The day broke, and Caleb managed to get some sleep after Eileen helped him out earlier that morning. Caleb had no idea what to do on his own otherwise, despite almost being an adult.
Caleb got ready for school, and Eileen already had breakfast ready for him, which allowed him to be on time for the bus.
"Thank you, Eileen! You're the best!" Caleb shouted, taking his lunch with him.
Caleb hadn't seen his father in months—it was going on a year. This was the longest Luke had been gone.
There was no way of reaching him either; Eileen was the one who occasionally gave him updates regarding his father's whereabouts and well-being, including informing him that his father asked about him.
This was what kept Caleb going, even though he hated to admit it, as his mother died during childbirth.
Caleb assumed his father didn't like staying home or he would be reminded of the void that existed within.
Most people would resent their parents for being absent, but Caleb had a kind soul that sought to understand why people did what they did.
This was because of Eileen's influence; she was the only reason he turned out the way he did.
The school bus arrived, and Caleb waved her goodbye before jumping in.
Caleb was a popular kid. He was athletic and one of the star players on his school's basketball team.
The sky was his limit because he had broken into the first team as a freshman, but he hadn't been able to lead the team to a championship.
That wasn't surprising, considering they weren't a strong team until Caleb enrolled.
"Good morning, Ezekiel," Caleb greeted the bus driver, who was easily in his late forties.
Ezekiel smiled back in return. Not many greeted him or showed him much respect, to begin with—
after all, he was a bus driver.
Caleb sat at the back of the bus. It was filled, and everyone stole glances at him.
It was impossible not to notice him, standing at 6'3".
Caleb greeted everyone he walked by; he did this consistently every day.
He took out his phone, and his group chat was already asking where he was.
[[Caleb: On the bus…]]
Caleb responded to the numerous messages without even bothering to read them.
Caleb was seated when the bus made an unusual stop—this was the first time it made this stop.
Caleb looked over his shoulder and saw a dark-skinned girl with fluffy black hair make her way onto the bus.
"A new student?" Caleb thought to himself before redirecting his gaze back to his phone.
This was until he felt a presence standing right in front of him.
He looked up, and there was the girl, standing right in front of him.
"Is this seat taken?" she asked, but there was an accent behind her voice.
"Oh, no," Caleb responded.
"I guess it is now," the girl said with a flashy smile.
She sat beside him, but Caleb's body demeanour didn't change at all.
He was comfortable, despite a girl sitting beside him—showing this was a regular occurrence in his life.
"Hi, I'm Leila," Leila was quick to introduce herself, reaching for a handshake.
"Hey, Leila. I'm Caleb. I haven't seen you around before. You must be new," Caleb said.
The students around couldn't help but observe their interaction.
If this were anyone else, they would assume he was about to hit on her, but this was how Caleb was with everyone.
"...Or there's a chance you didn't notice me," Leila responded, expecting Caleb to throw a witty reply. However, he simply chuckled.
"You might be right," Caleb responded, not giving any room for flirting to take place, despite him finding the girl attractive.
The bus continued down the road with both of them engulfed in their various activities.
They arrived at the school shortly after, and Caleb waited for everyone to exit the bus before he did.
The girl sat with him, but before she could say another word, Caleb stood up and was on his way because his friends were waiting for him outside the bus.
Leila walked behind him. She had no idea he was this tall, to begin with, and there was something about tall men that made girls weak at the knees.
"I cannot believe you still take the bus!" Leila could hear a boy scold him outside, implying he had the means to take other forms of transportation.
"Shut up, Noah! I cannot believe you complain so much!" Caleb fired back, prompting the other two people to laugh.
Leila noticed there were two ladies there and one boy, but Caleb embraced one of the girls before placing his lips on hers.
Leila couldn't help but feel disappointed, but that would explain why he didn't show much interest in her.
The girl was beautiful. She had an athletic build with her red hair flowing effortlessly down her face. It complimented her blue eyes, but that wasn't what Leila was envious of.
It was her shape—her body took on the form of a grown woman despite only being in high school.
Leila took a deep breath before exiting the bus, expecting them to ignore her as she was the new kid.
Caleb's friend noticed her—it was hard not to notice her because of her long hair.
It was rare to see dark-skinned women with hair as long as that.
But he didn't say anything, instead looking at Caleb suspiciously.
The girl beside him nudged him lightly to tell him to cut it out.
"Now that my morning ritual is complete, shall we?" Caleb said, throwing his arm around his girlfriend, who went by the name Kathy, with her best friend's name being Evelyn.