WHEN YOU DON'T HAVE BOTH.

Sarah stepped onto the bus and she smiled at the driver. She immediately scanned the front and middle seats - then her smile quickly turned into a frown. "Oh! Lord, not again! Why does this always happen? Every time I get on the bus - all the window seats are taken. Can I just once have my preference of sitting by a window, looking up at the sky and watching the clouds pass by"?

She plopped down next to this kid who was staring at her, chewing loud and blowing gum bubbles. He looked at her and said, “hi, my name is Willie and I'm 13". Sarah looked at him and said, "That's nice kid".

She looked around at the kids on the bus and everyone's quiet. Then, she noticed at the front of the bus a sheet of paper taped by the mirror that said, "Become a star rider like":

Jah

Sarah T

Tykee

Samaria

Heaven

Harmony

Ayden

Aj

Donnie

Autumn

Sy

A'Miracle

Sarah looked around the bus to see if any children were wearing name tags - but no one was. She then turned around, reached in her purse, pulled out her phone and began to search for articles about "Coping with disappointments"

Willie put his hand in his jacket and pulled out a piece of gum "Want some"? he said. She stared at him. He grinned and then blew another bubble. "Uh, no thanks", Sarah said. She then turned around and scanned the bus for a vacant window seat.

“Hey, you never told me your name”, Willie whispered. "Uh, It's Sarah" she said, while lifting up more to see if a seat was vacant way in the back of the bus - window seat or not! She turned back around and looked at Willie - and became more upset because he was enjoying the window seat and smacking on his bubble gum.

Willie turned, looked at her and asked, "hey, what was you looking for"? She replied "I was looking for another seat where it's more quieter"! Willie sighed. "Oh, so, you too"?, he said. Then, he looked out the window again.

Sarah looked at him and spoke with an impatient tone, "Me too what, kid"? Tears began to stream down his face. "No one wants to sit by me. I ride this bus everyday going home - and people always sit in front, across the aisle or behind me. I think they may want to sit by me but when they hear me popping bubbles they change their minds. No one likes my gum popping but Titan”.

She replied, "Uh, what's a Titan"? "My cat. He loves to paw at the bubbles when I blow them", Willie replied, and then wiped his eyes with his sleeves. Sarah looked at him with a sorrowful face, and said, "Oh, I'm so sorry that must be very hard to endure, kid". She reached into her purse and gave him a tissue. He took it and blew his nose. "Thanks" he said, while wiping the mucus away. He then reached down and put the tissue in his pocket.

Sarah, watched quietly as he did. Then, he looked at her and said in a perky tone, "hey, are you sure you don't want a piece of gum?  I have plenty". Willie pulled the gum from the same pocket that he stuffed the tissue in. Sarah tried not to make a face. "Uh, no thank you kid", she said. Then she looked back at her phone and scrolled. "Oh, here's an article". She then began to read low. Willie looked back out the window but listened intently as Sarah read the article.

"Coping with disappointments"

"Yes!, here we go, and there's an image of dominoes. Yep!, that's me. My whole afternoon is tumbling down. Oh!, man, The author must have rode this bus too and sat where I'm sitting. One disappointment after another. There are no vacant window seats", she said while fanning her face with her hand. She looked up front and continued to talk -"and no wonder!, it's so hot - the fan is turned directly on the bus driver - and last but not least I'm sitting next to annoyance"!. She then looked at Willie.

Willie turned and looked at her too - and she gave him a smirk. He licked his tongue at her. She snatched her head around, paused for a moment and scrolled down and up the page. "Hmmmm, looks kind of advanced but I'm sure it's informative.". She continued to read.

"There are many things that can cause a person to be disappointed, but learning how to cope with disappointments is key."

"Uh, huh, true"! Willie said. Sarah looked around at him. He stared at her and smiled. He blew a huge bubble and sucked it back in - then he started to chew, and smack out loud.

