Put your head on my shoulder

Chapter 4: Bus ride (1)

I was tired.

I was deadbeat after a long day . With music blasting in my ears, helping me relax; I shut my  weary eyes. I was on Bus No. 98 ; heading back to my house.

Mom and Dad thought I was returning back from a friend's place after studying together. Little did they know that I was actually returning home after participating in rap battles and working at the record studio where I had got a part-time job a few months ago.

I couldn't even imagine what I'd do other than produce music. If only I could convince my parents...

The bus jerked to a halt at a stop. I still didn't open my eyes.

Then I heard that sweet even toned voice which had been playing at the back of my mind for the past two weeks now,

"Um, excuse me, is anyone sitting here?"

I remember opening my eyes to see her standing right in front of me. The face that had starred in my dreams, the pretty girl who made me curious and want to get to know her, the new rich girl in our town.

I still didn't know her name. I had seen her every morning and afternoon when me and my friends played basketball in the court across the road from her school. The whole week my eyes unconsciously followed her. I was starting to feel as if I was acting way too obsessed.

Yet, I couldn't help it; I couldn't help myself.

I saw her talk to her friends, laugh aloud with them, walk with them ; everyday. She used to now walk to school; after the first day she didn't come in that black Mercedes. Maybe because she thought it was too ostentatious for a small town like ours.

Every day she had that grey colored violin case strapped to her bag. And every day she narrowly escaped falling down due to her clumsiness. She sometimes had a 'lost-in-her-own-world' expression when she walked to school; and always seemed to be humming some tune under her breath.

She often fiddled with her charm bracelet too, when she was talking to others especially.

That day too; while standing in front of me, she was fiddling with her charm bracelet as she asked me that question.

She was closer to me than ever as I had always watched her from afar so it took me a couple of seconds to answer her. I was surprised that my voice was clear when I replied,

"No. No one."

The bus was full that day; many people were returning home from work and it was rush hour. There was no empty seat on the bus except for mine.

My heart was beating like crazy as she sat next to me. I hoped that I wasn't blushing; it'd be way too embarrassing. Due to my pale skin tone, people could easily make out if I was blushing or not.

She had her violin case with her as usual and she placed it on her lap. 

This was the first time I was sitting this close to a girl. A beautiful and pretty girl. A girl who intrigued me so much, a girl whose voice was on constant replay in my head's playlist.

She had a citrusy scent. Like lemon and oranges.

"Um, would you mind waking me up when my stop comes? It's four stops from now." She asked me suddenly. I turned my head a little to see her struggle to keep her eyes open. I guess she was really tired too.

"Oh of course." I replied.

"Thank you." She yawned and leaned her head back on the seat's headrest and closed her eyes.

My exhaustion from the day's activities had evaporated the moment she had stepped on the bus and sat next to me. Now I couldn't bring myself to fall asleep , not when she was sitting there right next to me.(for the first time in my life; I can usually fall asleep anytime, anywhere)

Her long lashes were brushing against her rosy cheeks. She looked so beautiful even when asleep. Her mouth was open a little, forming a small "O".

Again, as if spellbound by her; I couldn't look away. She had that effect on me.

A few minutes passed with me staring at her. I brushed the thought away- that people must think I'm a creep; staring at the fellow passenger sitting next to me.

Suddenly, her head lolled ( because of a slight jolt due to a speed breaker) and somehow ended up on my shoulder.

I couldn't move, couldn't think for a moment. I just sat there with her head leaning on my shoulder. It felt nice for some reason and I felt a warm tingling feeling develop at the pit of my stomach. I didn't know what to do though- to let it be or to gently push her head back and let it lean on the headrest as before.

Whilst I was in engaged with an internal debate going on in my mind (my feelings VS my morals),her head lolled again and left my shoulder. It dropped low and jerked a little.

"Ah at this rate she'll strain and injure her neck" I mumbled under my breath and used this as an excuse to gently touch her head and place it back on my shoulder.

That bus ride is imprinted in my mind. I think it was that day that I realized that I really liked her.

I didn't even know her name, but I knew that I liked her.

Just simply liked her.