I was reminded of this story the other day because I was remembering the hypocricy of my mother is forbidding me from travelling on public transportation while travelling to a contary with a far lower crime rate, but in the same week told me that if I wanted to go visit my grandmother I would have to take public transportation, in our much more dangerous contary, despite the fact that she litterally drives through there almost everyday. I guess I just wanted to share this because It still bothers me and when I told my step dad after it happened he just said I was "being silly. you're overthinking".
But I digress, so to set the scene, I was was living one town over from where I was going to school during eighth grade. I had to be picked up and dropped off from school usually and hour early and late. Ocassionaly however my mother would simply decide not to pick me up (I think she was doing stuff with her then fiancee now husband), and made me walk an hour to the nearest bus stop, wait about an half hour to an hour, then ride the public bus back home and walk another hour back to my house (she said this was to prepare me for my future? idk).
me being the depressed little antisocail person I was/still slightly am, I would just do whatever I could on my phone to pass the time waiting, but as I had almost everything blocked (still do just found a loop hole to acess google) by my mom and my future step dad (mainly his influence) there wasn't much I could do. so, eventually I take out my headphones that wherent playing music, and put away my tablet.... just as this dude was walking by. I guess he took this as a sign of me wanting to talk to him, so he walks up, and I kid you fucking not, he asks me if he can trade his bag of penuts in exchange for bus money. I just look at him and say "you can just have it" so I give him the $1.50 of my hard earned money (this was unusual for me as I hadn't got an allowance since I was six and only got money from babysitting) but I just wanted to not deal with him so I figured this would end the interaction. something creeped me out about him immediately.
Maybe it was the worn and torn hoddie with snot on the sleeves? Maybe it was the long scraggily hair? but it was probably the twitchyness that's very distinctly drug use and not just a medial condition. I thought if he got his money he would now wait for the bus somewhere where there was limmited interactions, but to my dismay no, he sits down right next to me. less then a foot away when there where two other benches all spead apart and empty. already the bus was five minues late and I was just wishing for it to be here. he started talking, I can't remeber about what but I remeber he was giving off a very flirtatious aura and it was really making me uncomfortable, but I am still being polite.
Soon in, he asks my age, then I figure "oh, hey maybe he didn't realse how young I am, maybe if I say my age he'll stop." I had been confused for being much older several times and thought maybe he would back off when he knew I was a minor. I, however, was wrong. I tell him "im thirteen" (idk why I added one year, preteen pride?) he then goes "cool!" and only ramps up his behavior. clearly trying to appeal to me and get me to like him. Then he compliments my pikachu hoddie and says how he was a major weeb when he was my age and would naruto run through the halls, and he asked me about my school, and I, being polite, say "good, but I wished I could take more advanced classes." he then goes on about how he wished he had taken more advanced classes, and how I seem smart and would really do well.
This may sound like just polite conversation, but keep in mind all the while he is over twince my age, noticeably twitching, as well as very obviously really trying to serch for something that would really apeal to me in a "fellow kids" type of way, it's kinda hard to describe it but he definitely was more creepy then just small chat. Admittedly although I was very poilite I wasnt very engaged and hoped it would indicate I wasn't interested, I even texted someone to try to show "im busy and don't wanna talk". but up onto this point it wasnt all that bad, I thought maybe I was just being paraniod and overthinking some dudes small talk. (I had gone on an online chat room a few days before, out of boredom and was mildly conserned of being tracked, because I was a kid and knew I shouldn't be there) He then asks me if anything was happening in my life, and then it happened. I told him my birthday was comming up, and that was just the oppertunity he needed.
I mentioned my birthday was coming up and I was exited for it, but I also mentioned some depressing stuff about it that I dont really want to say again. So he says to me (even though he wasn't paying attention to most of what I said, as he kept julting and looking at everytting that moved or mad sound nearby) "Oh! how about I get you a present then?" This instantly was suspicious and entailed some things, as he didn't even have money for the bus, let alone anything else, so what was he planning on giving me? the bag of penuts he spent all his money on at the grocery we're infront of? and how exactly was he planning to be able to give it to me? did he think we would meet again? or did he think I would give him informantion he could find me with? aparent yes. because when I replied "no, that's fine. really." he began to hype up his agression, which showed this wasn't out of pity.
I though he just felt bad for me because of what I said so he was trying to be nice, and I just hoped that by declining his offer he would leave it at that. I was really praying to the god I dont belive in for the last ten minutes by this point that the bus would show up, as it was already and hour late. he was seriously creepy, and even though Im anxious and constantly self doubt, the way he was talking and acting was setting off a ton of red flags that I couldn't ignore. I was so scared, I wanted to go into the grocery store and get help, but I couldn't miss the bus as it was the only one to my town and I would have no way home.
He begins to get agitated but plays it off as causual and tries to seem desprite and pathetic in what can only suprmount into an attempt to make me pity him while saying "well, then, can I at least have your phone number?" in a very obvously faked 'I dont care that much, im half joking, unless? nothing weird' type of voice. I lie to him and say "no, I dont really give my number out much" he is getting really exaperated. He says "please can you give me your number? I really wanna keep in touch with you, you're super cool!" I decline again saying "really, I only have like four peoples numbers and really don't give my number to strangers". he then goes on again in a mire angry tone asking for my number and trying to convince me I should give it to him, as we know eachother now and it's really not a big deal.
just then I finally spot the bus, showing up over an hour late. I then interrupt and try to end the conversation saying "oh look! the bus is here! better get ready!" and pack up my things, and the moment the bus stopped I got on and sat down right next to the driver. the man sat down a few rows behind me, and stared at me the entire way. I was panicing wondering "is he going to try to fallow me home?!" what should I do?!" I devided that if he got off at my stop, I would run to the nearest buisness and get help. luckily when my stop came, as I grabbed my stuff, I just see him scoff and turn to the window. I then got up, and left the bus.
I felt really freaked out and uncomfortable. he acted and talked in such a creppy and disconserting way that I cant quite decribe, because even the normal things he said where done so in such a not normal way. I was freaked out. I didn't ever want to go on the bus again (not that I really wanted to begin with) and I never wore that pikachu hoddie again because it was ruined for me mentally, as my ocd just made it mentally feel unclean I guess?. I defenifty dont feel comfident in the safety of public transportation of my contary anymore. so in conclusion, creppy tweeker dude who didn't care about social boundaries and wanted a twelve year olds phone number, let not meet.