Operation Skinny ✔️

CHAPTER 2: BUS RIDES

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I woke up gasping for air, my stomach lurched angrily, boasting its loud— and unwanted— sound. It was mad that it hadn't digested anything in over twenty-four hours. But, from the stuff I'd read online, this hunger should subside in a matter of days.

My alarm sounded minutes later while I lay awake, staring at my dark ceiling. The sun wasn't up yet which was typical for this part of the Midwest where I would need to get to school by seven.

Unfortunately for me, my car had refused to start when I'd gone to pick up a package for my mom yesterday, which meant I had to take the bus because of the dead battery. My school bus would be here in about an hour.

I showered and quickly put on my uniform, wearing the formal beige pants that we were permitted to wear only once a week, but never on Mondays. Neither of my parents were awake yet, they never woke up with me before school. Unless I missed the bus or another horrible thing happened, in that case, they'd yell at me the entire time that I sat in the truck.

I didn't bother to do my makeup or to do anything with my wet hair; it would dry and become frizzy and curly, but that was okay. I was going to school to learn, not to impress the other students. At least that's what I'd always told myself.

"Good Morning Phoebe. I haven't seen you in a while." The bus driver nodded in my direction when the big yellow bus arrived and its dark doors opened.

"Morning Mrs. Mantis." I nodded, she sat there wearing gloves and blasting country music while she chewed on sunflower seeds.

Personally, I preferred complete silence in the morning, but it wasn't really my place to judge when she was the only way I could get from point A to point B— at least, until my car engine was replaced.

Silent eyes watched me as I twisted through the aisle, trying to suck in my stomach and squeeze by to get to the seats in the back. I began squirming and turning in order to fit. I was embarrassed when I finally made it to the back of the bus and sat. It was dark and calming while a song about horses came on.

"Hey!" Someone said, I took a deep breath, my chin hitting my chest as I did so, looking at my thighs and wishing they didn't expand that much when I sat.

"Um. Hello?" I whispered with zero desire to speak to anybody this early in the morning.

"I haven't seen you on the bus before, are you new?" The voice asked again. I looked at my hands nervously, the skin beside the nail-beds was slowly tearing. My view roamed to the faded red 'no' that had been written on my wrist yesterday and I wondered how angry my parents would get if I tattooed it there.

Probably very, very mad. I concluded.

"Hello?" He waved a hand over my face. My brown, frizzy hair wasn't long, but it was lengthy enough to cover the surface area of my face, hiding any expression present. I took a deep breath, adjusting the bottom of my shirt as I covered my stomach with my cardigan.

"I don't like talking in the morning." I responded, keeping my head down as the bus drove over a speed bump at an alarming speed, bouncing us all up and down and forcing me to glance at the legs of a man that were turned to face me from the seat in front of me.

"Oh, I understand." He said, pausing momentarily and I thought he would finally be silent. "Do you go to Parley?"

I shook my head, a small smile forming on my mouth as I finally looked up. I was met with a pale-skinned, broad-shouldered, skinny guy with eyes that resembled the color of a car-tire. His eyes were small and his features reminded me of those handsome men from the Korean dramas that I'd spent most of my time watching. Immediately, I was jealous of his arms knowing that they were probably thin and slim, hidden by a layered coat.