I was coming back home from the library, there were a few books in my bag, a computer, water, snacks. I was going to go home soon but I didn't want to walk. I've had a long day of studying and such, might as well do some more in the bus.

I continued my walk stopping every so often to enjoy the breeze blowing on me. It was spring, after all, might as well enjoy it while I can.

I watched as the wind blew beside me, walking towards the bus stop. I saw a boy standing beside the pole, leaning on it. I sighed and kept going. Soon arriving as the bus was just pulling up. I took my earbuds out and fished out the coins in my pocket. I stepped onto the bus and dropped the coins into the machine.

I walked to the back and watched as the boy sat in the back row. Where I usually sat. I swung my backpack higher up my shoulder and walked there, in the same row as he was, just on the opposite side of the bus.

"Hey!" A cheerful smile greeted me. Rapidly, I turned my head to see a familiar face.

"Samara, hey," I said as a girl sat beside me. "Haven't seen you in a while,"

"Sorry, I've been busy, and a little sick," She replied as she took her bag off and put it by her feet.

Samara? My best friend. We were so different, yet so alike. That's why we were best friends. She, artsy, optimistic, extra. Me? Well, I'm the other one. We were both smart, we both had trouble with our social lives. As usual, she had her overalls on, ripped at her knees. And like always, there were paint stains all over them. Underneath, she wore a striped shirt, black and white. Her shoes were converse, gray, the usual.

I smiled and turned to look at the boy across the way. He had taken out a book, looked like a music book, he was writing in it, homework maybe? Turning back to Samara, I put one of my earbuds in and turned the volume down, listening to music as we chatted.

I couldn't help but stare at the boy across the way as Samara talked. He seemed intriguing. Something different. Samara seemed to look towards the same direction.

"Checking someone out huh?" She asked jokingly.

"Huh?" I snapped out of the trance, "no,"

"Keira, you know you don't have to lie right?" Samara said, getting more serious. She turned towards me and blocked my view of the boy.

"I know, and I'm not lying at all," I said defending myself.

"Mhmm," I knew what she was implying, but I let it slide, with a chuckle.

In all honesty, I didn't know what I was thinking. Though, I knew just by the look on Samara's face, that she was trying to hide the fact that she liked the boy. I'm pretty sure his name was Joshua. At this point, it didn't matter who it was. It did, however, matter that Samara admired him. I just hoped that wouldn't get in the way of us.

I walked out of the old building. I looked up at the sun, what a nice day, I thought to myself. I looked down at my phone. My eyes looked at the time. Shoot, I was going to be late again. I ran from the building to the bus stop, I watched as a girl got on the bus. I got faster. Getting distracted and being late was not a good way to start a bus ride.

I rushed towards the bus, I could not be late again. I had just finished up at the art studio, but as usual, I got distracted with some art or something like that. As the cool air passed by me, I ran faster and faster. Just in time for the bus.

"Good day," I said as I dropped my ticket into the machine.

I ran to the back where I saw Keira sitting. Looking out the window, as usual. I noticed the other boy across the way from her, studying from some random music book.

Ignoring it, I walked over to Keira, who wasn't paying attention, I was beside her and I said, "Hey!"

"Samara, hey. Haven't seen you in a while," she replied with her eyes following me as I sat down.

I explained to her why I hadn't come and as I talked, she reached for her earbud, putting it in her ear as she listened to me.

That was something she did often. I couldn't blame her, I knew sometimes she had a hard time concentrating. I also knew that music was her life. Sometimes, people would see her as disrespectful when she put it in, to me, I saw it as her being herself.

I turned to see the boy putting his own headphones in, as I took a glance at his screen, I realized he was listening to some band theory thing. I glanced back up at him. Where had I seen him before? I could've sworn that I've seen him before.

The gray sweater and jeans, I remembered seeing someone wearing those exact clothes. I took a closer look, dark black hair. He was shorter than a lot of people, but he wasn't too much shorter. Cute.

I tried to ignore it, but it was hard. I looked towards Keira, trying to take my mind off it, I put everything on her.

"Checking someone out huh?" Implying the boy across the way.

We kept that conversation going, but the boy was still the only thing that was circling my mind.

"Mhmm," I said, trying to rid him from my mind, trying to put the focus on Keira.

Yet, I still couldn't get him away from my thoughts. He was just there, I couldn't clear him from my thinking. He was front and centre. I couldn't even slip him into a subconscious.

Really, I knew exactly why this was happening, but I refuse to accept it. I don't want to admit it either.

I kept repeating the same thing over and over again in my mind, though, I knew it wouldn't do much.

I don't like him, I don't like him, I don't like him.

It's been a long enough day. I was coming from my after school band practice. To be honest, my legs were dead and I didn't want to walk, so of course, I took the bus, but I knew it would take a while.

My eyes drifted to a girl who was coming into the bus, I knew her, she was in my class, at least, I'm pretty sure. Earbuds were dangling over her shoulder. I took a glance at her clothes. Peachy pink with dark indigo lines all over, it was a checkered shirt. It was tied at her waist, but not showing any skin. She wore leggings and gray slip-on shoes. She sat down and placed her bag at her feet. I wondered why she didn't put it on the next seat, it's like she was saving it for someone.

I realized that she was, a girl came bounding in. Out of the corner of my eye, I watched as she sat and they started to talk. I realized that she was watching me too. That was Samara I'm pretty sure, she was the one staring. The other girl, Keira? Had gone back to looking out the window and was listening to her music while Samara was looking at me.

I turned my head towards her and stared at her in the eyes and she stared into mine. She darted her eyes quickly away from mine. Of course, she did. She always does.

I looked past her at Keira. Her eyes darted everywhere, finally to mine. I smiled as I stared at her, beside her, Samara turned her head the direction that Keira was looking. Somehow, we three ended up staring at each other.

But that suddenly stopped, as I lurched forward, the bus coming to a sudden stop.

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Word Count: 1432

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