AUTHOR NOTES:

You can also find the story in more creative detail over on Wattpad under the name RealHajiime (two i's) I might change that user name at some point. You'll know when. Wattpad allows me to add pictures for references and add videos so I'll often add different music that sets the mood similarly to the game. So I highly recommend reading this story there as well for a more creative experience. This episode takes it's name from the song "Back to the Beginning" by Aaron Espe.

Episode One: Back to the Beginning

Chapter Four

I had already missed the school bus somewhere around the time I was preparing to leave. To be honest, I completely forgot about the bus, but that's what happens when I wake up confused as hell. The question now was, how was I gonna get to school? To tell the truth, it wasn't like it was beyond walking distance, but it'd take about thirty minutes from my current spot outside of my apartment to the bottom of the hill from the school parking lot. Then I'd still have to walk up the road to the campus. Even in the cold, I'd be sweating pretty hard by the time that journey was finished, and having just taken a shower, I really didn't want to get covered in sweat before I even entered the building.

Not that I care much, but it's one of the more embarrassing things in the world to sit next to someone you don't know or don't really talk to and to look and smell like post-sex exhaustion, without the satisfaction. For like a minute, I started to contemplate the idea of even going to school at all. I didn't even want to wait for the regular bus to be honest, because if you're a New Yorker, you know those sons of bitches take forever when you need them the most. There's not even a schedule to look at either.

"Fuck it," I said under my breath. I crossed the street from my building to the bus stop and waited. Where my place is there was a blindside that ironically you could see pretty clearly from across the street. I guess that wouldn't make it a blindside then, but that's besides the point. When I looked over there I saw a white RV parked behind my place. If the owner was trying to be discreet about it, well this was an epic fail to say the least.

Coming out of the RV I saw Jessica and this punk rock lookin older guy with dirty blond hair. Jessica was obviously dressed fashionably but warmly due to the obvious weather but the guy just wore a leather jacket and dirty jeans. He looked like he was in his mid thirties I guess. Like I said, it wasn't my business: Her business that is. But she didn't look too pleased talking with him. Actually that's wrong. It looked more like it was strictly professional, whatever they were discussing.

It wouldn't surprise me if she just got done sucking him off or something, but that ain't my business. It didn't look like that though because her hair still looked well did. We made eye contact with each other, unfortunately and she looked kind of taken aback my gaze. This was the second time in just a few hours that I caught her in some snake shit, so she's bound to feel flustered. She turned back to the dude and finished up their conversation. He went back into the RV and Jessica backed up so he could do reverse the vehicle.

The guy took off, but not without making eye contact with me very briefly. It didn't feel malicious. It felt like one of those moments you catch something in your peripheral vision and take a quick glance. That kind of look. Then once again, it was just me and the lil' bitch from across the street. She glared at me while walking my direction. This is what I meant when I said the bus always takes forever when you need it the most. If the bus could've come right away, I wouldn't have to deal with her shit now.

"Are you keeping tabs on me or something?" She asked, antagonistically.

"I live in the building you guys parked behind, calm your tits," I answered.

"You saw me in the store and again just now. Why is it always you? "

"Would you rather risk one of your groupies or the principle finding out?"

"No, that's-"

"Then stop complaining. I told you last night: I don't give a fuck what you do. As far as I'm concerned, I didn't see shit," I said, taking out my phone and putting my headphones. I looked at my phone, scrolling through music to play to give her the impression that this conversation was dead to me.

"You're not planning anything, right?" She asked nervously. I looked at her while still holding my head downward toward my phone, gestured my phone her way and rose my eyebrows condescendingly.

"Do you want me to plan something with the dirt I have?" I genuinely asked.

"If you even thi-"

"Then shut the fuck up and take my word for it."

"And how am I supposed to trust you? We both know you hate me." She was dragging this conversation longer than it had to be and it got unbearably annoying.

"Don't act like the victim here."

"I'm not, I'm just saying-"

"Look, if you wanna stress over this, that's totally on you. Instead of pressing me to keep quiet, why don't you act more responsibly. That way, 'Bitch-faced Alex' won't have to catch you doing something you don't want other people to see." Jessica was quiet. "I don't care what you do, okay? I stopped caring a long time ago," I ended, putting my headphones back on. Her eyes wandered aimlessly to the left, as if admitting defeat with silence. She actually looked a bit uncomfortable. Whether or not it was because she was still unsure if I would keep her secrets a secret didn't matter to me though. She was quiet. That's all I cared about.

With her silence looking like it would be for good this time, I played the song "Caterpillar" by Mountains of the Moon low in my ears and put it on repeat. I never play music too loud in the street. I like to pay attention to my surroundings. I also never like to have my music shuffle through my playlist. There's something about that, that really triggers me. I play my favorite song and then it goes to another song I want no part of in that moment.

About seven minutes or so later, I finally saw the bus coming from around the corner. I didn't have any bus fare so the best I could do was hope the driver didn't kick me off if I asked for a ride. Obviously it was only Jessica and I at the stop, but we kept distant. I was gonna let her get on first. The bus came to the stop and opened the door, allowing two passengers to come out. Jessica got on and paid her fare. I came up to the driver and asked, "May I have a ride?"

The asshole shook his head and pointed out the door. "C'mon man, I'm already late." I wasn't initially planning to push the argument farther than a simple acceptance of the answer "no", but I wasn't gonna walk. If he wasn't gonna take me, I wasn't gonna go to school. Simple as that. Not like it was his issue, but that was what I decided. The driver was white with a stern looking mustache. It's always those types of drivers that give you the most shit. I didn't wanna hold up the bus, so I quickly searched all my pockets for whatever I had.

"It's not everything, but this is all I got. Can't ya just take this?"

"All or nothing, sorry." He said. His voice was raspy. The kind of voice I hated the most. Sounded full of phlegm. I kissed my teeth and was about to exit the bus.

"I'll pay it," I heard from about the middle row. It was none other than Jessica, walking up to the front of the bus with an extra bus fare. I looked at her hand as the coins trickled into the machine of the bus. She looked at me before smiling slightly and moving back to her seat. The driver closed the door behind me and began to drive off before I could comprehend what had happened. I held the railing to prevent myself from falling and walked into the aisle of the bus. Jessica and I made eye contact again, even though we tried to avoid it.

"Thanks, I guess," I said under my breath, but loud enough for her to hear me. She nodded without much energy. I didn't focus too much on it after the moment has passed. Knowing her, she probably did it to save her own skin. She still thinks I might tell people what I saw. I sat a few seats behind her on the other side of the bus and turned up my headphones to let the song really ring in my ears before resting my head on the window and watching the scenery pass by me. I was still so tired, but the ride to Blackwell wasn't gonna take much longer than ten minutes.

Resting my head on the window was doing me more harm than good though. Before I realized it, I was sleeping.