Wanna hear a joke?

So there's a Wolf and a Fox, and they're riding on a school bus together...

Oh. Why are they on the school bus? Well I suppose I should tell you.

I went to sleep having another anxiety attack about Aiden and Yggy and Dennis...

Stumbled to my bus stop in the morning. Have to finish my paper. I'mma listen to Nick Pitera some more...can't do that til IM. Nope. Hum the words in your head. Where's the bus? There's the bus.

More Panic? Yes. P!ATD. Good stuff. Burn a CD. Give it to Jonnie so he can listen too. Forgot to put it on here...hum the words. Hum the words in your head.

What was that blur?

"Good morning."

AGH!

If you've ever felt extremely tired in the morning, then just get a proxy to scare the ever loving shit out of you by appearing next to you on the bus.

Works wonders. Never been so alert in my life.

I stopped worrying about singing songs in my head.

"These aren't very comfortable..." he says, shuffling around some.

"No. They aren't. You get used to them," I mutter, face in the seat back in front of me, composing myself. Ashley and Yasmeen, who would normally been in the seat my face is pressed into, had moved to some empty seats farther towards the middle of the bus. The back is mostly empty. Lots of kids on the New York trip.

"How are you?" he tilts his head, hands folded in his lap.

I shrug. Turn my face towards him, head still on the seat back. "Just dandy," I say in a mocking tone.

"Good, good..." he says with a small sigh. Nods his head. Half mask bobs a little.

"It almost broke Sammi," I say bitterly. I learned this late last night. It combined with family problems...no. Not good for Sammi.

"It didn't though. It is angry. But she is okay," he's reassuring now. It's odd. I'm not sure if I'm quite comfortable with this behavior. "The Mas...It is busy."

"With Aiden..."

"I have time to spare."

"Wait. You called It...I-"

"Don't ask. Not yet."

"Okay."

I'm sitting upright now. The book we're reading in English, Angela's Ashes, falls into my lap. I pick it up to put it back on my bag, but Fox reaches over to examine it.

"Who is this boy?"

"Frank."

"He's the author?"

"Yes."

"This looks sad..."

"It is."

"You don't have to be."

I'm confused here. I open my mouth to say something, but he's readjusting the mask and now I'm confused AND I don't know what he's doing.

Oh. I can see more of his face now. Just a little bit more.

What are you getting at...

"What does that mean?" I ask.

"You don't have to be sad. Or worry."

"What?"

"It's okay."

"Is it?"

"He'll be okay."

Now that I've caught up on posts, I understand what he meant here.

"You were hurt yesterday," I note

"Hurts. Still."

"Oh."

"He knows what I'm doing. He knows everything."

"He?"

"No. The vermin."

"Ahh...wait he did this to you?" I point at Fox's hands, which are normally covered with gloves. But they're bandaged now.

"He knows what he shouldn't too. All along."

"He's more irritating than a mime..."

Fox chuckles at that.

"Crow knew too. But you can't exactly expect Crow to know what's going on...poor bastard..."

Some more silence. I forgot I had the earbuds in. I take them out. Let the Ballad of Mona Lisa leak out. Fox tilts his head to hear better.

"Thanks," I say.

"No," he says, "Thank you."

"For what?"

"You'll know soon enough."

More silence as we listen to the song. Brendon Urie is on the last line...there's nothing wrong with just a taste of what you paid for...

Fox shakes his head at that. Grumbles a little. I wonder what he got out of that...

"How are you getting off?" I ask, shutting off the MP3 player and wrapping the cord around it.

"Eh?"

"No trees..."

"I slip out."

"With that?"

He takes the mask off. I try to glimpse his face. But he flips a hood over too quickly for me to see...

All I see is a grin.

"Not yet," he says.

We get off the bus.

I proceed to have a relatively easy school day.

Now to process all of that...

Aiden is back home. Aiden is okay. Everything is okay. Like he said it would be.

A Fox may be crafty, but I think this one can be trusted.