✧The Earthe of the Elves✧

37

Mia's POV

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We reach the bus stop quickly, and before I know it we're all sitting in a row on the bus, Knox and the other two elves eating salads or drinking milkshakes, and me scarfing down a burger, french fries, and a vanilla milkshake. Let me just say, after a few months of uber-healthy diet, fast food feels so weird, but not really in a bad way.

"Oh my god, this is so good," I mutter, mostly to myself, as I take a sip of the milkshake, letting the thick, cold sweetness fill my mouth.

"Mm. Earth food isn't very good," Knox comments, keeping his voice down so the other people crowded on the bus don't stare. I did catch a few people looking at us as we walked to the bus stop, but not in an suspicious way. It might be weird to see a man with long hair, two with hats even though it's warm out. Plus the way elves hold themselves demand their presence, no matter what costume they're wearing.

"Yeah, that salad is probably fake compared to the stuff you're used to," I laugh, finishing off my food and tossing the trash in a tiny trash bin. I lean my head back against the seat and close my eyes, letting my body rock back and forth as the bus jostles down the street.

This should be a trip all the way to my town, with a few bathroom stops. It's only four hours, so hopefully it will be a smooth trip. I'm also trying not to think about the fact that we have no transport stones, so no way of getting back to Earthe. While also trying to ignore my phone in my coat pocket, its weight getting heavier and heavier as I think of every possibility of anyone who could be texting me, or even stupid stuff like those edits of badass characters on Instagram and Tik Tok.

I can't think of that stuff now, when I'm finally starting to calm down.

Knox sighs from his spot next to me. I open my eyes and turn my head to the side, looking past him to the other aisle of two seats, where Clolas and Rhydell are talking away, looking perfectly normal.

"This is kinda fun, right?" I say, sitting up as a thought pops into my head. "Being this immersed in Earth. I mean, have you ever been on a bus?"

"No," Knox says, smiling and looking out the window at the rapidly passing world outside. "It's fascinating. How can something go this fast- And without magic?"

He's so cute, I think to myself. The way that he's looking around the bus like it's a museum full of crazy and interesting objects makes me smile.

"You would have to take some engineering classes to learn that," I answer.

Low, quiet chatter and the steady roar of the engine makes my mind feel sluggish, and I yawn involuntarily. I pull out my phone and place it on the little tray built into the chair in front of me, face down.

The air in the bus is warm, the perfect temperature to feel even more sleepy. I strain against the seat belt to get myself comfortable in my seat, and end up resting my head on Knox's shoulder, which happens to be very comfortable. My eyes close, and I feel him lean into me.

Patches of light and shade pass across my closed eyelids, the bus keeps rolling, and I drift to sleep.

A high pitched squeak wakes me up slowly, the sound of brakes. My mind feels foggy with sleep as I lift my head from Knox's shoulder. He's asleep, and his hat is in his lap, his hair hanging loose around his shoulders. I take a second to admire him, and then my phone is held in front of my face by a hand. I take it and I look up to see Rhydell.

"I hope you don't mind, I was looking at this cell telephone, or whatever you call them. The technology is fascinating. I may have accidentally pressed a button labeled 'camera.'"