Finally the day has come. You need it so much. After the funeral of your big brother Tommy last week, everything just turned into a nightmare. Your parents are arguing the whole time in a way you never have whiteness before and never wanted it to. Your father is drunk the whole time and your mother started to hurt herself. Although you are broke inside, you’re still playing the strong role model, by taking care of your kid brother Joey, your mom and your dad. You bring your father into the bed, you patch up the wounds of your mother, get Joey to school & do the homework with him and cook for the entire family. Only in the night, you have the chance to be alone and just cry. Tommy was the only in the family who understood you and motivates you to do better. The car accidents hits you like a stab into your heart. And now, you still have to play the strong and cheeky woman, that you used to be. No one of the others should find out of what happened. That’s why you’re wearing your pink sweat shirt, your tight jeans, the white sneakers and carrying your pink trolley. You don’t want and you don’t need their sorries.

Suddenly the yellow, old and rusty bus comes and stops right next to you. You take a deep breath. From now on it’s – ACTION! Just pretend to be alright and everything is going to be alright. Right?

The bus doors opens and a russian-looking, bald-headed ugly man is starring at you. In his mouth a cigarette. Strange old music is running and a smell of cinnamon is filling the air.

Carefully you enter the bus and stop right next to him.

»Hello«, you ask rather than say.

He looks suspiciously at you before he turns his attention back to the steering wheel and closes the door.

Slowly you walk by and see Steve siting in the last row of the bus. He seems to speak with someone at his right, but the seat next to him is empty.

Carefully and very slowly you move closer to him and stop some feet away. Steve presses his  right forefinger on his lips and shakes his head, looking to the right. It really seems like he’s having a conversation with someone. Although you’re a little afraid you take all your courage and open your mouth.

»Change your move into a nod and ones could sell you as a bobble head?«, you say pretending confidence.

Steve was alway this one kind of boy who freaks you out whenever he could. He is trying to hit on you since high school, but he is not that kind of man you want. He is not like Jordan, a guy who knows what to do in whatever kind of situation he is in. A born leader. Steve was more the kid who like to take things easy. Ah … and he smokes pot. Like a lot! You’re not a fan of marijuana. You tried it once and ended up by waking up on a playground, missing your purse and a shoe.

»Hey, Jaz. What’s going on, babe?«, he asks, pretending unsuccessfully to be a ladies man.

»To who have you spoke to?«, you ask a little irritated and concerned.

»To my new girlfriend over her«, he answers, while moving his right arm to the side like he is trying to embrace someone next to him. Suddenly he fall over to the place right next to him. Now even a pothead like Steve should have realized that the seat is empty.

You’ve thought that he was just joking, but the shock in his face is telling you that he is really surprised, almost afraid of what has happen.

»Maybe the next time you tied her at the seat or even better – stop smoking pot like a maniac, you freak!«, you recommend harshly in the hope to ease up the situation and teach him to reduce his consume of drugs.

Quickly you move to a seat some rows away from him, to get a little bit of space for yourself. A move that Steve notices. He jumps up and moves towards you. Quickly as you are, you put your trolley on the empty seat next to you. Steve reacts by taking the row behind you.  Good Lord, this is not going to be a easy journey. He starts to flirt with you, as the bus suddenly stops again and the door opens.

Jordan comes in. Wearing a blue hoody, a whit shirt beneath it, jeans and red sneakers. In his left hand is a red bag with the logo of the RED WOLFS. The football team of Philamore high.

He starts to speak to the bus driver. His face is telling that he doesn’t like him too.

Slowly he looks to you both, trying to decide where he’s going to sit. Your heart is pounding like crazy.

Where do you think he should sit?

Next to me or next to Steve or alone