~ ~ Chapter Twelve ~ ~
“This sucks, whose idea was it to come on this stupid trip in the first place?” I groaned loudly as I hit my head against the buses glass window. I was bored, so utterly bored. Brody opened his mouth to reply but I cut him off, “Don't you dare say me either.”
He closed his mouth instantly and gave me a pointed look because we all know it was me, well technically it was Saxon but I had asked to go along with him. But I never told the others they had to come. So they only have themselves to blame.
“How about we play punch buggy?” Harper suggested and looked at all of us. We were currently taking up the back end of the bus and being seat hogs about it too. I was sitting on the very backseat with my back against the window and my legs stretched out in front of me while Chris was sitting opposite me with one leg stretched out and one bent up.
Harper and Brody were on the seats directly before us, one on both sides and Harper had his head hanging in the aisle despite the fact that Brody kept kicking him with his feet. I'm waiting until we get to our first rest stop so we can change seats.
It didn’t register that we were near the toilet until it was too late and let me tell you, with our heightened hearing and smell it was absolutely disgusting.
“And when was the last car we even saw driving past?” Brody scoffed as he looked out the window into the pitch black.
We have been on here for hours already and right now half the bus was asleep but I was eagerly waiting for the rest stop so I could make sure everyone woke up and got off so I can claim a new seat.
“You make a suggestion then brainiac,” Harper snapped back. Yep you guess it, being couped up for so long is getting on our nerves.
“I will. I spy,” Brody replied with a smug tone and smirk.
Rolling my eyes, “I spy is lame but I spy with my little eye something beginning with......G,” I smirked as I found something no one will guess.
“Thought you said it was lame, huh?”
“It is but I'm bored and lame is better than bored, duh,” I muttered back, “C’mon, I said G.”
Even though we all agreed the game was lame, they all started looking around the bus, “Grandma,” Harper grinned but I shook my head.
“Is it inside the bus Eva?” Chris asked in a bored tone and I nodded.
“Gnot,” Brody called out, startling the lady in front of him who glanced his way before looking away quickly.
We all looked at him like he had lost his marbles, “What on earth is gnot?”
“Yeah, is it even a real word?” Harper smirked teasingly.
Brody shot us daggers, “Yes it is, it’s snot with a G.”
“Not counted.”
“Huh, what do you mean it’s not counted? It’s totally counted,” Brody defended his made up word.
“It’s not even in the dictionary so it doesn’t count,” I muttered back while trying my best to not glance at my object nearby.
“Who made you the rule keeper anyway, I thought up the game.”
“Suggesting and thinking up of something are two totally different things,” I pointed out, “Plus I'm just better than you.”
“Whatever,” he huffed loudly and leant back in his seat roughly.
“Glue?” Chris spoke up and looked at me expectantly.
Frowning I shook my head as I looked around for glue; he so made that up because I can’t see any anywhere. “It has to actually be something you can see Chris.”
“I give up,” Harper growled, “What begins with G?”
I looked at the other two, “You both being piker’s too?”
Brody rolled his eyes at me, “It’s not quitting if we all have no clue.”
“Fine, it is gum,” I smirked and I pointed to the pink chewed up gum stuck under the seat in front of Harper on the leg part.
“Oh c’mon as if that little thing can count?” Brody cried out, glaring at me accusingly.
“Yeah, I vote you’re a cheater,” Harper grumbled.
“I'm all the way over here, how was I even meant to see that?” Chris demanded.
“Boys suck,” I mumbled and sat up straight, “Okay since none of you guessed it, I get to go again – that’s the true rules Brody, so no complaining.”
He did complain but I ignored him as I looked around for something else tricky, right up down the front tucked up alongside a pink suitcase in the overheard departments was a small stuffed teddy bear. Grinning because I knew not one of them would guess that object either, “I spy with my little eye something beginning with T.”
“Teddy," Chris called out instantly and I spun to look at him in shock but quickly composed my facial expression.
“No.”
He smirked, “Toy then, you cheater.”
Glaring angrily at him, “How did you even guess that?”
“I watched you closely.”
My mouth fell open a little and I pointed at him, “You’re a cheater Chris! A big fat cheater, you’re banned from future games.”
“Can you lot please quieten down, I'm trying to sleep!” the lady in front of Brody turned around and hissed angrily at us, giving us the look that all adults do when they are trying to get a point across.
