Chapter Seven:
Silence on the Bus
7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZmi2NaBjbJ
The bus pulled up with its usual squeal of brakes and hiss of hydraulics. Marcus and I exchanged a glance before stepping onto it, the scent of worn leather seats and engine oil hitting my nose. As we shuffled down the aisle, I could feel the weight of the morning still hanging over us.
Then, just as I was about to sit, Jasmine boarded. She was so different from the Jasmine I knew—the one who always walked with her head high, her voice carrying above the crowd with a lively laugh. Today, she looked... small. Shoulders hunched, head low, moving as though the world didn’t even exist around her.
I stepped aside, and for a brief moment, her shoulder brushed mine. “Jasmine—” I started to greet her, but she kept walking, not even noticing me. Not a glance, not a flicker of recognition. Just... nothing.
I watched as she slid into the seat next to Marcus, who had saved it for her. They were across from me on the left side of the bus. Jasmine slumped against the window, staring out as if she wasn’t really there.
I dropped into the seat next to an Asian girl I didn’t recognize. She had short black hair that framed her face neatly, and she was all energy from the moment I sat down.
“Hi! You’re Han, right?” she said, her voice bright, almost too much for the dim mood hanging over me.
“Yeah,” I muttered, avoiding her gaze.
“I’m Mei,” she said with a smile, sticking out her hand as if we were shaking hands on some kind of business deal. “Nice to meet you! You’re a senior, right?”
I nodded stiffly, giving her hand the weakest shake possible before pulling mine back.
“So, do you know what college you’re applying to yet? I’ve got my heart set on UGV, but my mom keeps saying NWU would be better, and honestly, I can’t decide! I mean, I’d love Graydell—who wouldn’t?—but New Wave has this vibe, you know?”
She kept talking, but my brain was already retreating. I didn’t know how to deal with people like Mei—new people, excitable people, people who didn’t seem to notice when someone wasn’t interested. I wasn’t rude, exactly, but I didn’t offer much.
“Cool,” I mumbled when she paused for breath.
Across the aisle, Marcus caught the interaction and grinned. “Yo, Han, what’s your big plan, man? College? Staying local? What’s up?”
I shrugged. “Haven’t really thought about it.”
“Oh, come on,” Marcus teased. “You gotta have something in mind. What about you, Janine?” He glanced down at Jasmine, trying to draw her into the conversation.
She didn’t respond. Her eyes stayed fixed on the window, distant, as if she hadn’t even heard him.
Mei leaned forward slightly, her enthusiasm faltering as she glanced at Jasmine. “Is... is she okay?” she asked quietly, more to herself than anyone else.
Marcus turned back to me, his expression softening into something sadder. He gave me a look that said it all: I’m trying, but it’s no use.
I tilted my head toward Jasmine, silently urging him to try again.
He hesitated, then shifted closer to her, wrapping a comforting arm around her shoulders. “Hey,” he said softly. “You good? You need anything?”
Jasmine didn’t move at first, but slowly, she leaned into him, her head resting on his chest. She still didn’t speak, but her body seemed to relax just a little, like his presence gave her some small sense of security.
Marcus whispered something to her—too quiet for me to hear—and she gave the faintest smile. It was barely there, more a twitch of her lips than anything else, but it was something.
Mei was quiet now, watching them with a mix of curiosity and concern. She glanced at me, as if expecting me to explain what was going on, but I just looked away.
Marcus’s arm stayed around Jasmine, his expression soft but worried. I could tell he was trying to stay strong for her, even as the weight of her sadness pressed down on him.
I sat back in my seat, stealing a glance at the three of them—Jasmine, lost in her thoughts; Marcus, trying so hard to hold her together; and Mei, unsure whether to speak or stay silent.
I couldn’t help but feel a pang of guilt. I’d been where Jasmine was. I’d seen the darkness up close, felt it wrap around me like a suffocating blanket. And yet, sitting here, watching her struggle, I didn’t know how to help.
Marcus was doing his best. Maybe that was all any of us could do.
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