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Description
I count them like cattle. Twenty-four in all. Twenty-five including the driver. Torrents of music surge from my headphones. Older citizens look at me critically and frown at my rock tune. I frown back and abandon my travelling companions, while I leave my troubles behind and gaze out the window. Trees dash by my window, houses are a blur of colour. The mechanism comes to a screeching halt and several people get off, including the stumpy frowning man. The Asian woman next to me with a miniature doll in a pink dress on her knee, shifts her weight and drops her handbag. I reach down to return it to her. She gives me a shy smile as my reward and goes back to fussing over her daughter.
At the front, a weary-looking mother tries to contain her four monsters from claiming the vehicle as their own. She offers them lollies, bribes them with juice and soothes them onto the seat. Only one will not listen and continues jumping in the aisle. Mother bear is not impressed. She pulls her young one close and whispers harshly in his ear. Her offspring nods and sits down.
A young teenaged boy near the rear exit door curls his bus ticket with his bus card. Once this laborious job is done, he checks to see if anyone is watching before stuffing the rubbish in the back of the seat in front of him. He looks up and sees me staring at him. I roll my eyes at him and pretend my middle fingernail is the most interesting thing in the world before giving him a peep at my discovery. Once his prying eyes leave my body, I look up again and sweep the area for something else to entertain my curiosity.
A Maori teenager finishes his hilarious joke, causing his friends to howl with laughter. His greasy hair is swept to one side. His clothes old and worn. The Asian woman next to me rings the bell and leads her daughter off. I watch them as they get off the bus. The mother walking with a slight limp, her daughter skipping afta her. Observing the seat next to me is now vacant, the Maori teen comes down the aisle and sits down next to me. Rude, crude and definitely not my type. I make like a snail and recoil. He smells vile and I try to breathe lightly. He tries to put his arm around my shoulders. I roughly push him off and make a disgusted face before moving as far away from him as possible. He returns to his friends, where he is greeted by catcalling and whistling. The driver terminates the motor. The thugs file out.
Sitting four rows in front of me, on the opposite side of the aisle, sits a cute boy maybe 14 or 15. He sits alone. His black gelled-up hair gets crushed slightly as he leans up against the windowpane. He examines his surroundings and seems unaware of my prying eyes. His serious oval face portrays a glimpse of humour, as an array of glistening pearly whites shine through because of a private joke he shares with himself. He looks up to my staring and strikes a pose. He mimes his name, Jon. I mime mine back, Jodi. Anxious to avoid conversation, I look down to avoid his expectant eyes. But it doesn’t matter anymore, it’s my stop.

Description
I count them like cattle. Twenty-four in all. Twenty-five including the driver. Torrents of music surge from my headphones. Older citizens look at me critically and frown at my rock tune. I frown back and abandon my travelling companions, while I leave my troubles behind and gaze out the window. Trees dash by my window, houses are a blur of colour. The mechanism comes to a screeching halt and several people get off, including the stumpy frowning man. The Asian woman next to me with a miniature doll in a pink dress on her knee, shifts her weight and drops her handbag. I reach down to return it to her. She gives me a shy smile as my reward and goes back to fussing over her daughter.
At the front, a weary-looking mother tries to contain her four monsters from claiming the vehicle as their own. She offers them lollies, bribes them with juice and soothes them onto the seat. Only one will not listen and continues jumping in the aisle. Mother bear is not impressed. She pulls her young one close and whispers harshly in his ear. Her offspring nods and sits down.
A young teenaged boy near the rear exit door curls his bus ticket with his bus card. Once this laborious job is done, he checks to see if anyone is watching before stuffing the rubbish in the back of the seat in front of him. He looks up and sees me staring at him. I roll my eyes at him and pretend my middle fingernail is the most interesting thing in the world before giving him a peep at my discovery. Once his prying eyes leave my body, I look up again and sweep the area for something else to entertain my curiosity.
A Maori teenager finishes his hilarious joke, causing his friends to howl with laughter. His greasy hair is swept to one side. His clothes old and worn. The Asian woman next to me rings the bell and leads her daughter off. I watch them as they get off the bus. The mother walking with a slight limp, her daughter skipping afta her. Observing the seat next to me is now vacant, the Maori teen comes down the aisle and sits down next to me. Rude, crude and definitely not my type. I make like a snail and recoil. He smells vile and I try to breathe lightly. He tries to put his arm around my shoulders. I roughly push him off and make a disgusted face before moving as far away from him as possible. He returns to his friends, where he is greeted by catcalling and whistling. The driver terminates the motor. The thugs file out.
Sitting four rows in front of me, on the opposite side of the aisle, sits a cute boy maybe 14 or 15. He sits alone. His black gelled-up hair gets crushed slightly as he leans up against the windowpane. He examines his surroundings and seems unaware of my prying eyes. His serious oval face portrays a glimpse of humour, as an array of glistening pearly whites shine through because of a private joke he shares with himself. He looks up to my staring and strikes a pose. He mimes his name, Jon. I mime mine back, Jodi. Anxious to avoid conversation, I look down to avoid his expectant eyes. But it doesn’t matter anymore, it’s my stop.