“You’re not my mum," I shot back and smirked at her.
Brody smacked my hand which was holding onto the back of his seat, “Eva!”
I yanked my hand away and rubbed it slightly, “Ouch,” I mumbled slowly and with attitude.
“I would sure hope not, what kind of parent lets their ratty kids ride a bus alone?” she snapped again and my mouth fell open.
“That was harsh, we’re not rats,” Harper gasped dramatically and Brody shot him a warning look to shut up.
“A darn wicked parent, that’s who,” I snapped.
The lady looked back at me and frowned again, “Just be quiet, the lot of you or I’ll report you all to the bus driver.”
“Ooooh, I'm soooo scared,” I shivered and waved my hands in the air a little with wide eyes.
Chris snickered from the other side of my seat and I grinned over at him as he turned to face the lady, “What do you think the driver can do? Kick us off in the middle of nowhere? He’ll have his butt sued since we’re all minors. I know our legal rights,” he smirked smugly.
“Yeah and our dad’s a wicked lawyer,” I commented with a grin. Such a total lie but she doesn’t know that.
“Kids these days have no respect for anyone,” she grumbled to herself as she grabbed her belongings and stood up. “All they do is sit on their lazy behinds all day long and play video games,” she continued sooking about us as she made her way down the aisle, hitting some guy in the back of the head with her bags which made me laugh as he told her off.
“Someone had a can of snappy tom this morning,” I muttered out loud.
“I know right, games are awesome how dare she knock them,” Harper scoffed, insulted by her grumbling.
“Let’s all just shut up now and rest?” Brody asked and Chris agreed, I shot him a mean look for being such an instant traitor but he just shrugged with a yawn.
“But I'm waiting for the rest stop,” I complained quietly.
“No one’s even used the toilet in hours Eva, just get over it,” Brody replied softly with his eyes closed and he yawned loudly near the end of his sentence, “Just go to sleep, it’s been a long day.”
“As if you can’t smell it though?” I asked, revolted he even wanted to stay in these seats.
“Don't breathe,” he shrugged like it was simple.
Pulling a face at him, “Ha, ha, ha,” I mumbled sarcastically as I leant back up against the window and turned my head to stare out into the darkness.
As silence fell over the four of us I couldn’t help but wonder what Saxon was doing right now, if he was actually missing me or not. Not that I'm about to forgive him anytime soon but my wolf was howling for him silently inside of me. She was calling out for his wolf and she didn’t like being apart after being together constantly for such a long time.
If only she would shut up then I would be in peace but she won’t. I hope Saxon’s wolf is giving him an even harder time because he deserves it more than what I do.
Sighing loudly I closed my eyes and waited for sleep to come but I turned and shifted in my seat for ages, never being able to get comfortable because something was missing and I refused to acknowledge what that stupid something was.
“Stop moving already,” Brody whispered with annoyance and I just growled very quietly back at him so none of the other passengers could hear me. Doesn’t he know I would stop moving and go to sleep if I could?
“She needs Saxon,” Chris yawned from close by and I sent my foot kicking into his leg with a bit too much force as he grunted loudly in pain, “Cow.”
I heard one of them shifting in their seat as they got up and I could tell it was Harper before he moved my legs over on my own seat and plopped down sleepily by them. He reached up and took my hand and I let my fingers curl around his, “Go to sleep now,” he yawned quietly and I smiled slightly.
It wasn’t the same but it was enough.
Stretching my arms and legs as I grinned at Harper, the bus was awake with a quiet frenzy since we were pulling up to the bus depot where we would be switching buses. I can’t believe we managed to survive thirteen hours of boredom without killing one another.
I swear when we get back home I never want to see any of their faces for at least a week.
“How long until we catch the next bus?” I asked as I yawned a little and stood to my feet since the bus had finally come to a complete stop.
Chris shrugged, “Weren’t you listening to your dad?”
I shook my head as Brody stood up and looked down the few inches difference between us, I hate being the absolute shortest of the group and will be glad when we get home and Emily can be the shortest again.
“An hour,” he smirked while shaking his head, “I swear all you heard and took in was that dad got us tickets out of there.”
Nodding with a smile, I winked at him and walked behind Harper, shoving him slightly to move it. But he almost fell into the girl before him though he was quick and gripped onto the seats on both sides of his body to stop himself.
