Chapter Text
The world rarely stops, but when it does, it's nearly always at a bus stop. It comes screeching to a halt, exhaust fumes curling in the air, bending the fabric of time to stop in place and allowing the unlucky witnesses to feel the grips of their fragile existences amidst the endless possibilities and parallels. Life at a bus stop transcends this single plane of existence and stretches infinitely into the next, bringing the otherworldly feeling so many people experience while waiting. I suppose it should be mentioned that this phenomenon occurs not at every bus stop, but only those in remote places, such as the desert bench I am at now. It is here where the veil separating our world from the next is thinnest. There used to be stories of people disappearing just after being seen getting off a bus or leaving a bathroom; stories of men with wings and creatures with bright patches of dragon scales. These stories hardly ever seemed true or even believable. Maybe it was all just child’s talk.
Tonight, the bus stop was quieter than usual. The eight pm bus typically had more than a few riders; people on their way home or to a party too large for Odessa. I was the only one here today though. The bus sign hanging above creaked whenever a breeze rolled by, the warm air carrying bits of sand and the occasional brown leaf scraping against the concrete floor. The gentle hum of the soda machines and whirl of the ticket box were comforting background noises to the distant coyote calls as I stared into the encroaching darkness of the night.
“Stars always look best when you're out of the city, don't they?”
I jumped at the sound of the other person’s voice. A guy around my age was sitting next to me, legs splayed out on the bench, hands behind his head, eyes bright as they watched the stars. He must have felt my stare because not a moment later he turned his eyes down to me. They were the color of the sky just before dawn; the kind of color that draws you in deep and-
“Well?”
“Uh…” I tore myself from his dark blue eyes. “What?”
“Dude, I’m just trying to make small talk here!” He huffed but his eyes had an impish glint that betrayed him. “I asked what your name was.”
“Oh, uh, it’s Keith. What’s yours?”
“The name’s Lance,” he popped the collar to his jacket and winked. I didn’t even know where to start with that. “So now that that’s over with, where’re you heading off to this fine evening?”
“Houston.”
“Like, in Texas?”
I nodded.
“Dude, that’s so far! That’ll take forever by bus!”
“Well, not really.” I shrugged. “ Where are you going?”
“I’m going to Miami!”
“Florida? That’s far too.”
“I guess,” Lance shrugged. He turned his eyes back to the stars. “I won’t be able to see all these stars from the city. The light pollution will knock all but the brightest out of the sky.”
“Why are you going then?”
“Uh, I have some family there I’ll be staying with. Can’t really trade one for the other, you know?”
“No... I don’t.”
“Oh…” He turned his eyes away from me, looking off into the distance again. "Well it looks like a bus is heading this way. You getting on?”
I nodded before reaching down to grab my backpack. I saw Lance reach under the bench but I didn’t see his bag. It was probably under that ridiculous jacket of his. Seriously, who wears a jacket in sixty five degree weather?
The bus rolled up to us, dust billowing out from underneath the tires. The doors opened with a hiss. Lance rolled his neck along his shoulders before sticking his hand in his pocket. I shrugged my bag higher on my shoulder and started up the bus steps.
“Hey Keith, do you think we can exchange numbers?” Lance’s voice was right behind me, still outside. “I’m totally going to get some z’s on this ride and forget to ask later.”
“Huh? Oh yeah, sure.”
I dug my phone out of my pocket and turned but Lance was nowhere in sight.
“Hey kid, you getting on the bus or what?”
“Yeah...Did you see another guy here just now?”
“No, now quit fooling around, Kogane! You want to get to Dallas or not?”
This wasn’t the first time I’d gone to Houston. The first time was a year ago, when my plane landed in Houston’s airport, right on time. It was raining and thundering, but not enough to ground any other flights. I was very tempted to hop onto any plane going as far away from Houston as possible but airport security made sure I was in their sights the whole time. Mr. and Mrs. Gonzales were waiting for me at the exit. They looked excited to see me, to take me “home.” But I knew the look in their eyes. I'd seen it a lot the past few years.
Those first few weeks went pretty well; at least better than I had expected. The Gonzales’s were nice enough. They let me set up my room however I wanted and even let me wander around outside. Mr. Gonzales called it exploring and claimed it would build character. He let me have some of his old boy scout equipment to keep with me when I went out. But what I was never prepared for was the heat. Texas was hotter than I had thought it would be, even when fall rolled around. The a.c. inside buildings would always blast cold air to chase off the lingering heat from outside. The room my math class was in was like a massive meat locker and did more than keep the warmth off of us.
But school was part of the reason why I was going back to Houston, why I had gone back a few times in the past year. The other part was the Gonzales’s. They had seemed to intend well, but once they let slip that they only took me in for the money, they switched gears entirely. Every time I went to Houston, they would call the police and demand I be brought back immediately. They got away with it by painting me as the delinquent kid they were doing their best to control. I guess it sort of came true. A self-fulfilling prophecy of sorts.
“Hey Keith.”
“Huh?” I mumbled as the driver’s voice pulled me from my sleep deprived thoughts.
“Why do you keep going to Dallas? Is there anyone special waiting for you there?”
I didn’t have to look up to know he was wiggling his eyebrows at me. I relaxed and smiled at his teasing.
“Not really Jay. The Houston bus leaves from there early in the morning.” I paused for a moment to scratch my nose. “But I guess I just like the city life.”
“Hm, there’s something nice about small towns like this though. Your neighbors all know each other and look out for one another. Holidays are always accompanied by a block party. Buffets galore!” He hummed happily at that and patted his stomach. “My wife Darlene makes a mean beef brisket for Hanukkah every year. And her latkes?” He kissed his raised fingers in the bon Appétit gesture. “Exquisite! You’re welcome to come around any time, you know. Darlene won’t get jealous, haha!”
Jay and Darlene would have made great parents. I wish they had been the ones to take me. Maybe then I would have actually enjoyed living in Odessa. But as it stood now, I only really interacted with Jay when he drove the bus to the Dallas station. Then he turned right back around to a home that wanted him. From there to Houston, I didn’t have anyone.
“Another thing about big cities I never cared for was that the light polluted the sky. Could never see no damn stars! Talk about over development.”
That’s right. That guy from before - Lance with the not-northern-Texan accent - had mentioned not being able to see stars in the city. I guess they had a point. I could see more stars through the scratched bus window than I ever could in Houston.
“You’re right about that one, Jay.” My mouth and brain were forming different sentences at the same time. “They’re definitely a pro to living out here.”
Figure of my imagination or not, I wondered how the kid with the ocean eyes felt about leaving the stars behind.