The Bus Stop

The characters that you find at the bus stop can be... diverse. They range from old age to teenagers. And on rare occasions, kids. Some have characteristics of a slender size only rivaled by an old wooden toothpick. Then there are some who are so plump they camouflage the only seat at the stop. Some sit awkwardly quiet as they pretend to text. Others converse like they have known you since day one. Some attendees dabbed the right amount of their favorite scent before they proceeded to the stop. Others decided to bathe in their fragrance. And others decided not to bathe at all. Then if you add those together with the tobacco (smoked or chewed), the microwaved pig, the burned cow, the infused vegetables, plus the stop’s trash can with the two-week-old chicken and sardine pizza seasoned with a hint of rat guano, you create an atmosphere with a very distinctive aroma one can only describe as, pungent.

But in spite of all it’s problems, the bus stop is a necessary madness for the masses. And sometimes, if a person is lucky, they can avoid any of the previously stated issues by inhabiting the stop solo through the duration of their wait. If you are one of the lucky ones, that duration can be quite enjoyable. You can read a book in peace, listen to music without anyone trying to talk to you, or car shop by watching the vehicles speed by. Or, if you are easily scared, the anxiety created by the silence can be as haunting as discovering your airbnb is at 112 Ocean Avenue. Leah knew all about the haunting silence as she waited mornings for her bus to relieve her from the fear that pulsated through her veins. It had been only a few weeks since she started to migrate by bus, but every morning felt like the first day at a new school. Her angst heightened every time she entered the vicinity of the conspicuous placard.

Throughout the first weeks of her new norm, she was joined on a few occasions by fellow travelers. Leah would simply put on her headphones and play a podcast to avoid eye contact with many, but every now and then she would take a quick peek to see who was standing beside her. Most of the time they would be mirroring her actions with headphones and a cellular contraption. She could only remember one weird person looking back at her and smiling. It was a peculiar smile, one that Leah would come to know intimately well. But in that precise first encounter, the distinctive allure circumvented around Leah’s consciousness. All she could focus on was avoiding eye contact and making it to her destination. But perhaps her real destination of the day was to arrive at the predestined chance to forge a harmony of acquaintances that attach like strings executing a flawless symphony that only the heavens could adore.

Initially, Leah was able to avoid the pleasant and amicable contagion that was being transmitted from this quant host. She made sure to never make direct eye contact with the specimen in fear that it may try to converse, which was one thing Leah attempted to bypass at all cost. She just wanted to listen to a podcast or some old-school hip hop, maybe read some news, and make her travels in silence without a travel companion. But this individual was threatening Leah's entire plan by flashing the heinous yet captivating visage on a daily basis. Then finally, after a week of obstructing the weapon, her defenses collapsed and the contagion took hold of her grimace and a smile was returned back to the sender. The exchange didn’t last long, but time was delayed long enough for Leah to get a sharpened mental snapshot of the sender. The photo revealed an appealing young lady probably in her third decade of life. She was dressed in a pants suit equipped for politics, but compact enough to reveal a body for the after-party. Her gold headband flickered like a crown as it embraced her short curls. Though Leah quickly looked away after exchanging smiles, she found herself smiling at the afterthought of the brief cerebral photographic image of the amber queen. She slid her earbuds in to pursue a distraction, but the virus of the smile took hold and no song could take her mind away from the transaction sent from patient zero. She desired to take one more glance before the bus arrived, but decided against it fearing she would now become the creeper in the brief relationship. As she stepped on the bus, she took a glance back to see the cinnamon freckles one more time. It was a flash in time that didn’t disappoint because the mahogany smile still remained intact.

Over the weekend Leah recalled the exchange which had infected her with a contagious smile that never left. As she stepped toward stop 240, she couldn’t help but wonder about her new socially distanced friend. Would a smile be the pinnacle of the friendship, or will there be more? But then she began to wonder if it was a mistake sending the smile back. What if that attractive smile was how the queen of the damned lured in her prey. What if she was sizing her up so she could end up somewhere without a kidney. Her anxiety heightened as she met the placard towering over her. But then it began to cease as that Monday seemed to be one of the coveted days of silence when no one else was at the stop. Leah smiled and chuckled at herself for her unnecessary worry. As she began to descend down onto the seat, she heard a voice.

