"So...we should sit here. Yes?"

☆

Friday, after school, Archie is taking the bus with Bay to his house. He boards the bus and makes his way to the usual seat at the back, followed by Archie, who suddenly stops mid way. "Bay, wait! Where does she usually sit?"

Bay turns as he sits down at the back of the bus. He looks at Archie, then at the seats a few in front of him, pointing to the seats about halfway down. "She usually sits around there," he says.

"So...we should sit here. Yes?" He then points to the seats just behind and proceeds to sit in said seat, but Bay is a little reluctant to move, this whole situation was not to his liking as it was, without moving seats all of a sudden. "C'mon." Archie says in a whisper kind of shout.

Bay huffs as he begrudgingly gets up from his seat to sit next to Archie, only moments before Lena and her friend get on and as planned, sit in front of Archie and Bay.

Bay finds his eyes squinting at the back of Lena's beanie hat. He hated the feeling inside of him. This unjust feeling of dislike towards her. He couldn't understand why he felt so irritated by it.

Archie on the other hand, was set up to achieve his goal. The goal of engaging conversation with the passengers in front. He looks over Lena's shoulder to see her looking through a book of sketches. Bay watches as Archie cranes his neck to take a look, knowing already that these were probably her own drawings done by herself. Archie takes a deep breath and seizes the opportunity. "Hey. I like your drawings. Did you do those?"

Lena and her friend both look over their shoulders to see Archie and Bay looking in their direction.

"Oh, hey Archie and Archie's friend. Yeah. I did. Thanks." She smiles, before both girls once again face the front, but Archie was not ready to give up just yet. He decides to strike again. "So... do you think you could sketch me?" This even took Bay by surprise as he stares at Archie, but he doesn't expect the answer.

"Sure I'd love to." Lena replies.

"I'll come and sit by you. You can draw me now." All of a sudden, Bay is being pushed by Archie to get out of his seat. He has no choice but to move and stand in the bus aisle, whilst Archie shuffles out. He then scooches back into the seat, finding himself sitting next to Lena's friend, who looks equally as put out by the situation. Bay offers her a weak smile and she smiles back, before they both just stare ahead. He looks at the two in the seat in front of him. Lena is facing Archie, with pencil in hand, studying his face as she makes marks on her sketch pad. Bay can see the look Archie is giving her. As if she were the best thing he had seen in the world and for some reason it hurt him a little.

He looks away, plugging in his headphones, as he puts his music on loud. He rests his head on the window pane as he gazes out at the passing scenery. It hadn't been said in so many words, but he knew things between them were changing.

***

"Hey! I'm talking to you!" Archie huffs. "I said, we exchanged numbers." Bay comes around from his doze to see Archie again sat by his side, having pulled a wire from Bay's ear, to tell him the news.

"So... I guess it went well then." He tries to sound interested, but deep down felt it difficult to join in with his friend's success.

"Yes it did. I think she likes me." Archie sits back in the bus seat with a smitten grin on his face.

Bay gives off a smile, accompanied with a pat to his shoulder. He hopes it's convincing enough to hide his selfish misery. "Good for you Archie. I'm pleased." It must have worked as Archie says no more, now plugging himself into his phone. Bay's gaze looks back out to the distraction of the bus window...