“That was no fun,” I mumbled quietly.
“Your shoving match is with Brody, not me,” he muttered back.
“I love you Harper.”
“Save it for when you really need it,” he laughed and looked over his shoulder at me.
“I will then.”
Stepping off the bus right behind him, I looked around at the large bus depot which was set out different to the previous one with a long row of parked buses and plenty of doors leading into the actual station that had so many people walking in and out and all carrying their own luggage.
“I feel under dressed with no bags,” I joked as I walked towards one of the doors, glancing at Harper who nodded his head in agreement.
Inside the place was a blur of activity, announcements were constantly being made as people rushed around to make sure they got on their own bus in time. Mothers were shouting out for their kids to keep up and not wander off but what caught my interest was the gaze of a girl in the far corner.
I stared back at her wondering what her problem was and she didn’t even look away as she kept on staring. She seemed stuck in some kind of trance that she couldn’t snap herself out of but there was something about her. I sniffed the air discreetly since I didn’t want anyone looking at me like I was a weirdo but I couldn’t catch any alarming scents so I shrugged it off and looked away from her.
“Let’s go for a short wander,” Brody mumbled as he brushed past me to avoid having some filthy man asking for change touch him, “Get away from me,” he snapped at the man as he grabbed my elbow and hurried us away.
Grinning up at him and his angry face, “Is someone scared of a bum?” I teased.
“No,” he snapped back instantly and my grinned widened.
“I think someone is,” Harper cooed from behind us and chuckled while Brody let go of my arm and shoved Harper back a few steps.
“Shut up, I'm not scared of anything,” he growled.
‘Getting any good scare tactics?’ Chris asked me silently and I frowned at him for a second before it clicked and I glanced at Brody.
‘Sure am now,’ I laughed back and imagined what I was already going to do. It involved sneaking into Brody’s room late at night while he is sleeping and I'm dressed up like a bum.
Brody slammed the door open that led to outside as he stormed through it, not bothering to wait and see if we were following his grumpy butt or not. Someone is totally scared of the homeless but I wonder why? They aren’t scary looking, just a bit icky and you don't want them coming into your personal space let alone touching you but they aren’t scary.
Maybe he was attacked by one once or something and just never told anyone about it?
Grinning at the back of him as people moved out of his way, I laughed quietly to myself. “Not a word Eva!” he shouted back to me without even looking in my direction.
“I'm not a thief,” I hissed in a low tone as Chris kept shoving the plain black singlet in my hands while I kept refusing to take it.
“You so are,” he rolled his eyes before glancing around the large clothing store.
“Yeah, you steal stuff of us all the time,” Harper grinned as he poked his head out from the middle of a rack of shirts, which would have scared me if I hadn’t already known he was in there.
“Seriously, why are you hiding in there?” I asked him as I tried to change the subject of conversation. They wanted me to steal new clothes because too many people were staring at me. Honestly, they are probably all staring because the lot of us stink from lack of showers.
Harper poked his head back out again and grinned, “I may have pushed Brody into the fountain out in the plaza area and he may be looking for me.”
Rolling my eyes at his stupidity, “You know he can track your scent right?”
“Yeah, I know,” he called out from behind the shirts and I looked away since he was making it seem like I was having a conversation with shirts.
“Just go change into it and put your shirt back on over top until we get out of here,” Chris shoved the singlet back into my arms but I still refused to take it. He groaned loudly, “Just send them some money for it later if you’re going to be that much of a girl about it.”
I narrowed my eyes at him, “I know what you’re trying to do and it won’t work.” He was so trying to do that reverse psychology crap on me and make me feel like I have to go do it just to prove I'm not acting like a girl but I'm not falling for it. I don't care what he says or thinks.
Chris shrugged like it made no difference to him but then he rolled the singlet up tight and shoved it into his jean shorts pocket and walked away like he hadn’t just stole something. My mouth was hanging open a little as I watched him, then I quickly turned around and walked off so I was no longer standing at the scene of the crime.
“Stupid CC,” I mumbled to myself as I walked around a corner and in the direction of the jeans. I don't even know why I'm bothering to look at clothes since I hate shopping and I have no money but I guess it is killing time until our bus is ready to go, which is...soon I realised as I glanced up at a clock hanging high on the wall.
