A school bus. Noisy. Full of children. It jerks to a stop and the doors open. A fourteen-year-old boy steps aboard. After looking around for an open seat, he finds one next some guy he's never seen before, leaning his head against the window and looking very dead. He could pass for thirty-seven. He sits down. The bus lurches forward for several minutes, stopping at seemingly random intervals.
His seatmate stirs and blinks his eyes, grunts, then thrusts his hand downward into the backpack below him. He pulls out a small bottle of minty fresh mouth spray. He looks to the left. He looks to the right. He takes a snort up one nostril.
Our hero blinks. The word "Interesting..." escapes his lips. He watches.
The minty fresh child next to him stares straight ahead at the seat ahead. Thirty seconds' time passes. A little blood runs from his nostrils and his eyes close. He slumps to the side, unconcious, resuming his former position. His head makes a satisfying clunking noise as it falls against the side of the bus.
The manling gets up and exits the vehicle, never seeing the other again.
Props to Pat.
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