Earth, 2024
"Look, your bus is about to leave! Quickly, go—and don't fall anywhere, you jerk!"
"Get out, motherf***er!"
I sprinted to catch the bus, barely managing to climb aboard before it sped off. The interior was packed with passengers, leaving me no choice but to cling to the door's railing.
In a swift moment, I maneuvered my way to the back of the bus, ascending the narrow rear stairs to the roof—the space usually reserved for those who couldn't afford even the cheapest ticket.
The bus must have been going at 30 km/h (or so I thought).
(Author: Don't believe him.)
Standing on the roof, the wind rushed through my hair, and the fading sunlight painted my face in hues of gold. For a brief moment, I felt like the main character in some epic drama.
"Sit down, kid, unless you want to fall off!"
The commanding voice belonged to a middle-aged man, his tone gruff but not unkind.
"Ah, okay, uncle," I replied, snapping out of my daydream. I obediently sat down on the roof, looking around.
There were nine other passengers on the roof, all staring at me like I was some kind of circus acter , expecting me to do something entertaining.
Feeling their gaze, I awkwardly looked away, deciding to focus on the road ahead. Disappointed, they shook their heads and returned to their own thoughts.
I fished out my earbuds, popped them into my ears, and let my music drown out the world.
---
Some time later, the bus started to shake violently.
"BRAKES FAILED! THE BRAKES HAVE FAILED!"
A panicked voice rang out from inside the bus, causing a ripple of fear among the passengers on the roof.
The bus jostled uncontrollably, and panic set in as the roof passengers began shouting "helpful" advice to the driver.
"YOU F***ER, FOCUS ON THE WHEEL, YOU COW DUNG!"
"DRIVER UNCLE, F*** YOU OFF!"
Amidst the chaos, the driver's voice roared back: "YOU F***ING HOLES! THE STEERING WHEEL IS OUT OF CONTROL TOO!"
My heart raced, and panic coursed through my veins. Then, like a switch, a thought clicked in my head: Adrenaline rush situations call for adrenaline rush music.
I quickly scrolled through my playlist, selected the perfect song, and hit play. The beat vibrated in my ears, energizing my mind.
"Think, think, THINK!" I muttered, willing a solution to pop into my head.
Suddenly, I felt a tug on my sleeve. Turning, I saw a boy about my age (15 years old, I guessed).
(Author: Don't believe him.)
I glared at him. "WHAT?"
He silently pointed ahead, his finger trembling. I followed his gesture and saw the bus racing up a flyover. On the left side, a girl stood on a balcony, gazing out at the road. She was beautiful.
I turned back to the boy, confused. "YOU WANT ME TO LOOK AT A GIRL IN THIS SITUATION? ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR F***ING MIND?"
The boy looked at me, then back at the road, then at the girl, and back at me again. Finally, he exploded, "YOU SCUM! YOU THINK PEOPLE ARE LIKE YOU? LOOK AT THE ROAD, YOU MOTHERF***ER!"
I whipped my head back to the road and immediately spotted the problem: a speed breaker on the flyover.
"BREAKER! BREAKER! SPEED BREAKER!" I screamed. "WHO THE F***ING MIND PUT A SPEED BREAKER ON A FLYOVER, YOU MOTHERF***ER!"
The other passengers looked where I pointed, their eyes widening in horror. This triggered another round of cursing, now aimed at the idiot who designed the flyover.
Meanwhile, my brain, still vibing to the music, decided to go on strike.
---
I crawled to the back of the roof, lying down at the edge with one hand supporting my head as I faced the left side.
---
The Girl's Perspective
Standing on my balcony, I stared at the sunset, enjoying the serene chirping of birds mixed with the chaotic honking of cars.
Then, I noticed a bus speeding along the flyover. Something seemed off. The bus swerved erratically, and I quickly realized the brakes had failed.
Panic crept in as I noticed passengers on the roof. One of them yelled, "Ahh, speed breaker!"
My eyes darted to the flyover, where I spotted a poorly placed speed breaker.
"This is bad," I thought, my mind racing for a solution.
I watched as one of the roof passengers—a boy—crawled to the back-left corner of the bus. At first, I thought he might jump off, but he didn't.
Instead, he lay down, facing my direction. The bus hit the speed breaker at high speed, launching into the air.
To my utter shock, the boy went airborne as well. He raised two fingers to his forehead in a salute, then crashed back onto the roof.
He almost rolled off but managed to grab the railing just in time.
"What?! WHAT WAS THAT? IS THIS SOME KIND OF SHOOTING SCENE?" I thought, frantically scanning for cameras.
When I didn't spot any, I concluded, Maybe it's some kind of weird flirting attempt.
---
Back to Me
"HELP! HELP!" I screamed, clinging to the railing.
But it was too late. The bus crashed into the side wall of the flyover and plummeted over the edge.
In those final moments, I heard a soft voice, feminine and calm, whisper, "Have a good day."
My gaze snapped to the girl on the balcony. My lips moved instinctively, forming my last words:
"F*** YOU OFF!"