Quickly backtracking through the store to find Harper, I called out to him and he jumped out of a different clothes rack scaring me half to death. I smacked him instantly, “Give a person some warning next time!”
He was laughing too much to actually feel it though, “Oh man, your face was priceless. I finally got one up on you,” he clutched his stomach as he followed behind me while I did my best to ignore him.
I saw Chris standing by a rack of watches and called out to him, “CC, time to go!” His head snapped up in my direction and glared at me. ‘You know I hate that stupid name,’ he growled inside my mind and I just grinned back at him.
“Why are you laughing?” he asked Harper as he joined up and walked behind me with my brother while I searched around for Brody.
“I scared Eva and it was classic.”
Giving up on looking for him the old fashion way, I used the wolf way – well one wolf way, ‘Dude, we got to go.’
‘I'm already waiting at the bus for you three,’ he replied instantly and I growled lowly.
‘Way to tell us doofus,’ and I glanced back at the other two talking in hushed voices, “He’s already at the bus.”
As we approached the line of buses by taking the long way and walking around the building, I felt Harper tugging on the back of my shirt, “Please protect me my favourite sister of all time?”
Frowning, “I'm your only sister.”
“There’s Travis, he’s a big girl at times,” Harper chuckled and I tried to yank my shirt free from his grasp but his fingers weren’t budging.
“No way, you scared me before.”
“Sucked in,” Chris laughed as he walked on ahead of us. I watched him heading straight for Brody who was making the whole eye motion at Harper; you know where you point at your own eyes and then point at someone else? Yeah, that’s what Brody is doing right now.
Then I saw her.
I saw that girl again but this time she wasn’t staring at me, she was staring at Chris and Brody with such an intent gaze that it was creepy. Though they hadn’t noticed her because she was leaning up against the brick wall in a small gap and mostly hidden from their view but since I was coming up alongside her from the opposite direction of the boys, I could see her clearly.
Before I could ask Harper what was up with the weird girl, Brody had cupped his hands around his mouth, “Move it you two the bus is loading up!”
“Race you!” Harper suddenly shouted as he dropped his ‘help me’ act and released my shirt. But not before pushing me to the side and taking off in the direction of the bus.
“Cheater!” I shouted after him and took off knowing I couldn’t catch him now without causing suspicion by the crowds around us.
“Like you’ve never cheated before!” he called back over his shoulder without slowing down once.
It was luck for me that he had to wait behind a little old lady who was very slowly boarding the bus, so I caught up with him. But the second she was seated down behind the bus driver he went to fly up the short step of stairs to get on first but I had been waiting for it, so I quickly grabbed the back of his shirt and yanked him back.
He fell down the steps and half landed on one of my legs but I pulled it out from under him and climbed over his body to jump up onto the bus, grinning as I made it to the top step with success.
“No horsing around on my bus you two, now go find a seat,” the bus driver half yelled at us and I quickly walked away after giving him an annoyed look.
Brody had saved me a seat in front of him and this time we were roughly in the middle which I was grinning about, I so did not want to be next to the toilet again. Though, I could still smell it from here but there wasn’t anything I could actually do about that but at least I'm not right next to it.
“What is with everyone referring to us as animals?” Harper grumbled as he slid into the seat across the aisle from me with Chris directly behind him – who just had to flick Harper’s ear as he sat down, so naturally it started a mini punch up which I was half tempted to join in with.
“Cut it out back there you lot! I don't tolerate that crap on my bus you hear!” the bus driver was standing up and glaring our way as he shouted his warnings. I shifted closer to my window to act like I didn’t even know who Harper and Chris were but the driver made a point of glaring at all four of us.
“How long are we stuck on this bus for?” I asked quietly but knowing they all would have heard me clearly.
“Six hours,” Brody chuckled, “If you two get kicked off, your both on your own while Eva and I go on without youse,” he growled lowly at the others who were still sending ‘sly’ punches and kicks to one another.
“He started it,” Harper protested as he pointed at Chris who slapped his hand away.
“And how old are you again?” Chris scoffed with a roll of his eyes but he leant back in his seat and settled down, only to have Harper quickly kick him underneath the chairs before spinning around in his seat to act like it wasn’t him. Chris glared at the back of his head for a few moments but let it go.
“Six hours too long if you ask me,” I grumbled while resting the side of my head against the cool glass and ignoring the conversations of all the other passengers.