Ms. Pearl is sleeping and snoring. I stand up and he slides over next to the window.
“Yes!”
“Stop fronting all the time.”
“I said Yes how is that fronting.”
“When she wakes up I am going to talk to her.”
“You better.”
“You like her the girl who took your wallet.”
“Nah, I just wanted her to give me some head like she promise on the bus.” He chuckled.
“ You are so nasty, Jensen.”
“She was fine and all but the skank stole my wallet.”
“Who’s the chick with all the braids?”
“Oh Reba I met her in the bathroom. She going to La to audition for America's got talent. She can sing too. She wants to be a country western singer.”
“That song Grace used to sing to me about it being temporary home. It ....never mind.”
We stop talking and the stars outside are bright. His hand touches my finger and the moon is full. The movie on is Hope Floats
The cool air, the sound of Garth Brooks singing on the screen, “Can you feel my love is playing. I want to say something or anything to break up this attraction to him. He smells like Axe spray and his v-neck shirt shows the hair on his chest. He slouches down the seat and makes a small grunt.
“You look sleepy you can lay your head on my shoulder.”
“No, I’m fine.”
“You do it any other time without my permission, drooling and snoring.”
“I do not snore or drool.”
I want to lay my head on his shoulder and snuggle up close to him. I want to get close but whenever I do I make bad choices in men. He and I are watching the movie and I start to sniffle. I feel like the woman in the movie and I think back to the days of high school not being the popular one, the ugly one and world falling apart. I take a deep breath and realize it what I want for someone to feel my love. I look over and he is wiping his eyes at the scene where the Mama dies. The bus is silence and I hear Reba singing the song. I look back and Ms. Pearl is sleeping.
I lay my head on his shoulder, he shifts and I listen to him breathe. He puts his arm around me and I pull the blanket out and cover us.
“Good night, Janae.”
“Good night, Jensen.”