Spring's Beginning

The next day was the same as any other day.  We jumped on the buses after school and went to our chosen spots, except this time, I had books to accompany me since I lived the farthest from the school.  I sat in my spot and flipped open my book where I had left the piece of scratch paper and began reading.  Just before the buses were about to leave, the boy dropped himself onto the seat, jolting it again.  I kept reading.  The bus shifted and drove, and I continued to read, my senses drowning out everything else…

“Hey,” a voice popped my imagination bubble.  I hesitated.  Perhaps, whoever had spoken was talking to someone else.  I concentrated on the story again, about to transfer back into fantasy mode, when there it was again. “Hello…?” My head rose slightly, and I peeped over my reading glasses, not wanting to look stupid and say hi to someone who hadn’t even said hi to me, but as I searched, I saw gray blue eyes staring back at me.  It was the boy.  I sat up fast.

“H-hello,” I greeted too politely, taking my glasses off. 

His eyes searched over my face. “Has anyone ever told you, you have extremely green eyes?” he asked as if in awe. 

I blinked. “I’ve been told,” I informed him.  This was awkward.  I could feel my inner self squirming, but I kept a cool outlook.

“Well, sorry to interrupt your book, but I just thought,” he paused, “it’d be nice to introduce ourselves since we’re going to be sitting next to each other for the rest of the year.”  I nodded slowly. “So, my name’s Edward Thalin,” he said. 

“I’m Justine �" Henningston,” I said, tripping over my tongue just a bit. 

He smiled. “What grade are you in?”

“Junior,” I answered.

“I’m a senior,” he said.  Ha!  I was right!  “When do you get off the bus?” he continued, leaning forward and resting his elbows on his knees.  His head placed on the back of the seat in front of us, messing up his two inch long hair. 

“I’m the last one,” I said.  There was a growing suspicious in the back of my head that he was a stalker, but we continued to talk.  He kept asking questions and answering them too while I chatted back, holding my book awkwardly that waited for me to come back inside �" but he wouldn’t let me.  It wasn’t all totally boring.  I mean �" I found out that he liked green beans and pizza �" I know random �" and he didn’t have any siblings just like me.  He told me he had a pet dog named Sheba, and he didn’t have a job though he was looking for one.  He said he lived with his parents but he wanted to move out badly, and lately he had been looking for a house �" but he admitted to not trying hard enough.  Apparently he really had no hobbies; he just hung out with his friends. 

I also told him about myself.  I answered all of his questions.  I told him I lived with only my mom, my friend was Katelyn in seat 24, and I had a pet cat named Hammy.  And once he came to the subject of my hobbies, I went on a rampage about books, though he looked interested the entire time.

Reviews

[Kaliope]

Still very cute and lovely :-)
Not sure if it will have any impact on following chapters so this isn't really criticism (yet ;-)) but a bit more "show don't tell" during the last two paragraphs might have given you a good opportunity for further characterization through dialog. Might not be necessary though, I'll wait for the next chapter to make up my mind ;-)

[Emiko Tagahushi]

I also agree that more dialogue will help near the end to develop the characters and their relationship. I think at the time I wrote this it was for class, and I didn't want it to be too long, but now I can extend it. Thanks! I will add to it.