k-12: the shadows

༺ wheels on the bus ༻

alexis

alexis felt a shiver run up her spine as she stepped onto the bus, isabel right in front of her.

the twins looked up at the driver. he stared back down at her, his lip curling.

"what, you gonna stand there all day? get in!" he barked.

alexis jumped violently and hurried over behind isabel to the nearest seats; they happened to be in front of a girl with bicoloured hair and another with dark hair.

isabel sat down in the window seat, leaving alexis to take the aisle. then the bus started again, and they juddered off down the lane.

isabel and alexis were quiet for a few moments, as they took in the noise all around them. all the kids at the back of the bus were yelling and shouting, throwing things around.

alexis shivered, and slumped down further into her seat.
"i'm scared," she admitted quietly to her sister.

"me too," replied isabel honestly. "but who knows, maybe we'll meet some nice people. and if we don't, we'll always have each other. okay?"

"okay," replied alexis, feeling a little reassured.

both sat and stared out the window for a while;
alexis counted trees, while she could hear isabel counting cars under her breath.

the journey passed in an uncomfortable boredom,

until something happened.

alexis felt something hit her head, and spun around.

a piece of paper had bounced off the back of her head and landed in the lap of the girl behind her; the girl with bicoloured hair.

alexis didn't turn back around but continued watching as the other girl behind them, sat next to the bicoloured hair girl, grabbed the ball of paper from the first girl's lap and unfurled it.

"real mature," the second girl called to the kids at the back of the bus, who had presumably had thrown it.

gap toothed bitch, alexis glimpsed before the note was scrunched up again in the hands of its receiver.

she felt isabel's hand land on her shoulder as she continued to stare at the bicoloured hair girl. alexis hadn't even noticed the gap between her teeth but sure enough, it was there.

in no way did it look bad, though.

alexis continued to stare down at the crumpled note in the girl's lap.

the girl began to cry, burying her face in her hands...

and then alexis felt it.

an-

aura?

or something,
drawing her to this girl sat behind her.

a connection,

the likes of which she had only ever felt with her twin before.