It’s the 7th post for the 7 days writing challenge. Fun fact, I totally forgot that I haven’t posted the 7th post coz I thought the challenge has been done! Lol! Well, as like the posts before, I took this challenge as my way to learn how to write and enriched the characters in a book I currently write. Today’s topic is quite long. This is what the challenge maker wrote : Write a page of things taken in by you in the surroundings of your choice. Write everything your senses take in. Everything you see, hear, taste, smell and feel. This short story is a short sequel from my previous post called Summer Break which is the 2nd post for this 7 days writing challenge.

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Hugo’s holding his phone tightly. He keeps glancing over it every couple of seconds. His heart beats unusually fast and there’s something in his stomach that he can’t describe. On the way to the bus stop, he received a long-awaited message from Gina, his crush from his English class. It just consists of 2 sentences. “Sure, why not” and “Should we do Teams call today?”. Today. Hugo has been waiting for 4 days since the last time he texted Gina to ask her to be his writing buddy for their summer homework. Now that he’s giving up already, or maybe his mind is just being too preoccupied with the summer holiday and catching up with his mom, Gina finally decided to reply to his messages and asks him to have a video call today. Today. He suddenly feels a shot of hot lasers from his stomach right to his heart again reading the word “today”.

He lets out a sigh and looks around the bus he rides. Though it’s a cooler summer than where he comes from, some people here seem like can’t handle the summer. An old man who sits in front of him lets out a big grunt trying to open the window as wide as he can. His aftershave smells like lavender that Hugo can smell it through the wind that blows from outside. It eases him a bit somehow because the smell reminds him of how his father smells. He dares himself to take a peek to his phone again and regrets it right away as his last reply to Gina’s text still left unanswered.

Hugo’s bus is now kind of stuck in a traffic jam. Hugo curses himself why he didn’t bring his earphone. Now all he can hear is just some car horns honking to each other like they can help to end the traffic jam. A toddler who sits at the front sit just keep whining to her mom asking to eat the candy they just bought. The old man in front of Hugo is now doze off and Hugo can hear his snoring slightly. Some street peddlers are approaching the bus and offering their goods through the bus’s open windows. One of the peddlers offer some bracelets made by fake pearls and its bright color somehow reminds Hugo of Gina’s smile. He glances back to his phone. Still nothing. Another sharp twinge in his heart.

Hugo reaches into his backpack and grabs a chocolate bar. The chocolate bar is surprisingly still in good shape and not melting despite the hot weather. He chews his chocolate slowly, tries to not think about his proposed time to have a Teams call with Gina which currently still hasn’t been replied. The chocolate is sweet enough for his sweet tooth and he immediately grabs the second bar once he finishes with the first. His bus finally starts to move again, and some breeze blows from the outside and he can smell the lavender after shave from the old man in front of him. His mood lifts up a bit and Hugo decides to just put his phone in his shorts pocket. He tries to ignore his feeling and decides to enjoy the bus ride and his visit to the mall instead. At least, trying to.

15 minutes later, his bus is approaching the stop where the mall is. He grabs his backpack, puts his hand in his pocket just to make sure that his phone is still there, then walks toward the bus door. He passes the old man that now is awake and smiles at him. He stands in front of the toddler that is now busy with her candy and Hugo smiles politely to her mom. Her mom smiles back at him.

“Have a good day, young man,” she said to Hugo.

“Thank you, good day to you too!” replied Hugo while walking out from the bus. He feels the buzz in his pocket. He glances to his phone again and see a text from Gina, “Sure. See you tonight!”. Smiling, Hugo starting to believe it’s a good day indeed.