Chapter 3

Aj looked at Lynn then at Sally who was smiling at him. The
bus started to move and all three of them caught themselves on the bunks,

"whoa," Sally said in a ditzy mannor.

"You ok?" Aj said holding on to her arm. She nodded and Lynn
turned aroundtowards her bunk pretending not to be parranoid by their flirty attitudes. She pulled things out of her bag and opened a ziplock baggy of pictures throwing the pile of clothes back
in her bag.

Sally touched Aj's stomach lightly, and kissed him on the cheek, "I'll be in my bunk in you need me," she said walking away.

He nodded and looked at Lynn, "whatcha doin' babe?" he said plopping down on her bunk watching her rummage through her bag.

"Just hanging up pictures," she said grabbing
invisible tape from a side pocket.

He nodded his head, "cool, want me to help?"

She shook her head, "that's ok I think I got it."

Aj studdied her thin body and watched her eyes follow her hands.
He smiled and looked at her pretty face.

"Um, Aj why are you looking at me like that?" she asked
taping the pictures to the wall near her pillow.

He shrugged, "fine I won't look at you anymore," he said turning away.

She laughed, "I didn't mean it like that you just..." she
paused.

He looked back at her, "I just?" he paused edging her to continue,

"I dunno you just looked weird," she smiled.

Hesmiled and shook his head, "sorry."

She finished hanging up her pictures and sat down on her bunk
next to Aj. "Do you like being away from hom and family?" she said fiddling with her fingers trying to avoid eye contact with him.

"No, I hate it, but I see my mom a lot," he said looking at her and
leaning forward to mimic her position. "Look, I'm heading towards the back, you want me to get you something to drink or eat?" he said looking at her.

She shook her head, "no thanks," she watchedhim walk away. The next morning Lynn walked toward the front of the bus and sat down at a booth. She listened to thesounds of the bus and felt hands cup her eyes,

"guess who?" a grogy voice said behind her.

"Hmm...lemme guess..." she paused for a while feeling the hands and touching the fingers lightly, "Aj?" shesaid turning around to see his face just inches from hers,

"awe ya got me," he said smiling and flinging himself over the back of the seat moving around the circular booth to face her.

"So, was that the girl you ditched me for the lastnight?"
She asked, referring to Sally.

He drew back, "whoa whoa whoa, ditched is NOT the word!" he said
innocently. "Are you talking about Sally?" he asked. "Oh, psh... she's just a friend, I'd rather spend a day with you than a minute with her," he said trying to cheer her up.

"Thanks, I guess."

"Hey hey hey," Aj said leaning over the table lifting her chin and looking into her eyes,"we're just friends babe," he smiled rubbing her cheek lightly trying to tickle a smile out of her. "Chill,aight?"

Lynn laughed softly for a minute, then looked back up at AJ and
smiled. "God, you are a flirt."

"I only flirt with the pretty ones," he says opening the coke that was in front of him, "did you want one?"

Lynn shook her head. "Nah, that's alright."
"Are you sure?" he said in a weird australian accent and flipped one out of his cargo pocket onto the table and smiled at her, "cause I brought ya one in case," he said flipping it open.

"Alright, I'll take it..since you already brought it. I'm
kinda thirsty anyways."