Scout's Honour

Chapter 3

As they boarded the bus, Ethan quickly stuffed his earphones into his ears and played music that was loud enough to drown out the idiotic conversations that were happening all around him.

Spelling-Bee sat in the chair next to him, and much to Ethan's joy, immediately took out what looked like a two-hundred-year-old handheld gaming console and seemed to get lost in it instantly.

Corey sat at the front of the bus, something Ethan assumed he had done since he was a child. He certainly seemed like the type of teacher's pet who was used to sitting up there, likely afraid to venture to the back of the bus where the fun kids used to sit.

With that in mind, Ethan looked over his shoulder to see that the back seat now housed the twins, who were deep in conversation with each other. Matthew, who seemed to be nervously counting the seats and Ross who glared back at Ethan with a look of bitterness.

Ethan sat back in his chair, partially wondering what the fuck Ross's problem was and partially wondering why he had agreed to come on this ridiculous trip in the first place. At least he had an answer to one of them.

The journey seemed never-ending. They had left the city hours ago, passing by countless fields and parks, some small towns and villages and a few gas stations, one of which they stopped at because Matthew apparently had severe travel sickness, which was not surprising in the least.

Eventually the bus pulled to a stop outside of a run down looking diner. Judging by the appearance, it rarely had many customers, with just one elderly man smoking at the door.

"Alright lads" Corey announced from the top of the bus and instantly Ethan rolled his eyes.

There was no denying that Corey was quite a good-looking young man. His blonde hair and blue eyes were completely the opposite from Ethan's dark features, but yet he was just as, if not even more handsome. That was just one of the reasons why Ethan thought it so odd that he had resigned himself to a life of boredom, surrounded by circus animals.

They piled off the bus, one by one until they all stood in the carpark under the grey skies.

"We've got about an hour" Corey informed them "that's if we want to keep on track and get there by seven".

"Seven?!" Ethan snapped "it's only three o clock!"

All of them turned to face him, most looked at him disapprovingly.

"Yes" Corey stated "well done". He turned back to the group and continued whilst Ethan felt that his knack of humiliating him was becoming rather irritating.

When they finally entered the diner, a comically large woman bustled out from behind the counter with a jug of coffee that resembled tar.

"Coffee, dear?" She asked Ethan as he sat down at a different table from the others.

"No" he mumbled, pulling out his phone but stuffing it back into his pocket when he realised that there was no signal.

The waitress scoffed and moved over to the other table, where she was greeted by the scouts who naturally, all had impeccable manners.

"Yes please, ma'am" Matthew chirped and watched excitedly as the woman poured him a coffee. It almost appeared that he'd never had a coffee before in his life.

The waitress seemed to much prefer that table, barely looking at Ethan again. Eventually the boredom became too much to bear and Ethan left the table and headed into the bathroom.

It mirrored the diner in terms of age, with Ethan guessing that it had remained the exact same since the sixties. The wash basins were chipped, cracked and yellowing. The urinals were similar and the one stall that didn't have an 'out of order' sign attached to it, had no door anyway.