Sarah talks loud, "Ugg, you know what”!...

The bus driver glanced in the mirror in Sarah's direction and said, "Excuse me! there will be no loud talking on this bus"! He looked back at the road and continued to speak. "and you certainly won’t be added to my star rider list behaving like that". He looked in the mirror again and then back at the road.

Sarah looked at the driver and replied, "sorry sir". She then scanned around the front of the bus for a sign -but there was none. "Well, how was I supposed to know the rules when there's not a - No talking loud sign", Sarah mumbled.

Willie giggled. "Oh! that was funny. A girl with a sense of humor, cool", he said. Sarah looked at him mean and he winked his eye at her. She quickly yelped down low, "ewwww and yuck, hey, kid don't be"....

Suddenly, the bus stopped and 2 people got off. Sarah immediately looked back to see if a window seat was vacant, but like before it wasn't. She turned around and Willie was looking out the window humming and chewing. "OMG, something has to change”!, Sarah mumbled.

Sarah put her phone in her purse. She looked at Willie and begin to talk down low through her teeth. "What is it with you kid - first you was smacking and now you're humming! I see why no one wants to sit by you".

Everything became quiet. No smacking, chewing, bubble gum popping or humming. Sarah looked away. Willie sat frowning, he then turned around in the seat and looked back. “Uh, what are you doing now"?, she said. He turned back around, "Nothing" he replied.

"Well, are you looking for someone"? Willie sighed, "No, just another seat". Sarah gasped. "What! you're kidding right? Soooo, just because I'm not noise prone to your smacking, chewing and humming, you want to move - kid, you've got some nerve"!

Willie looked at her and spoke in a furious tone, "and stop!, calling me kid"!. The bus driver looked up again and said. "Hey, whoever that was, this is your final warning! Willie lowered his voice, and continued - "and further more you are the one that started first". Sarah put her hand on her chest. "Who me? Look, all I wanted was to get on this bus and sit by a window seat with peace and quiet- not by a kid that annoys me"!

Willie looked out the window and spoke low, "peace and quiet huh. Well, when you don't have both - you make something out of nothing"!

Sarah snatched her phone out of her purse and read the 1st paragraph again down low.

"There are many things that can cause a person to be disappointed, but it's learning how to cope with the disappointment that is key."

“Uh, huh and true again”! Willie responded in a snappy tone and then looked back out the window. She ignored him and continued  to read -

“There are many ways to cope with disappointment but finding the way that works for you may sometimes take, trying different methods”.

Oh! sooooo true, Sarah said as she side eyed Willie and then continued to read -

"When a situation becomes a disappointment, it often has an exterior of tough resistance - but you must become a master over that situation through effective measures of coping - to break through into the interior of the situation to gain solvable results".

Sarah stopped reading for a minute to think about what she had just read and then she said, "sheeesh, I need to read that again”! Willie chimed in, "girl in other words - take charge of the matter in a positive way"! She sat quiet for a second while gazing at the phone's screen. Then, she replied in a calm puzzled tone, "yea, I guess"!

Suddenly, the bus stopped again and 3 more people get off. This time Sarah and Willie both looked for other seats. They turned back around and Willie folded his arms and slightly slumped down in the seat. Sarah looked at him and said, "Well, there's 5 seats vacant. Why won't you take one"? He looked at her and said, "ditto” in an unpleasant tone.

"Ugggg, whatever”! she responded while dropping her phone back in her purse. She fumbles to find her earplugs to get peace and quiet - but to no avail. She then looks at Willie and says with an attitude, "Ditto?, well, the reason that I'm not moving is because, there's no window seats vacant“.

Willie sits straight up. He looks at her and bellowed down low, "no window seats! Is that why you've been reading that article about "Coping with disappointments"?

