In Her Shoes

Chapter 15: Waiting For Tomorrow

When I opened my eyes I could barely tell they were open. It was so dark. I sat up slowly, looking around I saw the street lights on. Damn. What time was it? I looked at my watch. 7:59. I literally had about 50 seconds before the last bus came. I looked around, trying to find my bearings when right on cue the last bus pulled up. Knowing it would take off assuming no one was there I jumped up trying not to wince as the pain and soreness took over every aching muscle, and ran- well, limped- all the way over as fast as my exhausted body would carry me. 

"Waaiit!" I rasped. It hurt to talk. I realized how long it must've been till I had water. Just as the doors were closing after waiting a shorter time then they were supposed to, I amped up the pace and threw myself against the glass doors. 

The bus driver, a plump little blond woman with her hair tied up in a tight bun and who seemed on the verge of sleeping from boredom herself, nearly jumped out of her seat at the sound and the sight of me. I guess she won't need that expresso to stay awake anymore. 

She flummoxed with the button that would reopen the doors and I came fumbling in. There were only about five people in the bus but I thought I heard a chorus of mini audible gasps at the sight of me. I floundered around with my money practically jamming the dollar into the machine until it was forced to take it. Then feeling around my pockets I pulled out a quarter and.....only a quarter...I know fake-mom supplied me with two dollars and a dollar in change, I was missing three dollars. 

I literally pulled both of my jean pockets inside out along with my coat pockets in order to find that damned loose change.  

Looking up to the kind-looking bus driver I started to plead, "I sthwear I had"- 

"It's okay,sweetie, it's okay...why don't you just have a seat..." She was looking at me with a thing I hate most: pity. But still I was thankful, so I looked at her thankfully, truly thankful for the first time in my life. 

"Thank-you," I mutter. For some reason I've seemed to have adapted a lisp and talking really hurts, so I'm not sure if she heard. 

She just nods quickly and smiles at me pitifully. I hate it. I sat down quickly before her pitiful stare turned me into what I felt like: A kitten with a broken leg or something else overly cutsie and sad like that. 

Since the bus was practically empty I took one of the seats right in front behind the bus driver's seat, right across a young woman who was about in her twenties (who probably didn't get to move to the back quick enough with everyone else) and with an elderly Hispanic lady with groceries neatly hanging from her wrist to my right. 

The young woman looked at me and smiled quickly, almost fearingly, and averted her eyes in obvious places that were anywhere but my face for majority of the way. The Hispanic lady, however, stared directly at me shamelessly. She didn't even waver when I stared directly at her for a good two minutes (yes I actually counted every second in my head). Finally with a roll of my eyes I averted my eyes and stared on ahead. 

The young blond woman wasn't half as bold. Her eyes darted around my face uncomfortably as she tried not to stare. I could tell she was running out of places to pretend to look so I did her a favor and closed my eyes so she could stare freely. 

As I sat there with my eyes closed I went back and tried to remember all the events of the day: Aiden. Anna. Bullies. Shenise. Aaron. Ruthless cheerleaders. Rock. An empty park. It's too much. I don't realize it but I'm glaring in my sleep. Sleep. What I wouldn't give to be sleeping comfortably. In my bed. Not the bed in my fake house with my fake parents, but my real-life bed, with all the other real things I had. I vowed I would never take advantage of my bed again. I soon drifted off as I reminisced.