Don't Leave

Chapter Six

Rewriting on daretobeunique54

I rubbed my eyes as I waited for the bus to arrive. I am so tired. My mom would never let me go straight to sleep, though. God, why can't that woman hire a maid?

The buses pulled in as none other than Mr. Ryuto walked up. I tried not to look at him while I waited for the bus doors to open. "No hi?" He asked.

I just stared at the bus doors. The time I spend on the bus is my only time of clarity. I'm the only highschooler on it, and I'd like to keep it that way.

Please don't let Ryuto get on that bus.

"What bus do you ride?" He asked me.

"I don't ride a bus." I answered, hoping he wouldn't question it.

"Then why are you in the bus lines?"

Damn it.

"What bus do you ride, Ryuto?" I asked him, switching the roles up a bit.

He looked a little taken aback, not knowing how to react to someone asking him a question when he's asked all of the questions to this point. "I ride bus.....one second." He said and took a slip of paper out of his pocket.

Mr. Holloway, please drive Ryuto Faite to his home at 2147 Molcoff Road. Sincerely, Mrs. Kyle

Molcoff Road?! I live on Molcoff Road! And he only lives a few houses away from mine!

"Mr. Holloway's bus, apparently." He said as he put the paper back in his pocket.

I am officially done with life. My only quiet place is being taken over by a newbie.

"Fuck....." I mumble under my breath and I look up to see him looking at me confusingly. He must've heard me. "I.....I also ride that bus....it's Bus G, right down there." I said, accepting my defeat.

"You sound.....distraught." He said. "Is something wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong, Ryuto." I lie. Everything is wrong.

"Okay....." He said as the bus doors opened.

I walked over to the bus and climbed the steps, hoping he wouldn't sit with me. Let my quiet place be my quiet place. I made my way to the back of the bus and sat down in the floor, in the small section in the back where there are no seats, just handlebars. Mr. Holloway thought the only high school rider should have a special seat. I fastened my bag to the handlebar, so it wouldn't fly all over the place when Mr. Holloway hit the brakes, and I looked up to see Ryuto staring down at me.

"Yes?" I asked nervously.

"1. Where are the other kids? Are we the only teenagers here? 2. Why are you in the floor?" He asked as he knelt down.

"Your 1. was actually two questions." I said, being a smart aleck without even realizing it.

"Fine; three questions that I want answered."

"1. There are no other teenagers. We're the only ones. 2. Yes. 3. Because Mr. Holloway thought the only teenager should have a special seat. No one is allowed to sit back here except me. Well, now except us. I guess you can sit back here as long as Mr. Holloway is okay with it."

"Which I am!" Mr. Holloway yelled.

"Please, do not eavesdrop on our conversations!" I yelled at the bus driver as he took off.

We talked for a while, and I got out my journal and started writing. Ryuto asked what I was doing, and I wouldn't let him see inside my journal but I did show him some of my sketches. He said they looked amazing, and I denied his claims, saying they were nothing more than decent.

"I would give anything to be able to draw like that." He said as he smiled at me. I haven't realized that I've been smiling ever since he first complimented my drawings. I quickly turned my smile upside down.

I haven't been complimented in several years. As a matter of fact, the only person I've ever talked to besides teachers has been my mother for several years. I will admit; it feels kind of nice to have a friend.

What does it mean to have a friend? What do I do as a friend? Does Ryuto classify me as a friend?

Then, I remembered something I told Ryuto earlier.

"Johnson." I say. Ryuto looked at me confusingly. "It's my last name. I said I would tell you it later."

"Actually, you said 'for now.'" Ryuto says, inheriting my smart mouth and I couldn't help but smile. "What's with all the smiling lately?"

"It's not that big of a deal."

"You can tell me, Arwyn."

"It's just that I haven't had a conversation like this in several years."

He looked a bit surprised.

"Actually, I don't think I've had a conversation at all. Unless you count yelling at your mother a conversation."