Adrenaline | Tyrus

Part 1: Neat Socks

Cyrus' POV

"Are you excited for your first day of work?" my mom asks.

A toothy grin covers her face, while her eyes flicker back and forth between me in the passenger seat and the road.

"It's just training, Mom," I respond.

"But you'll be out on the park this time!" she chirps. "I just can't believe my baby has his first job!"

I glance back at Andi, Buffy and Jonah in the backseat, who are stifling their giggles with their hands over their mouths.

I turn back ahead. "Mom, you can't say that when we get there."

"Oh, come on, Cyrus," Andi defends. "She's just being supportive."

"Her supportive is equivalent to a regular person's embarrassing."

"Okay, okay," my mom says. "Don't worry. I won't embarrass you."

"Thank you."

She pulls into the parking lot of the recreation centre, and I spot the yellow bus with the Adrenaline City logo taped up in the window. One of the perks of working there is the free employee transportation to and from the park. There are multiple busses that pick up from different locations within Shadyside. The one closest to me happens to start its route here.

The engine cuts out as my mother twists the key, then says, "Have a good day, sweetie."

"Thanks, Mom."

More vocalizations of gratitude sound from the backseat before my friends step out of the car and meet up with me. Several teens chat together in a cluster outside the bus, two of them sitting on one of the concrete parking blocks near the wire fence. One of them is wearing an indigo hoodie with the park's name on it, signalling to me that he must be a returnee.

Andi steps onto the bus first, showing the driver her employee ID card.

"More newbies!" the woman says in a cheerful tone. "I'm Charlene, and I like to get to know all of the kids I drive, so what are your names?"

We take turns answering the question.

"Wonderful! I'm so excited to meet you kids," she says. "Just make sure the rest of you show me your cards, and then you can take a seat wherever you like."

We do as instructed and step up into the aisle between the rows of grey seats. Nearly every spot is taken by teenagers, many of which are sitting alone.

"People don't like to converse much at the start," Charlene explains, "but pretty soon they'll all be friends and start sitting together."

We look back to the crowded bus, then walk down the aisle. Andi and Buffy find the last completely empty spot and sit down together.

"Sorry," Buffy says to Jonah and I. "I guess you'll have to just pick someone to sit with."

"That's okay," Jonah says with a smile. "I love new people."

Immediately, he plops down beside the shaggy-haired boy next to him. The kid grins as Jonah introduces himself and starts a conversation. Of course this isn't hard for Jonah. He's extroverted and feeds off the energy of others. I, on the other hand, am nervous as I walk past a few more rows of seats, trying to decide which one to take. I could join any of the girls I pass by, but I worry that they'll think I'm a creep who's trying to hit on them or something—even though I'm very gay, but they don't know that. Instead, I lower into a seat beside a tall, blonde-haired boy. As soon as I sit, he turns his head to take a quick glance at me and I immediately notice how attractive he is. Why'd I have to choose this seat? Is it too late to switch spots?