[30 MINUTES EARLIER]
MRJ stared at his phone as he rode the bus back home. He checked his DMs on social media.
"Dude, did you like my recent on F-Bee?" a finger poked MRJ on the head.
"Huh? Nah-" MRJ looked up from the phone.
"Why?!" he poked again. "I thought we were friends!"
"Sam-" MRJ noticed the watch on his arm. "Is that a Rolex?"
"Yeah, boiii! My dad got it for my birthday! Pretty sweet, right?"
"Yeah, it looks dope,"
"Anyways, like my pic, right now!"
"Why are you so insistent about that?! Also, who uses that obsolete thing anymore?"
"Ugh, shut up! Just like the pic, okay?"
"The idea of a like system is present so that we can choose to like something or not. You forcing me to like your pic is like participating in a competition and declaring yourself a winner."
"Oh, man! Seriously? Just one thing I ask of you, and you're giving me a lecture? Ugh, you sound like a boomer."
"You are forgetting-" MRJ realized he was acting like the one person he hated for messing up his schedule. "You know what? You're right! Here, I'll like it right now!"
"That's all I wanted," Sam sat back on his seat.
"I am so gonna kill that son of a bitch when I get home," MRJ thought to himself. "How is he enjoying life, taking stupid shit seriously? He's wasting his and others' time all at once!"
MRJ looked at his phone.
"Okay, can't say anime is bad," MRJ nodded. "I did enjoy One Fist Man and Food Fights. And definitely, the memes aren't bad too. It's just all the nonsense stuff like apocalypses, multiverses, and such that are the problems! Sure, it is fun to ponder over conspiracy theories. But no one should waste their time speculating pure crap! Well, at least he doesn't believe in the Flat Earth Theory!
"What am I talking about?!" MRJ shook his head. "I was late for Mr. Johnson's class! By ten fricking minutes! That man has been on my case freaking forever, and things could not get any worse. He humiliated me in front of Marlene! I don't care about others but Marlene!
"I am gonna fucking strangle him," MRJ nodded. "That was the last straw. He gotta know he can't mess with my life as he pleases!"
"Whoa, dude!" Sam had his face pressed against the window. "You seeing this?!"
"Seeing what?" MRJ looked up from his phone.
"It was two ladies," Sam looked uneasy. "And I think I saw blood!"
"What do you mean?" MRJ looked out the window.
"I don't know, man, it's like–one lady bit the other! They were fighting or something!"
"A fight? Bit?!"
"Yeah!" the boy next to them exclaimed. "It was pretty wicked, dude."
BOOM!
The car on the left lane suddenly burst into flames and rammed into another vehicle.
"What the fuck are these bastards doing?!" the bus driver screamed.
He floored the pedal, and the college students were thrown off their feet.
"Hey!" Sam shouted out. "What's the big idea?!"
"See for yourself, brat!" the bus driver snapped back. "The fuckers have gone insane!"
"What in the actual fuck…?" MRJ murmured.
He looked outside and saw cars on fire. People climbed in and out of the broken storefront windows. Sirens rang loudly. People staggered about on the roads, clawing one another like wild animals.
"Oh, my-" Sam exclaimed out loud.
The bus swerved suddenly, sending everyone at the back flying to the right.
CRAA-SH!
The bus hit the tree on the roadside. The crash sent the passengers flying to the front. The windows shattered. They ducked to avoid the glass shards that flew at them.
"Ow, I think I sprained my ankle!" a girl cried out.
"What the fuck, man?" MRJ yelled at the bus driver. "Are you trying to get us all killed?"
The bus driver sat still on his seat with his head resting against the steering wheel. Sam got up to check on him.
"Ow, not so rough, please," a boy cried out in pain as MRJ tried to help him up. "My arm's broken!"
"You hear that, asshole?" MRJ yelled again. "What the fuck were you smoking?!"
"Dude, I don't think he hears you," Sam looked weak.
"Huh?" MRJ frowned.
Sam pointed to the driver's seat. MRJ's eyes followed Sam's finger, and they noticed the branch poking out through the back of the seat. It had the bus driver's guts skewered out.
Some of the students puked on catching the sight. MRJ felt queasy. His legs shook as he grabbed onto the seat to regain his balance.
"We need to get out, now!" MRJ gathered himself. "I smell gas!"
Sam looked outside through the window and saw people closing in on the bus.
"Help is here!" he shouted to the others.
The students let out cheers of relief. The door was useless as the tree blocked the path.
"Use the window!" Sam suggested. "It's an emergency exit!"
He fiddled with a stick near the window and opened it up, allowing them to climb out safely.
"I can't move!" the girl with the sprained ankle cried out.
"Hold on," MRJ said. "I'll call help!"
He jumped out of the window and landed on the ground. He turned around and found the people they saw earlier. They had gathered in a tight circle around the bus and were pummeling the windows with their bare fists.
Two of them saw MRJ and staggered toward him with their arms wide open, but MRJ was busy worrying over the massive gasoline spill he found on the ground.
Sparks flew from underneath the bus. MRJ backed away from the bus and the shady-looking people.
"GET THE FUCK OUT RIGHT NOW!" he yelled at the top of his lungs.
Sam jumped out.
"Dude?" Sam hobbled toward him. "What's wrong?"
BOOOM!