Bus Observation

The boy in the headphones has caught my attention again today. He is sitting almost right next to me on the raggedy bus seat. He is so close I can smell him;although it's possible he just overdid it with the AXE this morning. He sits hunched over with his elbows and forearms resting against his legs. Head bobbing to music I can't hear, the attitude exuding from him is that of a quiet confidence ready to prove himself. his ease with the people surrounding him on the crowded bus amazes me. He easily starts a conversation with the girl on his right side, leaning back as he talks to her, his body language unfolding. The conversation ends quickly as if he has gotten all he can from the conversation and has grown awkward. When the bus begins to empty he moves his thin, tall frame to the other side of the bus. He moves away from the girl and the rising tension and pressure to talk to her.

When he gets off the bus I feel like I'm stalking him. His class is near mine, we walk almost parallel paths across campus. We both take a different winding path to the same place; I can't help but keep searching him out with my eyes as I wind across campus on my way to my morning classes. For one reason or another, his image sticks in my brain and I can't shake him. I begin to wonder if he ever notices me. I almost worked up the nerve to start up a conversation with him today, but he slid his headphones on, crushing my hope.

Maybe one day soon I'll work up the nerve. Maybe we'll be friends, but most likely not. I've begun to think of him as my silent bus buddy. Every time the bus pulls up to his stop, I look to make sure he's there. Then I sit and silently hope that today will be the day he goes from silent to real. Nothing has changed yet, but I hold on to the hope.