouldn't give him what he wants. I keep my head straight, so I can't see him even in my peripheral vision. But then he reaches out for the AC to turn it on again. As I feel the breeze brushing against my cheek, I can't help but have goosebumps. This guy has 100% thick skin. He's become too irritating.

"Seriously, if that Ethan has something to do with you being addicted to this deadly cold, I promise you I am seriously going to..."

He interrupts me with his very soft chuckle. He holds the hand rest for support, but then he slowly looks up, leaning towards me. Oh no, this is not good. He stops at a considerable distance, but a little movement would make our noses touching. And so I sat there, frozen. Well, I was shivering to death from the start anyway.

"Are you curious?" he whispers. He smells decent despite his attitude and demeanor. Too decent, in fact.

He leans closer, but since it was an emergency, all I was able to do is to close my eyes.

I can feel his warm breath against my ear. Goosebumps. Again. "Curiosity kills the cat," he pauses. I clench my fist in the slight fear of what this man can do to me. "If I told you about him, would satisfaction bring you back?"

Because of the goosebumps overlapping goosebumps, I push him away with mild force. "Forget it," I tell him, my eyes straight forward.

"That's what he told me too," he says. "Unfortunately, I don't listen to people."

"That, I know of."

He chuckles again in amusement. "You have caught my attention, woman. Be responsible for it."

And for the last hours of the trip, he didn't turn the AC on, as long as I kept him busy. Or more like, as long as he kept pestering me.