"I don't like it, that's all I'm trying to say"

"Well that's funny - you fuh-nee per-sun"

"I can't talk to you when you get like this"

"Like this? You like this?"

"Jesus Christ"

This had been going on for fifteen minutes now. If I were an exagerrator I would say an hour, but I'm not. Well I might be because for all I know it was 13 minutes and some seconds; it's not like I time these things.

"Everyone on this bus is listening to you be an asshole. Why are you an asshole?"

"Why are you what? Why-why? This is great"

"Please stop, just don't...stop, ok? Ok?"

"Ok"

"Really?"

"uh"

She held out that word, rather sound, for a good bit. And a good bit is flexible. You can't exaggerate that. I had got on the bus back at Wightman and now the bus was going over the quick bridge to Craig, my stop. And that guy and girl were getting off as well. I considered staying on until the next stop just to get ahead of them, but I was the one who pulled the wire and made the light go on. And everyone knew it. I hated how they all looked at me. It was unnecessary. I don't want to exaggerate how much I hated it though, so I won't. But with the two of them I could simply listen to them and they didn't ever seem to notice. There was something to their banter that intrigued me. Enough to stand up and head towards the front of the bus.

I didn't get these two. The one who seemed rational was the guy. He looked college. She looked art. He was clearly pharmacy school, maybe engineering. She was probably undecided. Like me. As soon as we got off of the bus the banter continued, so I stayed close to listen.

"Let's get hot coffee and drink it raw"

"Or we could just get coffee. Why do you have to act so weird?"

"Let's fall asleep in coffee time"

She said everything with a smirk and a upward nod. This asshole grin, where she looked expectant and her eyes seems excited. She was loving this, and, I guess, I was too.

"Ok, but if I am going to get coffee then you need to stay out here. I can't deal with you today"

"Shut up faggot slacks. Coffee is gay like you. And I don't think I want it anymore, so go ahead, don't listen to me just walk in and gay yourself..."

He had gone in to Starbucks at the word 'slacks' and at the words 'and gay' she had turned her attention to me.

"Hi"

"Hi"

I felt unbearably awkward about this. I mean, really, I was hot all over. I noticed she was wearing a grey plaid skirt, which I noticed before but didn't really notice. And I noticed something else: she might be younger than I thought, maybe highschool age.

"What's your name?"

"Alan"

"What do you do Alan? Listen to siblings fight on buses and take mental notes?"

"Oh, that explains it"

I said this to myself but not as quiet as I intended.

"Explains what, Alan?"

He then came out and I turned towards Forbes Ave., away from her, but she didn't move.

"Ok, let's go. Stop staring, let's go"

"Hello? Explains what? You can't just stare and listen and fuck and just stand there looking at nothing. Hey? Why did you say that?"

I kept staring across Forbes with my eyes agape and eyebrows raised and lips pursed.

"I'm sorry, what are you doing just...stop this, ok? Don't bother people, let's go, I have a class in 15 minutes and I've got to walk you two blocks..."

Her eyes finally turned off of me and onto her brother.

"I can walk myself you jerk stash"

"Lovely. Sorry, I'm sorry"

She turned the corner and her brother followed. And I did something unexpected, something I still can't explain.

"FUCKSHITCOCKMOTHERFUCKSHIT...SHITHEAD!"

I actually yelled this. Why would I do that? And, of course, everyone looked at me. It felt like cars and buses stopped, but I may be exaggerating that.  ¶ 3:38 PM