Zach sat in the back of the bus, slouched over his Gameboy, punching away and waiting for Ashley to slide in next to him.
But she didn't.
At the front, past the heady smell of sweaty vinyl seats and kids who didn't know about deodorant yet, the door wheezed shut. Annoyed at its lot in life, the bus groaned and pulled away from Hollow Creek K-8.
Zach leaned into the aisle for a better look. Elbows and knees crowded his view, but Ashley was the type of girl to stand out. She wasn't on the bus.
Could a school do that? Leave a kid behind?
Nah. She probably decided to walk home.
Outside the dingy bus window, sodden rain clouds hung low. Zach wondered what would happen if he climbed one of those trees all the way to the top. Could he touch the cloud? Free up some rain? Ashley would kill him for sure.
He settled back in and resumed his game, wondering what happened with Mr. Bristol. And, more importantly, if she'd meet him at their spot like usual.
