What's Wrong With Us?

As Shakespeare said, "It is not in the stars to hold our destiny, but in ourselves." Beneath a flickering streetlight, six friends gathered at a bus stop, excitedly planning to relocate their hangout to the acacia tree for a picnic. They were drawn together by chance, their casual conversation marking the beginning of a bond that would shape their lives.

Despite the pangs of hunger and the weariness in their bones, each found solace in their own way. Kiefer stared into the distance, lost in thought. Loxley took a discreet drag from a hidden joint, their gaze shifting occasionally. Archer seemed distant, his eyes unfocused. Celestia checked her watch repeatedly, her foot tapping anxiously. Mackenzie, with her earbuds in, bobbed her head to the rhythm of her music.

Suddenly, Kamaria’s voice cut through the quiet. “What the fuck?” they all muttered, exchanging puzzled looks at Ria's abrupt outburst. Ria simply stood up with an unreadable expression and walked toward a nearby street sign as if nothing had happened. The others exchanged glances of confusion mixed with amusement. Kief raised an eyebrow, Ox smirked, Arch scratched his head, Celest sighed heavily, and Macky pulled out one earbud, curiosity piqued.

After a few minutes, the bus arrived with a hiss of brakes and a cloud of exhaust. Amidst the rush of grabbing their bags, they nearly forgot about Ria, who managed to slip on the bus with them just in time. Settling into the back seats, they felt a wave of relief as the day's weariness began to fade. Some dozed off with their heads resting against the window panes, while Celest and Arch chatted quietly, keeping an eye on the route to ensure they reached campus safely. Meanwhile, Ria’s phone buzzed incessantly with messages from her parents.

“What time are you coming home, Missy?” her dad’s text prompted an audible groan from Ria. She replied with a specific time before silencing her phone with an exasperated sigh, wishing for a moment of peace.

★

Fifteen minutes later, the bus pulled into their destination. Arch playfully slapped Ox and Kief on the shoulders, jolting them awake. Their sudden gasps echoed through the bus, drawing curious looks from the other passengers.

“We’re here!” Arch announced with a chuckle, standing up and gesturing for Celest to wake the others.

Celest hesitated but then gently shook the others awake. She nearly slapped Ria before Ria stirred, causing a momentary awkward pause.

“Sorry...” Celest mumbled, her cheeks flushing as she avoided Ria’s glare. Ria shrugged off the incident with a sigh and stood up to grab her bag.

However, Celest proceeded to slap Mackenzie, eliciting a startled reaction similar to Ox and Kief’s. Macky quickly realized it was Celest, not Arch, and stopped herself.

“Sorry, Archer told me to,” Celest explained, touching her own cheek.

“It’s okay... Just please, don’t do that again,” Macky said softly, trying to calm her anger. She glared at Arch, who looked taken aback by her unusual reaction; she usually responded with anger and punches in such situations.

Once they exited the bus, Macky quickly hit Arch with her bag. “Why did you ask her to do that?!” she whispered, glancing at the others who were unaware, except for Ria, who chuckled at the scene.

“You’re not making a move!” Arch groaned, rubbing his head where Macky’s bag had hit him. “Just tell her.”

“Tell her what? ‘Hi Celest, I’ve had a crush on you since 9th grade’?” Macky gestured wildly, her frustration evident as she adjusted her hair nervously.