“Hey!” Leah’s fear skyrocketed because she did not notice her perimeter had been breached. She turned to discover the cinnamon freckles with a contagious smile. “Hey?” Leah’s heart double dutched as she broke her non-communication rule. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to startle you. I’m just looking for a friend,” the mystery lady said as she joined Leah on the seat. “People here are kind of rude. You smile at them, but they never smile back.” Leah looked down in guilt. “Yeah, I don’t know why they do that.” “But you, I knew you were different when you actually saw me. Everyone else is so connected to the phone they miss what’s going on around them. I hope no serial killer ever shows up because I fear none of our bus crew would notice.” Leah slowly took the air pod out of her ear. “Yeah, I don’t know why people are like that.” “Anyways, my name is Misty.” Misty looked into Leah’s eyes and waited for a response. “Umm, my name is Leah.” Misty then reached her hand out to shake Leah’s hand. “Cool. Nice to meet you, Leah.” Leah reluctantly reached her hand back to shake this talkative stranger’s hand. “It’ll be good to have a friend here to chat with. But I know you go on bus 22, so I will still be lonely once you leave.” Leah perked up as she finally had a response that made the conversation go. “O, what bus do you go on?” Leah said, smiling with a sense of accomplishment. “I take bus 36 to work. It’s about the same, no one likes to talk.” “Where do you work?” “It’s a little place called Honey’s Hideout. It’s been around for a while. Have you heard of it?” Leah loved that place. She would always go purchase their wings. They were the best in town. “Yeah, I heard of it. It’s an alright restaurant.” “Aww, just alright? I feel like I have seen you there a few times.” Misty placed her hand under her chin and looked at Leah with an interrogating stare. “Fine, I love that place.” Misty moved her hand away from her face and clapped to her Eureka moment. “I knew it,” she giggled. “You know I have a photographic memory. I remember almost everyone who comes to our place.” Misty turned her shoulders and faced her neighbor. “Especially the ones worth remembering.” Leah tried to shield her smile and reddened face by turning her head slightly, but she wasn’t very successful as Misty leaned forward to see her damage. “You do?” Leah asked, trying to contain her emotions. “What do you do there?” Misty stood up to lean up against the pole directly in front of Leah. “I am the hostess. So I am the first face you see when you come into Honey’s. Been there for so many years I lost count.” “Really? You don’t look that old.” Misty laughed. “Girl, you know what they say about my people. We don’t crack.” Leah chuckled. “So where are you heading too?” Misty asked. “I’m heading to the college. I’m one of the president’s assistants.” A shadow covered the ground as another passenger entered the vicinity behind the ladies. Leah looked at her watch and realized it was almost time for her bus to show. She had enjoyed Misty’s company so much she never realized how quickly the time went by. “O, you big time then,” Misty said as she sat back down before another passenger claimed the coveted seat. “I’m trying to be. Taking a couple of classes up there too.” “Shit yeah. That’s what I love to hear,” Misty said as she touched Leah’s shoulder. Normally Leah did not enjoy touchy people, but Misty was different. “I love hearing about strong ladies trying to be the best instead of settling. I love James Brown, but these men can kiss my ass with that ‘this is a man's world.’” Misty looked at the young gentleman standing behind the seat with a scowl. “In the words of the Queen. Who runs the world?” The guy awkwardly glanced at Misty and started to drift backward as he stared at his phone more intently. Leah looked down and laughed. “He knows.” “You crazy,” Leah added. “You have to let these men know. We can be more than secretaries or nurses. We can be the presidents and doctors too. Can you feel me?” Misty said as she threw her fist in the air. Leah laughed and threw her fist in the air too. The now embarrassed guy slowly turned and faced the opposite direction. Misty turned back to Leah and started laughing. “He might not be coming back to this stop.” Leah said. “You right.” Misty said as she turned back to the gentleman. “I’m just playing sir. Kind of. But it’s cool.” The sound of squeaky tires was heard approaching. “I think this is my bus,” Leah said as she stood up. She was a little sad she had to leave her new friend. “Ok girlie. You have a lovely day.” The guy quickly entered the bus before Leah. The two girls looked at each other and busted out laughing again. “And let them know who runs the world,” Misty said as she waved at Leah getting on the bus. “I will girl. See you later.” Leah walked onto the bus and in her seat. She looked out the window at her new ally against men. She didn’t anticipate having such a great time with someone while waiting at the stop, but she was delighted that she did.

Over the next few days, the two found themselves in wonderful conversations about work, favorite tv shows, music, and viral videos. Though others would enter their vicinity, the stop quickly became known as their stop. The norms started to keep their distance when they came upon the stop. They knew if they came too close, they would become a victim of the onslaught of jokes and laughs the two new besties were dishing out. “Look at this one,” one of the ladies would be heard saying. Then they would reply something inaudible for their target, followed by an explosion of laughter. The victim could wear headphones, but even with noise-canceling tech, it didn’t cancel the sight of the two laughing in a person's direction. “Girl, you crazy,” or “Girl, you wild” was said multiple times during those days, and Leah loved every second of it. The eerie bus stop that she originally dreaded now became the best part of her day.

The weekend was coming up, and Leah feared she would be without her new partner for a few days. “Do you work on weekends?” Misty asked as she moved close to her partner in crime. “No, I’ll probably just sit around the house and watch Netflix.” “Girl, that sounds boring as hell. Why not come out with me tomorrow night.” Leah took a second to think about it. Usually, the answer to similar questions would be an astounding ‘NO!’ but Leah was intrigued about the idea of spending more time with Misty. “I don’t know. Where would we go?” “There is a spot by Honey’s that I think would be the perfect place for us to unwind. You can dance right?”

Book Title: Sweet like Honey

Genre: Romantic Fantasy

Age Range: Adult, or YA

Word Count: 2,177(This Excerpt) 12,000 this story, Appx 60,000 total for project

Why it's a good fit: I believe it is enjoyable when a reader get's to read about the different paths of different characters that are introduced. Plus, the stories that are in the book keep you guessing with multiple twists.

Hook: The short stories in this book all link together around a mysterious, but delicious, restaurant called honey's hideout. Will it be a date to remember, or will this day be your last.

Synopsis: Sweet like Honey is a collection of short stories that all connect together to give the reader different views of what is happening around the city. Most of the mysterious characters we find all have something to do with the city's favorite restaurant, Honey's Hideout. Each story has a twist that will keep the reader interested, guessing, and sometimes involved.

Target audience: People who enjoy romantic stories, but also love the mysterious twists

My personality: I enjoy writing when I can. Mainly it's just for the fun. But every now and then I let people see what I wrote. I also enjoy tutoring the youth with writing or math. Those seem to be the main issues with youth these days, so I'm glad that they are my 2 favorite subjects so I can help.