Gym consisted of sitting and learning about the self-defense course.
It was rather boring and, to be frank, I was happy when it was over five minutes early.
I ran upstairs to my locker and got out the binders I needed for homework, putting back my gym clothes.
I slung my scarf around my neck, put on the horrid, tacky teal coat and jammed my non-matching toque on my head.
I dug around in my bag for my bus pass yet again and pulled it out.
Then, I grabbed my lunch and stuffed in my bag, zipped it shut and hoisted the heavy thing onto my back.
I closed and locked my locker and headed downstairs again.
I crossed the atrium to the front doors and went out into the cold with a shiver.
As much as I love Canada, the cold gets annoying sometimes.
I peered around in the blinding sunlight and could not see my bus.
So, I wandered up and down the rows, finding it eventually as the bell rang.
I got on with a happy 'hello' for the bus driver and sat down at the seat right in front of the door.
Katie, bus-Katie, got on and I switched spots with her since I was getting off first.
I was going to go see Sarah that afternoon.
The bus slowly filled and at three forty the buses left the school bus-loop.
It took us five minutes to reach the highway - a new record - and we trundled down it at a slow pace.
Any faster and our bus would probably have fallen apart.
We went along our route at the normal pace, though we got stuck in a small snow bank for about five minutes.
"Bing!" I said in a happy voice.
Katie looked at me in surprise, as we were both listening to our music.
"Bing!" I repeated, looking at her.
"Oh!" She exclaimed and pulled the cord so that it went Bing! and the light went on.
I grinned.
"See you on Monday." I said and got up, nearly falling as the bus stopped.
"See ya!" Katie called as I hopped down on the step.
The door did not open.
The guy who usually got off at this stop's door opened but not mine.
So, I quickly switched doors and got off, right in a snowbank.
I grumbled as the cold wind nipped at my exposed face and half-closed my coat.
I tramped through the snow to Sarah's house - the bus stop was on her property - following the tracks in the snow.
However, I got my feet drenched and nearly fell when I got stuck in a deep footprint.
By the time I reached the door, I was annoyed and cold.
I rang the doorbell and Sarah's little dog Sugar came skittering up, barking.
Moments later, Sarah walked up and waved as she opened the door.
I went inside.
"Hello darling." I said amiably, using our mutual nickname for eachother.
I took off my shoes, hideous coat, mits, toque and scarf, dropping my bag on the ground.
Sarah looked at my socks and shook her head.
"You'll get the floors wet." She observed and went to get me new unwet socks.
I told her about my day as we fed her dog and cat - both rather fat, but losing weight - and she laughed at my retelling.
We watched television for a bit and talked about our newest online characters.
We were both participants in the online dragon adoption society.
I even had my own site called Enzan Shi Deragonray.
Sarah was newer to the world with only about four dragons.
I had eighty.
Suddenly, I looked at my watch.
"I need to go." I said urgently.
"I'm late, I needed to be home five minutes ago!"
Sarah turned off the T.V. and I hurried to the hall.
I put on my scarf, teal coat - ugly coat - and my mits and toque.
I ran out the door and ran through the snowbank, getting my feet drenched yet again.
And, just my luck, the bus was late.
So, I stood in the cold.
The bus finally came and Sarah called out to me.
"See you sometime next week!" She said.
I waved.
"See you!"
"Call Brian!" She added as the bus pulled up to a stop and I got on.
I glared at her belatedly as the doors swung shut.
I showed the bus driver my pass and walked to the back of the bus since it was full in the front.
I sat at the very back and noticed a man with something blue hanging out of his bag.
"Your bag is open." I told him, pointing.
"Jesioth." The man grumbled and stuffed the thing back in his bag.
It squeaked and hissed at him.
I stared at it.
"Did you say something?" I asked.
"What?
No I-" The man began, then cut himself off.
"Yes, I did.
I squeaked and hissed."
I peered at him.
"You look familiar, have I seen you before?" I inquired.
"Not that I am aware." The man said.
"Shut up, Jesioth." He muttered suddenly as something squeaked high-pitchedly.
The word Jesioth sounded familiar.
I turned it around in my head for a few minutes before realizing what it was.
Jesioth was the name of a dragon on the internet.
He was blue and his rider was why this man looked so familiar.
"Where are you headed?" I asked innocently, wondering if I was crazier than I thought.
"Nowhere, really." The man replied and I found this odd.
The one-thirty-five went around in a circle from the mall and back.
If he wanted to go somewhere, he would take this bus.
If he wanted to go nowhere, he would not.
Maybe he was crazy.
I got up nervously.
We had just turned onto the street that intersected mine.
I could walk the extra distance.
This guy was creeping me out.
To my dismay, he got up also as I moved towards the doors and rang the bell.
I had no choice but to get off and hope he would not follow me.
He followed.
I walked down the dark street nervously, feeling very insecure about having a psycho follow me.
Suddenly, something touched my shoulder.
I looked to my left and saw a bird.
But it was not a bird.
It had no feathers, no beak and it had a long tail with a... spade at the end.
"What is that thing?" I demanded, turning and staring at it.
"A dragon.
Albeit a tad shrunk." The insane man answered, looking evenly at me.
Too evenly to be crazy.
"What's your name?" I asked suddenly, hoping I was wrong.
It was too wierd.
"M'len." The man answered as Jesioth perched on his shoulder.
"Rider of blue Jesioth at Falas Weyr in the 10th and 11th Passes." I added, then shook my head.
"I've gone crazy!" And dropped into the snowbank.
He raised an eyebrow.
"How do you know that much?" He asked.
"Internet." I answered, looking up at the sky.
"I'm on the internet?" He asked, sounding surprised.
"Yep, all of Falas is.
And Enzan Shi too." I grumbled, sitting up.
"I'm late for supper."
"Wait!" He said, stopping me from standing.
"I'm Searching for candidates-"
"Find someone else, M'len, I like my life here." I answered, looking at him evenly before running the rest of the way to my house.
