The Songs in Our Hearts: A Young Adult Romance(7)

Jerk.

I was thankful to see the yellow bus turn down into our neighborhood as Josh pulled the Jeep out to leave. At least I’d get to school before he did. He had a few more stops, picking up J, Ben, and David. (Josh would be more than likely driving by Jackie O’s house, too, out of pure desperation for any sort of attention from her. Poor guy.) The bus door opened for me and I stepped on and turned into the aisle, only to be greeted by Micah’s smiling face. He was dressed in a simple grey T-shirt and jeans.

“Charlie. Over here.” He patted the space next to him. The bus doors closed behind me and I realized I needed to find a seat before it started to move. Reluctantly, I walked over and sat quietly. Maybe if I just keep my earphones in I won’t have to talk to him.

Micah tugged at one of my earbuds and smirked.

“Hey, Charlie.”

“Hi,” I replied, keeping my eyes on my iPhone. I scanned through a few song titles until I settled on one of my favorite Billy Joel songs. Old school, I know. My mama raised me right. I could feel Micah peering over my shoulder as he reached for the earphone he had just pulled out. I eyed him and snatched the earbud back. “What are you doing?”

“I want to listen, too,” Micah said. “Do you mind?”

“Kinda.” But he didn’t seem to care. Micah took the earphone from my grasp and slid it into his ear, glancing down at the iPhone. “Billy Joel?”

“He’s one of my favorites.”

“Interesting. Isn’t this a lullaby?” He took the phone from my hands and scanned through more of my music. “Kenny Rogers? Really?”

I reached for my phone and yanked it from him.

“He’s my dad’s favorite.”

“So then, he’s your favorite?”

“No, but I can appreciate his music. Or at least, some of it.”

“Ah, right.” Nodding, Micah gently took the device back and continued to browse through the many playlists I’d saved in my music library. I watched as he explored the different artists, many I figured he’d never heard of. I enjoyed music most people my age didn’t really know. There was something about finding classics and new indie artists while everyone else focused on the generic Top 40 Countdown.

“Kodaline. Mumford and Sons. Snow Patrol. Tom Odell. These are all really good,” Micah said with a nod, selecting a Tom Odell song.

“Wait. You know Tom Odell?” I glanced up at him.

Micah nodded. “Well, yeah. Obviously. This is my jam.”

“I didn’t really take you as the kind of guy who enjoyed ‘feely’ music,” I replied.

“What kind of music did you think I liked?” he smirked.

“I guess I figured you were into the hard, screaming kind. If that’s what you call music,” I snorted. “Or punk, rap...that stuff.”

“I guess I listen to those genres sometimes,” he confessed, “but mostly, I listen to whatever I stumble on. I like to discover different artists that other people might have never heard of before. Sometimes, it makes me feel like it was created only for me. Like I’m special.” Micah handed my iPhone back, his ear bud still in place. I admit, his words startled me. I felt the same way about music.

We sat together, listening to a few songs the whole way to school. It seemed like forever, but finally, the bus pulled up into the parking lot and Micah yanked the earbud out, letting it drop against my shoulder.

“Thanks for letting me listen,” he said as he pulled the strap of his backpack over his shoulder. The bus stopped and everyone dispersed onto the sidewalk. Rachel and Jennifer were standing outside, waiting for me as they usually did each morning. Micah headed toward the football field in the opposite direction, where I knew his friends hung out in the alcove. A bunch of them would smoke cigarettes before they made their way into the school to “endure” another day of learning. A surge of disappointment coursed through my veins as I watched him walk away. I wanted to call after him and talk more, but bit the inside of my cheek instead.

“How was the ride?” Jennifer asked as I approached. She was decked out in her favorite anime shirt while her hair was twisted up into a bun with a bright yellow pencil sticking out of her curls. I couldn’t remember who the characters on her shirt were anymore; she owned so many of them and they all started to look the same. Rachel stood by the vending machine outside the doors of the school, trying to decide on what kind of juice to buy.

“It was all right.” I shrugged, trying to keep the conversation light.

“I saw Micah get off the bus with you. Did you guys sit together?” I could see the curiosity in Rachel’s eyes and I didn’t want to feed into it.

“No, why would we?” I asked.

“Because of yesterday,” Jennifer exclaimed. “Come on, Charlie. That would have been the prime time to get to know him or at least talk to him! You can’t be one of those girls who just ignores a guy that clearly might be interested in—”

“It’s not a big deal,” I cut her off.

Rachel patiently pressed one of the buttons on the vending machine and waited as it released a bottle of apple juice. “Leave her alone, Jen.” Rachel reached down to pick up her beverage. “There’s no need to be brash.”

“This is Charlie’s chance, Rach,” Jen said.