To Central Kokkinport!

Now that you're in the actual city, it won't be long until you reach your stop at Central Kokkinport. So you feel not bad putting both hands on Lexi's shoulder (the one nearest to you) and gently shaking her awake, since she wanted to say bye to you.

One of her eyes slowly opens, and she peers over at you out the side of it, lips curled upwards into a smile. She reaches up and takes out her earphones, one before the other.

"Rats. Saw you waking me up and thought I'd time jumped ahead to after we've been married fifteen years. Now I still have to wait."

She adjusts the chair so she can sit up properly in it, then stretches out her arms in a very obstructive way.

"Mmmmmm..... you leaving soon, then?"

Just as she asks that, the bus slows down to a stop. You turn away from her to look out the window -- yep, Central Kokkinport, perfectly timed! You unbuckle your seatbelt and get up from your seat, also having to duck a bit to not bump your head (which makes you feel tall), and lift up your metal wargear suitcase. Lexi stands up too, so that it'll be easier for you to shimmy past her and into the bus aisle, taking a hold of your hand as you pass and planting a little kiss on the back of it. Embarrassingly! You pull your hand back and look from side to side, but luckily the bus has mostly emptied out along the other stops by now.... still, she can't just do that!

"H-hey, I'll see you next week then, Lexi. H-have a good weekend."

Lexi goes "chk chk", with a wink and two fingerguns, then sits back down in her seat. You hurriedly shuffle down the aisle while most of the other people getting off here haven't even gotten up yet, because you're incredibly speedy, so even though you were right at the back you'll probably be one of the first off. With a hiss, the bus doors open just before you reach them, and you step off and onto the pavement.

Here you are! Back in Kokkinport again, after a whole five days away at your new university. Actually, you didn't really think about it before, but the Central Kokkinport Bus Stop is really really close to that junction you spent most of your time walking around when you were making the money to get into Coinpilfer University. It wasn't even really that long ago, just a couple of weeks, but you're pretty awestruck as you look around at all of the memories you hadn't realised you'd built. Some of the stuff'd be a bit of a walk to go find, but a good amount is right by you.{if BakeDone == 1} In the distance, if you look around a bit, you can see that street that you sold your brownies on. That was a lot of fun!{endif}{if MagicShow == 1} You're also right by the restaurant that you did your magic show in, and it sounds like people are having food in there right now. Which reminds you -- you're actually really, really hungry. You should get home and eat something!{endif}

As you're considering this, standing there with both hands on your suitcase handle, a voice stepping off the bus calls out to you.

"Oh, hey, Debbie!"

You turn. It's Jace!{if NewtonGym == True} And Newton's right behind him, too! They both step off the bus as part of a crowd which soon disperses, and walks over towards you. They're both carrying their own wargear suitcases and wearing backpacks. The backpack straps are the only fabric on Newton's top half, and the actual backpack looks super tiny when it's against his back.

"Hey Jace! Hey Newton!" You beam, walking forward to meet them as the bus pulls away from the stop and drives further down the road and along its route. "You guys get off at this stop too, huh?"

Jace nods with a smile. "Yeah, but it's about twenty five minutes walking to my house."

Newton, standing tall and absurdly muscular with his hands on his overly-tight backpack straps, has a wide and dopey grin as he looks between you and Jace. "Hold on a second friends, don't tell me you two are in the same class, are you now?" He points back and forth at you with his big fingers on his big hands.

"Oh, yeah, she's one of my classmates." Jace explains. "The shorter friendly one that my roommate hates. That's also a girl."

"Oh, no way now!" Newton says, mouth open in a shocked 'O' shape. "How could anybody hate my lifting buddy right here?"

Jace turns back to you. "Newton's my cousin." He explains. "I didn't realise you two already knew each other."

"Oh, wow!" You say, setting your metal briefcase down (because it was starting to get heavy). "I didn't know you guys were related!"

"His little sister's watching my place right now, actually. Or, she's watering the plants at least. Speaking of which, we should probably go make sure she's alright." Jace looks up at Newton, who seems a bit sorrowful to say goodbye, but gives a stiff nod and pulls forward on his backpack straps. Before they head off, Jace looks back over to you. "Hey though, if you're not a far distance from my place, we should totally hang out this weekend, or some other time. Anyway, I might see you around -- have a good one."

Jace gives you a wave, and Newton gives you a big hug (that he makes sure isn't too tight (and that you happily reciprocate)), and then the two of them head off down the pavement. Your house isn't far from here, just about seven minutes walk in the other direction, but you'd better get started!

{else} He steps off the bus amidst a crowd of people who all disperse, says a quick goodbye to a few of them, and then walks up to you while carrying his own wargear suitcase.

"Hey Jace!" You smile and walk a few steps forward to meet him. Through the window as the bus starts to pull away, you see a sleepy Lexi give you a short and yawning wave, before snuggles back into her seat again. "Do you live near here?"

He shrugs. "Twenty five minute walk or so, that way." He points one of the ways, to indicate the way that he walks. "You?"

"I'm seven minutes the other way." You say. "That's not far from each other! We should hang out some time!"

That brings a smile to Jace's face, as he sets down his wargear briefcase on the pavement. "Oh yeah, totally, especially since Dellie's not around to complain at you."

You set your briefcase down too, because it was starting to get heavy.

"Where is she, anyway?" You ask. "What stop did she get off at?"

"Oh, nah, she wasn't on the bus." Jace says, thumbing back at the road. "I was riding near the front with my cousin. I'd introduce you two, but he's gone off to make sure his little sister's alright, since she's been housesitting for me. You know, watering plants and stuff, nothing too hard."

"Yeah, Cameron got on an earlier bus too." You say. "I wonder if they live near each other?"

"Delilah's was a later bus, actually. Should've asked where, but oh well."

That's weird, you thought that the bus through the main part of the city was the last bus that left the school. Well anyway, it doesn't really matter.

"Speaking of my little cousin though, I wanna go say hi, I've not seen her all week." Jace says, bending down to pick up his briefcase again. "But we'll definitely hang out some time, got it? I'm gonna hold you to that!"

You smile and nod, picking up your own briefcase. Then, trading wishes for a good weekend, the two of you head down the pavements towards your separate houses.

{endif}