Invisible String

Chapter 10

Iyaara

I arrived at the bus station and sat on one of the benches, waiting for my bus.

Buses came and went, each one puffing out clouds of exhaust before rumbling away, but mine still hadn’t shown up. I usually walked to school—it woke me up, and the morning breeze always felt refreshing. I only ever took the bus when I was really exhausted.

Today, though, I took the bus because Ryker had texted me.

My legs wouldn’t stop shaking. My heart was beating fast, though I had no idea why I was this nervous.

Finally, my bus pulled in. I stepped inside, showed my bus card, and started down the aisle. That’s when I saw Ryker, sitting by the window, earbuds out, staring into the distance.

As I walked closer, he turned his head, and a faint smile crept onto his face.

“Hey,” he said.

“Hii,” I replied, trying not to sound tense—or nervous.

“So, what’s the occasion?” I asked, smirking as I sat next to him.

“Nothing, really. I take this bus all the time. It’s just… quiet and boring. I needed someone talkative.”

“I am not talkative,” I said, narrowing my eyes.

“Yeah, yeah, I know,” he replied, his tone dripping with sarcasm.

“So, how’s your aunt?” he asked.

“She’s doing fine. What about your mom?”

“She went to visit my elder brother,” he said.

“Wait—you have an elder brother?” I asked, surprised.

“Yeah. He’s in Stanford.”

“Ohhh, I see,” I said, nodding, still impressed.

We ended up talking the whole way—about random things, stupid things, everything. Before we knew it, our stop had arrived.

The school was a short walk from the station, so we walked together. When we entered the classroom, I spotted Ava and waved.

“Bye for now,” I said to Ryker as he sat in the next row. I slid into my seat beside Ava.

“So,” Ava began, eyes glinting with mischief, “how did you and Ryker end up coming at the same time?”

“We took the bus together,” I said casually.

“What?” she asked, a smirk slipping onto her face.

“Ehemm,” she teased.

“Whattt?” I said, half annoyed but smiling anyway.

Then the boring lectures began, and as usual, sleep slowly crept in.

By the time the bell rang, everyone jumped from their seats, packing their bags in a rush.

“Ufff, today was so boring,” I groaned.

“I know, right?” Ava agreed.

“Hey, dumbo!” Kairo said, smacking her on the head.

“Ow! Why do you always hit me in the head?” Ava complained.

“To check whether you have even an inch of brain,” he shot back.

And there they go again, I thought, shaking my head.

I checked the time and realized I had to help my aunt bake for her party.

“Guys, I have some work—I’ve got to go,” I said, waving as I headed out.

I arrived home, and my aunt called out, “Heyyyy!”

“Heyy! I came so I could help you out with the cupcakes,” I said.

“Noo, it’s fine. I can do this on my own,” she replied.

“On your own? For burning them?” I teased, laughing.

“Hey! I do know how to bake, okay?” she said, mock-offended.

“Noo, I’ll help anyway. You know I always help, right?”

“Okay, okay,” she relented, rolling her eyes.

“So… did you bring all the ingredients?” I asked.

“Umm… no,” she admitted, scratching her head.

I facepalmed. “Don’t worry, I’ll get it,” I said. I grabbed a bag and went out to buy everything we needed for the cupcakes. Soon enough, I was back home.

We started making the cupcakes, but it quickly turned into chaos. Flour everywhere, batter spilling over, frosting smeared on the counter—it was a mess. But somehow, chaos has a way of being fun, a way of relieving stress. Spending time with my aunt like this was amazing; I loved it.

Hours later, I finally flopped onto my bed, my legs wobbling from standing so long, but grinning because it had been fun.

I scrolled through my phone for a while… and, as always, sleep won.