Monday through Friday
Ted and Abby wait for the
morning bus to work.

He offensively
chomps on his cold pizza and
chews with mouth open.

Abby constantly
smokes. In between drags, snaps her
gum. Snap. Crackle. Pop.

And slurps 7-Up.
Strangers on each other’s nerves.
Bad habits annoy.

As always, they take
seats on opposite sides of
bus stop shelter bench.

Today, #3
bus pulls up to the bus stop
16 minutes late.

Due to tardiness,
tensions aboard the bus are
already sky high.

Ted and Abby add
to the obnoxious mix. But
they are the most mild.

Jenn is chatting on
phone. Loudly. To her boyfriend.
They’re fighting (again).

Conversation is
too personal. Awkwardness
consumes passengers.

Cheating. Lies. Sex. Does
she keep anything private?
No. She airs all out.

Abby moves away
from Jenn. Big mistake. Doug is
even more awful.

No headphones. So he
rudely blares music throughout
the morning commute.

Gangsta rap. Raunchy
and profane lyrics. They get
paid to write this stuff?

Then it gets worse. A
fight breaks out in the front. Bus
driver stops to aid.

Some feisty senior
citizens bicker over
priority seats.

A harsh threat is made,
accompanied by a cane
waving in the air.

Abby is stressed and
needs to smoke. Ted wants to eat
cold pizza in peace.

They get out at the
next stop to escape. Then, their
eyes lock in a gaze.

They realize that
the other isn’t so bad
after all. Hearts warm.

Things heat up fast. They
share an Uber to work and
make out in back seat.

Leaving their breakfast
on the bus shelter bench. Things
are never the same.