"Young man, have a seat!" the bus driver said, his voice strained with exasperation.
"Yes, sir."
As the bus rumbled on to the Forensics team competition, Leo plopped down next clutching a Sony Discman portable CD player in his hands (just like the one I got for Christmas) and wearing headphones around his neck. He looked like a completely different person from the one I danced with back in October. The childlike softness of his face disappeared, except for the dimples. His boyish locks were gone. Leo wore his hair shaved close to his head with thin black glasses spanning ear to ear that made him look like his I.Q. magically raised a few points. After the swim season and a bit of a growth spurt, his stocky frame looked more muscular.
Stop staring at his biceps! I scolded myself.
"What's up, Josephine?" Leo asked with a charming smile.
I cleared my throat and looked out the window, doing my best to ignore him. Didn't he understand that's why I gave him the silent treatment all these months? I hoped he'd get the point and go back to his seat, but the fool just kept talking.
"So, you're still not talking to me? That's okay. I guess I did say some harsh stuff to you. But, the truth hurts. That's what my dad says, anyway. He took me out driving on Sunday. We saw you driving that old sports car with your dad."
"Oh, yeah?" I whipped around.
"Pretty sweet antique. What year is it?"
"It's a 1967 Pontiac Firebird." Talking about the old car brought a smile to my face.
"Really?"
"Yeah." I nodded.
"That's so cool." Leo smile was genuine, and made him look even more handsome in his dress shirt and tie.
"I guess. He bought it back in August. We've been working on pretty much every weekend. I just drove it for the first time on Sunday."
"You worked on it? And, risked breaking a nail?"
"Yeah."
"No way." Leo picked up my hand, examining my fingernails for evidence.
"Way." I pulled my hand back.
"I don't believe it. Brainy cheerleader chick under the hood of the car, getting her hands all greasy? Nah."
"Seriously! My brother and I helped my dad install new belts, hoses, spark plugs, and ignition wires. Plus, we put in a new stainless steel exhaust and Cooper Cobra tires. My dad bought it with a rebuilt V8 engine, but it needed some basic upgrades."
Wait, why am I telling him all this? Clearly, he was not here to apologize.
"Why did you come over here?" I asked, my senses finally coming back to me.
"I don't know, I just saw you sitting there and thought it was time we bury the hatchet."
"I've got to practice my speech." I scooted closer to the window.
"Oh, yeah." Leo nodded. He moved closer to me. His breath smelled minty fresh like he had just downed a few Mentos candies or squirted some Binaca spray. "It's about the death penalty, right?"
"Yeah."
"Why don't you practice it for me?" he asked with a smile and took off his glasses. He tucked them into the chest pocket of his dress shirt.
YOU ARE READING
Song of a Sophomore
General Fiction[2023 Top 25 in The Historical Awards, 2022 Watty's Bootcamp Mentee] 💜Embark on a heartfelt journey of self-discovery, first love, and the transformative power of a 90s playlist in this captivating coming-of-age story.💜 To 15-year old Rose, it's n...
