The Boring Bus

my days have become routine, right down to what I eat, which, working two jobs to support my family I guess it shouldn't surprise me,

what little energy I do have left over after my 12 hour work day I shouldn't waste on food planning, I don't even have time to do any hobbies,

the only time I have to spare I read on the city bus, but for some reason today, maybe because tomorrow is my day off, I decide I need to break my ritual,

all the people I know from work have been raving about this new restaurant, from what I know it isn't too expensive, so,

instead of eating the same homemade vegetarian spaghetti I eat every night I'll go there, my parents and sister might be jealous I went out for supper, but since my parents work one job,

and my sister doesn't have one, I decide to indulge.

It feels wrong staying on the bus when my normal stop comes, but I assure myself I'm not being selfish and stay seated right there, I have never known how busy this bus can get after my stop,

since normally when I leave work I'm half asleep or worried about something else, as I sit, reading my latest book, I hear a voice clearing and ready my apology for what ever I must have done,

but when I look up I see a smiling guy about my age, his eyes are a light brown? they look gold but that must be lighting, and in a voice that sounds like a song I should know he asks

"may I sit here? there's nowhere else" he doesn't look dangerous so I move my purse and go back to my book, after he settles in he speaks again,

"that's an interesting book you have there, about the ex-prince of the Unseelie court, I know the story well" I look at him, I will happily talk books, all my friends would rather watch T.

V which can be fun, but losing yourself in a book is an experience I wouldn't trade for anything, it's too bad a lot of schools don't encourage reading for fun.

"i have never seen you before-" a bump hits the bus and he pauses for a second "- may I ask your name?

" I think for a second and give him the name everyone knows me by, his smile makes me want to trust him for some weird reason

"everyone calls me Mary" I put my book in my bag since he seems to want to talk, and turn toward him,

"so, Mary, you don't seem like the type to want to change routine" he smiles gesturing at my clothing, I dress pretty boring, mainly grey cable knit sweaters,

"yeah, I don't normally, but I've been hearing about that new restaurant in the mall and wanted to try it out " do I really look that boring?

I guess I am, I just don't have time to be spontaneous, and once my best friend moved, I stopped going out as often,

"its pretty boring, I went there with some friends last week, I'd suggest something else,

for this special spontaneous day of yours" I think this is the easiest way to break my boredom so why not,

"what would you suggest then?" I ask it in a friendly way, or at least I hope I do, in public situations I get a little hostile, he smiles like I had said the magic word

"well, my friends has a little book shop on 6th street, its across from a restaurant, which, since I'm a cook there during the day, I can assure you is delicious" is it crazy to go with him?

probably, I'll ask him the name and google it before I agree,

"can I ask the name of either one?" he smiles, and tells it to me, I type it in, and it comes up a little restaurant and it looks so cute, you know what, why not?

"okay, when do we get off?" I'm committing to a very stupid thing, but, I feel so bored and lonely, so why not?

"in 5 minutes, lets chat until then" I agree and we talk about everything he calls this bus "the boring bus" saying it's always the same and never stops anywhere different,

he tells me that he lives with and supports his little sister with his cook job, and he's a freelance programmer, she is only twelve, and they are alone,

then he gets me talking about myself which I never do, but once I start talking to him, I don't have the urge to stop and disappear, we talk about books and the folklore of the Fea,

and by the time we get to the stop I almost don't realize it, he holds his hand out to me, which is strange in a very nice way, I stand up and follow him out the bus,

down the street to the place he talked about, it is as adorable in person as it was online, we walk in and he orders what he thinks I'll like, we talk how we did on the bus, and,

as we chat his eyes seem even more golden then on the bus, I also notice his hair is a blonde-ish brown colour I have never seen before, after we eat we end up going to the bookstore,

and after a while I check my phone and almost faint, its almost 1am , I got on that bus at 6pm, he understands and gives me his number, and I give him mine,

he smiles and tells me to take the boring bus again again someday, I get home after my crazy trip and sit at my desk,

I look at the name he scrawled on the paper with his number and it looks familiar, I check online and only find the book I'm reading, and a plant?

why would searching Oleander show me only a poisonous herb and a book about the rejected Unseelie court prince? and then I look at the cover and in gold print under the title

"the tales of Oleander Nerium, the kind prince of the unkind court" I try to text him, with the number he gave me, and a random automated message comes up saying something about car insurance,

I might just have to take the boring bus again, and sooner than I'd have thought, even if just to figure this out.