The Girl on the Bus ✔️

Bonus| Released

6 years later

Lilian Burt focused her eyes on the horizon. A black dot to her eyes. Her hair flew around her but she didn't care. Her dress swirled around her feet. A camera hanging from her neck.

The ocean.

Lilian was told to stand still. Act like she was enjoying everything. But she didn't have to act. She did enjoy everything... if only a single snap would do.

Then arms wrapped around her. She turned her head to the side to find green eyes staring at her. The same green eyes she had stared into on the first day of school.

"I'm done." Nathan whispered. His voice gentle even compared to a sea breeze.

Lilian smiled. "Can I see?"

Nathan took her hand and ran. He ran over the rocks, the grass, the sand. The wind beating onto both of their faces.

That's when she saw the masterpiece.

Beautiful sunset colors mixed with the calm of shadows. The gold sand, the dark grass, the red-orange sunset, and the girl. The girl's hair whipping around her. The dress a swirl of another sunset. The shadow of a camera against her chest. A mysterious beauty.

All on a canvas.

A picture was worth a thousand words. But this one was worth none. Nothing could describe what this picture meant. No word.

It was one thing to see the real thing. It was something different to see it made by man.

There was a steady silence. Both of them speechless.

"Do you like it?"

"Hmmm maybe. Maybe not."

Nathan chuckled, shaking his head. "I don't even know what I've made."

"Nathan." She leaned in and kissed him on the cheek. "I didn't even know. I mean you were good before. I didn't know you were this good!"

"Maybe I could paint when I grow up."

"You are grown up."

Nathan's eyes were glued to the painting but he turned to stare at Lilian, the true masterpiece.

"I'm grown up. But I'm not released yet."

Lilian's hazel eyes stared at Nathan curiously. Even after so many years, she still couldn't understand him.

"You don't understand do you?"

Lilian cocked her head to one side and shook her head.

"You know how like most parents would say I am going to take care of you until you graduate? You are still in the arms of a grown up until you are released to do whatever you please."

Lilian just continued to stare at Nathan. "You still don't understand?"

Lilian shook her head.

"Let's just take wolves as an example. Now this information may be wrong. I'm not a wolf expert. But a wolves live in packs, right?" Lilian nodded. "So the pack would consist of a father, a mother, an elderly, some friends and family, and the little baby wolf. The little baby wolf grows up but his parents think he is not ready yet. But when the wolf catches his first big prey, it's like a symbol that the wolf is ready."

"I guess our symbol is a degree."

Nathan nodded. "Now the wolf is officially a grown up wolf and released. He travels and find friends to start his pack. Eventually he meets the perfect girl wolf and then there would be a baby wolf. The cycle starts all over again."

Lilian laughed when Nathan was done telling the story.

"What?"

Lilian shook her head. "Nothing. Just nothing."

Nobody said a word. They could only hear the lapping of the ocean and the seagulls. There was a silence both of them could understand. Both of them not wanting to break it.

"We're going to graduate soon." Lilian whispered.

"We're going to be released soon." Nathan corrected.

"Are you ready?"

Nathan took Lilian's hands and kissed her forehead. "As long as I have a guide."

"So I'm your guide now?"

"For now, sweet lily. For now."