Cool for the Summer

Chapter 3

            John Laurens stepped out onto the sidewalk. The warm summer air hung thick across his neighborhood. The heat wasn't obnoxious enough to create discomfort, it was simply a blanket-like weight on his shoulders. John had just finished packing and said his goodbyes to his parents, and was currently waiting for the bus to pick him up for the summer trip.

"OI! LAURENS!" a shout cut through the peaceful silence.

John turned his head to see his best friend charging down the sidewalk. "What's up, Alex?"

"JOHN, HELP ME. I MADE A BAD DECISION!"

"You know, if this was anyone else, I would be worried, but you make bad decisions on the daily."

"THIS IS A VERY DIFFICULT TIME FOR ME, AND I WOULD APPRECIATE IT IF YOU STOPPED MAKING JOKES."

But even as Alex said those words, he was laughing. John knew that Alex's "bad decisions" were not to be taken seriously. "What did you do, Alex?"

"Okay, you know how you guys told me not to savage Trudeau on Twitter? Well, I did it anyway, and I've lost five followers."

"I'm sure you'll make it through this very difficult time," said John, patting his shoulder.

"I CAN'T COPE WITH THE HATE!" Alex declared dramatically.

"Dude, you realize that you could have texted me all this instead of running two blocks to get to my house, right?"

"I wanted to annoy you in person. Also, waiting for the bus on my own is boring. Also, why do you think that they drag people out of bed at this ungodly hour to catch the stupid bus?"

"It's ten, Alex."

"Ten in the morning is an ungodly hour during summer vacation," Alex insisted.

Just then, the bus came around the corner and rolled to a stop in front of John's house.

"Okay, what's our plan for the bus ride?" asked Alex, adjusting the backpack on his shoulders.

"Wreak havoc and create chaos?" John suggested.

"Good idea. Let's roll."

They stepped onto the bus, which already had a decent amount of people on it. John surveyed the crowd quickly until he found Laf and Hercules. The four exchanged fist bumps (that was kind of their thing) and so the bus ride began. As Alex retold the story of his Twitter woes, John started to form an idea.

"Hey, guys, this bus ride is awfully quiet," he told his friends. "I think it could use a little music."

"And how do you propose we fix that?" asked Hercules, smirking.

In lieu of a proper response, John began to sing at the top of his lungs. "SOMEBODY ONCE TOLD ME THE WORLD WAS GONNA ROLL ME..."

"I AIN'T THE SHARPEST TOOL IN THE SHED," his friend were quick to join him. "SHE WAS LOOKING KINDA DUMB WITH HER FINGER AND HER THUMB..."

"IN THE SHAPE OF AN L ON HER FOREHEAD," came a female voice from a few seats away.

John turned quickly. A little ways away from them were three girls crammed into one booth. The singing girl had the aisle seat. She had dark curls and amber eyes, and John was struck speechless. He was ordinarily one of the smartest kids in class, but right now, his poor teenage brain could only think one thing: Damn...she's cute.

The girl smiled at him, and he was gone. At least, until the bus driver started yelling at them to stop singing, gradually pulling John back to reality.

"Now the years start coming and they don't stop coming," Alex continued under his breath.

John's mind kept wandering back to the pretty girl, until he couldn't help but glance back at her. She had earbuds in, an mP3 player resting in her hand.

I wonder what kind of music she listens to, he thought idly. I wonder if she likes 80s music as much as I do.

"Close your mouth before you start catching flies," Alex teased.

"Shut up," John muttered.

"Come on, humor me," Alex elbowed him playfully. "Who's the lucky lady?"

"Alex, we are in a crowded bus—"

"It is la fille dans the aisle seat across from us, no?" asked Laf. "Je voit you looking at her."

"Laf, I swear to Merlin--"

"So it's Aisle Seat Girl," said Hercules, as if he had been illuminated by divine forces.

"Alex, cause a distraction," John ordered.

"NOW THE YEARS START COMING AND THEY DON'T STOP COMING," Alex continued where the group had left off while singing Allstar. "FED TO THE RULES AND HIT THE GROUND RUNNING."

"DIDN'T MAKE SENSE NOT TO LIVE FOR FUN," the others joined in, quickly forgetting Aisle Seat Girl.

"YOUR BRAIN GETS SMART BUT YOUR HEAD GETS DUMB," Aisle Seat Girl joined in again, but Alex, Laf, and Hercules didn't seem to notice.

John noticed. He smiled to himself.

The bus driver got really pissed at them, but it was worth it. John's friends had forgotten Aisle Seat Girl, they had succeeded in causing chaos on the bus ride, and John got to hear Aisle Seat Girl sing again.

Maybe this trip would be even more fun than he had previously hoped.

As the bus approached the retreat site two hours later, Alex informed him, "You've been grinning like a loon this entire time."

"I know."