sh•mg | oneshots

In-Crowd 🚌

Prompt: Kirstin's story of being stuck in the same loop. Every day.
(Side note: this one isn't really scomiche-filled. I'm sorry. To be quite honest, it's a rant. 100%. I wrote this on the bus, haha. Hope you enjoy, and maybe what Kirstin realises is something we all need to realise.)

Setting: Past, Same Personalities

Words: 646
•••••

Kirstin gets on the bus yet again.

First stop.

"Good morning, Mr. Matthews."

"Morning, Kirstin."

She smiles as she walks to her seat, barely sitting down before he drives the rattling bus down the hill and into the other section of the neighborhood.

She can see Mitch and Scott waiting at their stop, attached to the hip. Mitch hits Scott playfully, and Kirstin can vaguely hear his laugh through the window.

"And I told her not to, but she did!" Mitch walks down the isle, Scott following him closely.

"What did you do?" He says with a giant smile.

"Morning..." Kirstin tries, yet she is ignored, as usual.

"I tripped her and yanked that paper from her hand." Mitch shrugs, sitting down in his seat.

"Oh my gosh, you queen."

Everyday. No more "Hey, Kirstie" or "Good Morning."

Kirstin sighs– again, no concern– and places her earbuds in quickly. They always seem to make her feel less alone.

The bus drives speedily down the road, and she gazes out of the window. The sky looks beautiful this morning. A faded baby blue painted over with pink and a faint purple, the sun's beams lining the horizon. The trees fly by, and they looks beautiful, too. She knows she can only look, only gaze at what she wants to touch, because this stupid plastic window is blocking her from them.

Hm.

Jeremy gets on at his stop.

"Morning." Kirstin looks at him.

"Morning." He replies, but doesn't raise his eyes.

Every morning.

So strained and staid.

It's usually what happens after a failed relationship.

Jeremy joins into the conversation and Kirstin turns her music up one bar. The comfort of Amy Whitehouse flowing through her ears and helping her breathe.

She doesn't belong here.

Just another day.

-

Until that one day.

Until Scott and Mitch get on the bus and speak to her, first thing.

"Kirstie! You killed it last night! I never even knew you had a voice like that."

"Seriously, though! You should sing more."

They sit down in their designated seats, but are looking. They're looking at her.

And, she doesn't know what to do.

"Well, I do. Thanks."

Kirstie, don't sound rude!

"Of course. You deserve mad respect. Hey, why aren't you in choir?"

"I am. Women's Advanced?"

"Oh...sorry. I just don't remember seeing you at the concerts."

"Not many people do." She laughs it off, and they laugh with her, making her uneasy.

"I'll be looking out for you next time. What a powerhouse!" Scott smiles at her, and Jeremy's stop approaches.

"Kirstin Taylor! What a performance; you were amazing. Stunning." Jeremy comes in with the biggest grin on his face.

"Thank you." She blushes slightly, and suddenly, she's the topic of conversation.

She should be ecstatic! This is what she wanted– to be loved and paid attention to...

Isn't this what she wanted?

She pastes on the smile, and answers all their questions.

She realises she really doesn't belong.

-

As she steps on onto the bus once again, she knows she doesn't belong.

But, maybe the reason she doesn't belong is because this isn't where she's meant to belong. It's simply transportation. She has people who she's meant to be with: Esther, Kate, Andie, Owen, Jake, Connor, Genevieve, and more.

She doesn't need to change herself for people so shallow they only decide to pay attention to you when you're the hot topic.

She doesn't want to have to fake a smile to keep a reputation.

She doesn't want them.

She certainly doesn't need them.

So, she turns her music up one more bar.

She doesn't utter one "good morning" or "hello."

She gazes out the window with a smile, because outside suddenly looks much more inviting than in.

•••••
just for the ones who like to be insightful like me lol

What did the window represent to you?

What YouTubers do everyone watch?