"No, she said". She rolled her eyes. Then she looked at him and continued, "well, I guess so but mainly because I want peace and quiet by a window seat". She raises her arms in frustration. At this moment I'll take the window at the exit door - as long as I can watch the clouds but obviously It's not happening on this bus"! She dropped her arms down. "Does anyone understand, does anyone even care”?

Willie stretched his eyes in unbelief as she kept talking. "I mean all these window seats and I can't get one? How ridiculous is that? I might as well sit on the floor". Sarah slowly looked at Willie to see his expression.

He made a talking hand gesture and replied, "Good Lawd girl breathe - was all that necessary"? He then looked out the window and mumbled, "peace and quiet? Yeah, I can use some of that too”! He sighed, “Well, when you don't have both, you make something out of nothing".

Sarah blew hard, laid her head on the back of the seat and said, "Willie!, why do you keep saying that"! He looked around quickly and said, "hey you called me Willie"!

She looked at him too and replied, "Well, that's your name right"? She then sighed and continued, "and besides, you don't talk like a typical kid“. She paused and decided to use a famous clich’e that she heard on a reality show. “It seems as though you're searching for something bigger than yourself". Willie stared at her for a minute and then he replied, “what'a you mean? This sounds complicated”! Suddenly, her face softend and she looked at him like a giddy school girl - as if he had sat down by her at lunch, after telling 3 other girls, no..

Sarah began to explain gently. "Well, Willie, every so often you make the statement - "when you don't have both, make something out of nothing - and, frankly I don't know - no 13 year old that says stuff like that. Heck, not many older folk uses those type of phrases". He then looked intently at her. She smiled and continued to explain. Soooo, take me for instance, I'm 12 and...

Willie's mouth dropped open and he yelped down low, "You're 12, dang, girl! I thought you was 16 with them wedges and make up on - and you had the nerve to be calling me kid! Shoot, the way you just described me. I'm an elder". He grins big.

Sarah blushed a little and then smiled. Willie thought for a moment and then he cleared his throat and said, "hey, my stop is coming up next. Do you mind if we change seats?" Sarah eyes grew wide and she yelped down low,  "What!, do I mind? Heck naw”! She eased up and changed seats with him. Suddenly, they both became content and quiet.

Sarah turned to the window and mumbled, "well, I guess you can have both - A window seat and peace”. Willie chimed in, "I know you right"! He held his hand out toward Sarah's hand, to hold it. She turned, looked at him and slowly placed the tip of her fingers into his hand.

He smiled, paused for a second, and then blew -as if to get his nerve up. He blurted out a little loud "Uh hey", Sarah whispered shhh and they quickly looked up to see if the bus driver heard him -but the driver looked peaceful.

Willie gently let go of her hand. Suddenly, he begin to think about his favorite actor Jamie Bonds -and how Jamie made a move on a woman in a movie. He felt bold enough to try it. So, without giving it another thought, Willie reached and turned Sarah's chin towards his face with the tip of his finger - he looked into her eyes and said down low, "hey girl, I'm single, are you single"?

He took his finger away and she nodded yes. He smiled. "Well then" he said. Then, she replied gently, "Well what"? Willie deepened his voice and responded, "Are you ready to make something out of nothing”!

She smiled, looked down, reached into her purse and pulled out a piece of gum. Willie's eyes stretched wide. Then she said, "hey, and maybe we can blow beautiful bubbles together”!

The End!

So reader, does this mean that Willie and Sarah learned how to cope with a disappointment?

Well, as usual, Willie rode the bus home every day from school. Sarah asked her parents could she change buses just to enjoy more peace and quiet?

Well, of course they said yes, I’m the author and It's my short story lol!

Who says you can't have both?  In this case: Love and peace sitting by a window seat and each other!

Oh, yeah! Mr. Gaberiel, the bus driver finally installed more than 1 fan and he taped a sign up that said,

No loud talking allowed, PERIOD!

Story inspired by:

Ashley Dennard (my gift #2)

Alexander Dennard (my gift #3)