Kids these days are strange. I could see the two of them at the back of the bus in my rear view mirror. The boy was Rufus Thompson. I'd known him his entire life, his parents as well. His poor mother, she died too young. It was a shock to me when I saw him sit next to a girl I did not recognize. All of my regular riders were friendly and I knew their names. She must have been new.

Rufus seemed uncomfortable with how close the girl was to him. The poor kid was awkward with those his own age. With his mother gone and his father being so distant, he was short on interpersonal relationships. I decided to give him a hand and make the next turn a sharp one. It worked perfectly as the young girl slid right on to his shoulder. Rufus looked like he was hit in the heart with about a thousand of Cupid's arrows. Sadly, the girl only looked like she was hit in the head with Rufus's shoulder.

Maybe with a little more nudging I could turn these two strangers into friends. The speed bump was glaring up ahead. I saw it coming a mile away. Wondering how fast  this bus could go, I floored it toward the yellow hump in the road. A quick glance in the rear view mirror showed that my plan had backfired....or had it? Sure Rufus had hit the floor and was as far from the girl as ever, but there she was leaning over the seat and offering a helping hand. She even pulled him back into the seat when he seemed clueless. She's exactly what Rufus needed, a girl confident enough to make the first move.

Normally, I would stop at Rufus's bus stop automatically, but today I willingly passed it. I wanted to give him a few more moments with his new acquaintance. If need be I would drive him back to his bus stop after we reached the end of the line. The girl's bus stop of choice was a mystery. I just hoped it wouldn't come too soon. My worries were unfounded as Rufus stood up, seemingly unsure of himself and the girl slid past him out of the seat. She walked toward the front of the bus and he followed. As I saw them getting closer in my mirror, I slowed to a crawl in front of the upcoming bus stop.

A whoosh sound flowed from the doors as I swung them open to allow the kids an exit. Rufus extended his right arm as if to say ladies first. The young lady, looking a little apprehensive, stepped off of my bus into the cold night. Rufus stepped onto the unforgiving concrete after her and I closed the doors behind. Driving away I tried to continue to watch the young "lovers". My rear and side view mirrors offered quick glimpses of their interactions but the bus route soon forced me to turn a corner. With their image lost, I looked to the sky and hoped that a dark night full of stars could do for these two what it had done for many young lovers before them.

A/N: this chapter came as a surprise to me. That's probably why it's so short. I'm thinking of writing each chapter from a different person's point of view. Look forward to it!