on a bus near pittsburgh | sunday | march 7
It would've been easier just to catch a portal but that would have put him back in Fandom too quick and he was still stinging, still raw from everything that'd happened since he'd come home. Worst decision he'd made in awhile, really. He'd been playing the good son, coming home so his mother could give him birthday wishes, kisses and cake. He was leaving a disappointment, someone he'd barely look at and, when she did, there seemed to be years of disappointment and sadness in her eyes. Like it'd taken one more fuck up from him to break the dam she'd been storing everything behind.
He couldn't take it. So, he'd scrapped together some money and bought a bus ticket. It'd take a day and some change to get back to Maryland and that's kind of what he wanted. Of course, a crummy bus wasn't the best place to brood but, right now, Alex would take what he could get. It wasn't the seat of a cushy first class seat on an airliner, but it was better than a bicycle with no seat.
"You're bringing the whole bus down," a voice said from beside him. Until now, Alex had barely paid any attention to his seatmate but he glanced over there now. Even in his state, he could appreciate a hot girl and this one definitely was hot. Enough to make his interest last a little longer, at least. "I'm just waiting for a storm cloud to appear over your head."
"I got my period today," Alex said sourly, flicking his eyes back to the front of his seat. Of course he'd get a suddenly chatty seatmate. Of course, he would.
"If that's the case, then you're the ugliest woman I've ever met," she said, laughing lightly. "Sure you'll be getting your period the rest of your life since you ain't got a chance of getting any man into bed with that mug."
Strangely enough, that pulled a rough laugh out of Alex that he almost regretted. His ribs and throat were still sore and laughing wasn't going to do anything but aggravate that. "Thanks for the pep talk. I'm sure I'll survive, though. I've got two hands, lots of time and a creative mind."
That much, at least, was true.
"You gonna sulk the entire way?" she asked, sounding almost amused.
"Yes." Still honest. "That gonna bother you?"
"Yes." Apparently honestly was going around. "We're sitting on a fucking smelly bus surrounded by people with body odor and screaming kids. We don't need anything else to bring this place down."
"Sorry. You're gonna have to get over it," he quipped, looking back over at her and shrugging. "Sulking's what I do. Move seats if it's going to get your panties in a wad."
"Too bad," she said, slouching back in her seat quietly for a few moments. Alex thought that was the end of it until he felt the girl yank on his hand and start writing something on the top of it.
"What the fuck?!" he groused, glaring over at her and then down at his hand. There were smiley faces and flowers appearing on his skin at such a quick rate that any bitching he had ready to go was kind of fruitless now. "Fucking ask next time."
"Would you have said yes?" the girl asked, looking back up at him and smirking. "Doubtful."
And she kept drawing, eventually moving to his palm and then reaching across to decorate his other hand. Alex didn't know why he let her save for just being tired and worn down and beat down by everything that had happened. He missed his friends, he missed his mother and he couldn't find the energy for anger.
By the time the girl had finished, his hands were decorated with smiley faces, flowers, suns, and other random doodles. And she'd topped it all off by writing her name (Lucy) and phone number on the inside of his wrist. Alex didn't think he'd ever make that call but it was nice to know that, even looking and feeling like crap, he was still irresistible.
[nfb but phone calls are fine, if wanted.]
He couldn't take it. So, he'd scrapped together some money and bought a bus ticket. It'd take a day and some change to get back to Maryland and that's kind of what he wanted. Of course, a crummy bus wasn't the best place to brood but, right now, Alex would take what he could get. It wasn't the seat of a cushy first class seat on an airliner, but it was better than a bicycle with no seat.
"You're bringing the whole bus down," a voice said from beside him. Until now, Alex had barely paid any attention to his seatmate but he glanced over there now. Even in his state, he could appreciate a hot girl and this one definitely was hot. Enough to make his interest last a little longer, at least. "I'm just waiting for a storm cloud to appear over your head."
"I got my period today," Alex said sourly, flicking his eyes back to the front of his seat. Of course he'd get a suddenly chatty seatmate. Of course, he would.
"If that's the case, then you're the ugliest woman I've ever met," she said, laughing lightly. "Sure you'll be getting your period the rest of your life since you ain't got a chance of getting any man into bed with that mug."
Strangely enough, that pulled a rough laugh out of Alex that he almost regretted. His ribs and throat were still sore and laughing wasn't going to do anything but aggravate that. "Thanks for the pep talk. I'm sure I'll survive, though. I've got two hands, lots of time and a creative mind."
That much, at least, was true.
"You gonna sulk the entire way?" she asked, sounding almost amused.
"Yes." Still honest. "That gonna bother you?"
"Yes." Apparently honestly was going around. "We're sitting on a fucking smelly bus surrounded by people with body odor and screaming kids. We don't need anything else to bring this place down."
"Sorry. You're gonna have to get over it," he quipped, looking back over at her and shrugging. "Sulking's what I do. Move seats if it's going to get your panties in a wad."
"Too bad," she said, slouching back in her seat quietly for a few moments. Alex thought that was the end of it until he felt the girl yank on his hand and start writing something on the top of it.
"What the fuck?!" he groused, glaring over at her and then down at his hand. There were smiley faces and flowers appearing on his skin at such a quick rate that any bitching he had ready to go was kind of fruitless now. "Fucking ask next time."
"Would you have said yes?" the girl asked, looking back up at him and smirking. "Doubtful."
And she kept drawing, eventually moving to his palm and then reaching across to decorate his other hand. Alex didn't know why he let her save for just being tired and worn down and beat down by everything that had happened. He missed his friends, he missed his mother and he couldn't find the energy for anger.
By the time the girl had finished, his hands were decorated with smiley faces, flowers, suns, and other random doodles. And she'd topped it all off by writing her name (Lucy) and phone number on the inside of his wrist. Alex didn't think he'd ever make that call but it was nice to know that, even looking and feeling like crap, he was still irresistible.
[nfb but phone calls are fine, if wanted.]