The Bus Shelter

Smoking Kills

This was the longest class I had ever had to sit through. I desperately waited for it to end. Mainly because for a while, I felt like someone had been watching me.

Yes, I’m in a uni class, and there are hundreds of students here, but I mean, someone had been watching me too closely. It could have been the hipster dude with long blond dreads sitting to my right, but he was busy doodling volleyballs and Minecraft blocks over his mid-term paper.

And the girl to my left was aggressively moving her right leg, and she kept playing with her long blond hair, as if she was stressed.

The three boys behind me were looking at nudes on a phone. They kept whispering and were way too busy and preoccupied to be staring at me.

But I still felt like I was being watched. And it bugged me.

After class, I head out to the parking lot. I look down, trying not to get wind in my face. It was pretty cold out for an October night. My long red hair was everywhere. I managed to grab a black tuque from my bag and put it over my head. I sit in my car, and let out a sigh of relief. Familiarity.

I put the key into the ignition and turn it, but nothing happens. I try again, but to no avail.

“Great. I needed this.”

I throw my arms up in frustration, and then I frantically look around for change.

I grab all of my stuff and head to the nearest bus stop.

I walk for about fifteen minutes and jog the last few meters, desperate to get to safety. As I get closer I see a man standing there, fumbling with something that looks like a phone.

I get closer. He’s dressed in pretty much all-black, but he has short, light blond hair. He’s wearing a hood over his head, but I could tell he wasn’t very old. Early twenties at most. He was pretty tall, but didn’t seem to take too much pride in it.

I hesitate, but I get in the bus stop shelter, and start warming up my hands.

“Hi there.” The young man says, in an usually deep voice.

I ignore him.

“I’ve never seen you around here. ‘You new in town or something?”

I take a deep breath and look up at him, knowing he wasn’t going to stop until I actually acknowledged his presence.

“My car broke down in the school parking lot.”

“Oh. Do you enjoy this weather?” He says, looking around.

I half expected him to say something like, oh, that sucks. Or, oh, I could take a look at it, if you want. But he manages to change the subject completely.

I don’t know whether to respond to his unexpected question. I start to watch him closely, and next thing I know he takes out a cigarette pack and takes out a cigarette.

“You smoke?” I ask, suddenly feeling stupid as he lights it and sticks it between his lips. I don’t know why it came as such a surprise to me. He could be doing drugs every night as far as I know; he was wearing a fancy leather jacket, his ears and nose were pierced. The dark ripped jeans looked like they were made for him, and his combat boots looked like they had been worn as if it was his religion.

He glances at me, and looks back into the distance. “Occasionally.”

“That kills, you know.” I say, mesmerized by his green eyes.

He gets closer to me and whispers, “So does depression.”

I frown. “I’m not depressed.”

“You have dark circles under your eyes, you’re dressed in all black. You carry who knows how many books in that big bag of yours, and the only students I know who do that are those in tough classes. You’re carrying a bottle of pills; I heard the bottle shake as you were walking towards me. And at this time, most people our age tend to be out with friends, getting drunk.” He says, casually.

“What about you? You could be depressed.”

“No.” He corrects me. “I chose to dress like this because this is what I can afford. I have the essentials. I have friends, just not here in this city. I like being able to think, and wander alone. I feel free. Meanwhile being alone for you literally means being lonely. And I’m not getting drunk because I don’t drink.”

“Ok, mister know-it-all, what the hell are you? You’re certainly not psychic, and you can’t be that smart—”

“I’m a psych major.”

I can’t think of anything else to say.

“Tell me I was right.” He looks down at me, a grin creeping up on his face.

“About what?”

“About you.”

“You were dead on.”

Silence finds its way again and settle between us.

“So now, I know your story, but not your name.” He says, between puffs.

“Ruth. Ruth McGuiness.”

“People call me Law.” He holds out his hand and expects me to shake it.

“Law? You weren’t born with that name.” I frown. I was starting to get tired of his little games, but I couldn’t bring myself to just walk away. I shake his hand.

“Actually, yes. Law is short for Lawless. Lawless is my last name. And that’s what people call me.” He grins.

“Great. So what’s your first name?”

“No one knows. Except me. And my parents.” He adds, matter-of-factly.

I roll my eyes.

“And Ruth? That’s a pretty simple name. I like it.” He says this as if he had to put a stamp of approval on my name.

“So what are you waiting for, Ruth?”

I laugh, “Same thing as you. Waiting for the bus.”

“I’m not waiting for the bus.” He says casually, sitting down.

“Then what are you doing here?”

“Trying to have random conversations with strangers.” He looks up at me.

I start getting creeped out. I’m about to walk away, but then he grabs my hand and stops me.

“No. I’m kidding. I like hanging out here because they play a good radio station here with good music and I still haven’t figured out what it is.” He gestures towards something.

I look up to the tiny radio box in the farthest corner of the bus stop shelter. And sure enough, I could hear music playing.

“You know, that’s kind of weird.” I couldn’t help but laugh at this point. I sit down.

“Weird is like my second major.” He smiles back.

A bus suddenly pulls up, and I stand back up. “It was nice talking to you, Lawless. See you again. Somewhere.”

He nods. “You’ll know where to find me.”

I roll my eyes again and I get on the bus. Somehow, for the entire length of the bus ride to my apartment building, the only thing I could think about or look forward to is finishing class tomorrow night and going to that infamous bus stop shelter.

I should start taking the bus more.