The Art of Being a Gentleman

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

THE DAY HAD finally come.

David was standing there with his parents in the crowded bus station that smelt like feet, every surface covered with some mysterious sticky substance, and yet he couldn't keep the stupid smile off his face.

"You've got everything you need, right?" his mom fidgeted, adjusting the collar of his jacket. She had already asked him this four times on their drive over.

"Yeah, mum," he laughed, pushing her hand away. "It's only for two nights."

"But you're so far away," she insisted, worry creasing her forehead.

David held back an eyeroll, "If you let me drive the car I would've been more in control of transportation."

His dad huffed, glancing around the station uneasily, "We're not letting you drive all the way by yourself. We talked about this: bus one way, your grandparents back."

"Stop worrying so much, then." He adjusted the backpack on his shoulder. "You guys have covered every precaution possible. The only way I won't make it to Pembrooke City is if I'm murdered by a psychopath who also happens to be riding the twelve hour night bus to a dingy town."

"David!" his mother sucked in a breath. "Don't joke about things like that. It'll make them come true!"

He chuckled. "Relax. I'll text you when I get there and when we're coming back. I'm sure Gram and Gramps will call you, too." He shifted the weight between his feet, trying to see if his bus had arrived yet. He was more than ready to be away from his parents and on the road to see his sister, even if that meant being cooped up on a smelly bus with strangers for hours on end.

Ray scrubbed a hand across his face and huffed again, sharing a look with his wife before saying, "Just... be careful, kid. I know you're excited but just..."

"I'm not stupid. I'm not going to sit by the sketchy guy who's always chewing gum for some reason, and I'm not going to go wandering around Pembrooke looking for white vans to crawl into, okay? I do have some street smarts."

"That's not what—" his mom was cut off by her husband's hand on her shoulder.

"It's fine. He'll be fine." He said simply, turning away.

David was surprised by the lack of comments streaming from his father's mouth, something that he was never in short supply of, but he didn't have time to dwell on it because in the next moment he noticed his bus pulling up to the curb. Trying to hold back a grin, he pulled his mom into a quick hug, pecking her on the cheek, before taking a few steps back, merging into the small group of people moving towards the bus. "That's me. I'll let you know when I'm there. Bye!"

There was a new spring in his step as he joined the short line at the door, digging his crumpled ticket out of his pocket. He let the driver scan it and then he shuffled his way to a seat near the back, away from most of the other passengers. Nobody looked too sketchy, but he placed his backpack on the seat next to him just in case.

Glancing out the window, he spotted his parents still standing on the side, but they weren't looking back at him like he had expected. Instead, they both looked immersed in conversation with each other, his mom with her typical look of worry, and his father with his furrowed eyebrows that must have become a permanent part of his face by now.

David wondered what they could be talking about so seriously, but eventually he realized that he didn't care that much. He was going to see Grace.