Earth, 2024
The bus wheezed to life like it was on its last leg, and I sprinted toward it, dodging a food cart, a stray dog, and two kids playing soccer with a crushed soda can.
"Run faster, you snail! The bus isn't your girlfriend—it won't wait for you!"
"Yeah, trip while you're at it!"
Ah, the sweet encouragement of the masses. I ignored them, my eyes locked on the bus. It had started rolling, but I wasn't backing down. This wasn't just a bus—it was my ticket to freedom (and maybe work).
"Gotcha!" I leaped forward, grabbing the railing and hauling myself aboard just as it roared away.
Inside, it was chaos incarnate. Sweaty bodies packed together like sardines, the smell of stale snacks and stress filling the air.
"Sorry, excuse me, coming through!" I elbowed my way through the human maze until I reached the rear stairs. Up I went, climbing to the unofficial rooftop "cheap seats," the paradise of the broke and bold.
The moment I stepped onto the roof, the city opened up before me. The wind slammed into my face, making my jacket flap dramatically like I was in some edgy music video.
The sunset was stunning. A golden glow bathed the buildings, cars honked below like an orchestra of chaos, and for a fleeting second, I felt alive—really alive.
"Hey, kid!" a gruff voice snapped me out of it. I turned to see an old guy, his face creased like an unmade bed.
"Sit down before you fly off and become tomorrow's headline!"
"Sure thing, uncle," I said, flashing a thumbs-up. I plopped onto the roof, trying to ignore the nine passengers who stared at me like I'd just performed a backflip off a cow.
"Sorry, no tricks today," I quipped. They groaned and went back to their own thoughts.
I pulled out my earbuds, popped them in, and let the music take me away.
The peace didn't last. The bus jolted so hard I nearly bit my tongue.
"THE BRAKES ARE DEAD!" someone screamed from inside.
The words hit like a punch to the gut. Panic erupted on the roof, and people started shouting advice like they were contestants on a game show.
"TURN LEFT, YOU DUMBASS!"
"NO, RIGHT! "
The driver's voice shot back, raw and desperate. "THE STEERING'S BUSTED TOO! WE'RE SCREWED!"
The bus wasn't just speeding—it was a missile, barreling up a flyover with all of us clinging to it like fleas on a runaway dog.
I gritted my teeth, adrenaline spiking. "Think, think!" I muttered, scrolling through my playlist. If we were going to die, we might as well do it with a banger playing in the background.
Someone yanked on my sleeve. I turned to see a pale kid pointing ahead.
"What is it?!" I snapped.
He didn't speak—just pointed, his eyes wide with terror.
There it was. A speed breaker. On a flyover.
"WHO'S FUCKING MIND PUT THAT THERE?!" I yelled, as if the universe could hear me.
The realization hit everyone at once, and the collective curse that erupted could've powered a small city.
The bus hit the breaker at full throttle, and the world turned into a slow-motion nightmare.
We launched into the air.
---
Time slowed. Gravity abandoned us.
I was airborne, weightless, tumbling through the sky like a badly thrown Frisbee. And that's when I saw her.
She stood on a balcony, sipping tea, completely unprepared for what was coming. Our eyes met.
And I saluted her.
Yes, mid-air. Because why not?
Her eyes widened, her teacup trembling in her hands. Was she impressed? Horrified? Both? I didn't have time to analyze—it was a freefall, not a first date.
Gravity snapped back, and I slammed into the roof with a thud that rattled my bones.
-____
Her Perspective...
It was a perfect evening. The sunset painted the sky, the tea was warm, and the world seemed calm despite the chaos of the city below.
Then I heard it.
A bus. Screaming passengers. Chaos incarnate.
And then him.
He flew through the air, limbs flailing, and for one surreal moment, he caught my gaze.
And saluted.
"Is…is this flirting?" I whispered, utterly stunned.
He crash-landed back onto the bus roof, barely holding on to the railing. My teacup wobbled in my hand as I stared. What was this? An action movie? A fever dream?
---
Me...
I clung to the railing, gasping for breath, my body screaming in protest.
"We're not done yet!" someone shouted.
And they were right. The bus smashed through the flyover's sidewall, plunging into the abyss.
My heart stopped. Time froze.
The girl on the balcony? She raised her cup in a mock toast, her lips curling into a smirk.
"Have a good day," she whispered, her voice carrying across the chaos like a calm breeze.
And me? My final words weren't poetic.
"F*** YOUR DAY!" I screamed as the bus hurtled downward.
The bus hit the ground with a bone-shaking crash. Debris flew everywhere, and the dust cloud rose like a cinematic explosion.
I groaned, dragging myself out of the wreckage. Around me, other passengers coughed and stumbled, their faces a mix of disbelief and relief.
The driver staggered out, muttering, "I'm never touching a steering wheel again."
I looked up at the flyover, searching for the girl. She was gone.
But her smirk was burned into my memory.
---
Girl..
Back on her balcony, the girl sipped her tea, her mind replaying the chaos she'd just witnessed.
"Interesting guy," she murmured, a small smile playing on her lips.
Somewhere in the distance, I limped away from the crash site, muttering curses about speed breakers and balcony girls.
---