Jon waited with his two step sisters on a cold blistery January morning for the bus like every other school day. Brooke and Leigh huddled close to share heat as Jon kept to himself off to the side, the sisters hadn’t really befriend Jon since their mother married his father a little over two years ago. Jon didn’t mind too much, he knew his step mom made his father happy and if that meant growing pains with his step sisters, he could handle it.

“I see it, I see it!” Leigh shouted out, as a faint yellow object appeared at the base of the long hill leading up to their bus stop. Finally, Jon thought, the twenty minutes bus ride would be long enough for him to warm up before making the brisk walk from the bus into his classroom. As the bus slowed to a stop in front of him, both Leigh and Brooke pushed past, giggling and joking between themselves as they boarded their ride to school. Jon stepped onto the stairs after them, greeting Ms. Watson along the way. She was always kind to Jon, letting him pick the radio music for the morning rides more times than not.

“Forget your jacket again Jon?” Ms. Watson chuckled, she wondered how he was always the only one of the three McCabe children to never have his jacket. “If you didn’t fill up on breakfast, I brought donuts for anyone who wants,” she says indicating to an open box of sugary goodness. Jon stuffs a maple bar into his mouth and gives Ms. Watson a long hug before heading down the aisle to find a seat. He lived a ways into the woods, on the outskirts of town, and there were only twelve or thirteen other children aside from the McCabes on his route. Because of this, Jon usually was able to get his favorite seat by himself, about six seats back from the bus driver preferably leaned up against the window. Today was no different as he clambered into his favorite seat and pulled out one of his many Redwall books from his backpack. As the bus pulled away from his stop, he opened up a saga about Martin the Warrior, a young but fierce mouse who escaped the rule of a tyrant with the help of a few like minded animal friends. Jon admired the bravery of the mouse, and the quick trust of his newfound friends founded over trials and hardships. Often he found his mind stuck in fantasy worlds, distance places where he could be a hero and save the day, away from the troubles of this life. He wondered if his friends at school would go the distance to help him if he ever needed it like Martins friends did. He was sure his father would aid him in the face of a tyrant, help him slay a dragon to save a damsel, even slay hordes of evil orcs to ensure the safety of his only son. But it was hard to know if his father would be there or even know when Jon needed the help, he didn’t see him as often as he used to since he became a husband and father to two more children.

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“Did I tell you yet? My family is going to Disney World this summer. It’s going to be really cool, Dad said I’m tall enough to ride every ride there!” Jon’s thoughts are interrupted by Kevin, a boy a few years older than him talking loudly from the back of the bus, ensuring everyone heard. Family vacations, he thought to himself, were an odd thing to get excited about. Granted he had only been on a few since his new family was formed, but every one always seemed to end in an argument or someone having a really bad time or left out.. usually himself. There was that one time he and his father stayed for a weekend in Gig Harbor while he supervised work staff, that was really fun! He remember his father trying to scare him by hiding in the closet and jumping out when he didn’t expect it, but tripping when he opened the door and making him laugh so hard. He remembered getting an entire hotel room with their own huge beds just for the two of them. That seemed so long ago, Jon thought, he wondered if they would get to do that again sometime soon.

“We made good time today kids!” Ms. Watson shouts. “I still have six donuts up here! Go ahead and grab a second on your way out if you want.” The bus slowly rolls into a halt with the other line of bumble bee themed vehicles, and the bus doors swing open. Jon ear marks his page, eager to return to his epic tale on the ride home, and slips it back into his backpack. He joins the line of students exiting the bus ready for a day of learning as he prepares to once again brace for the morning air. He takes a deep breathe and steps off the bus onto the concrete path leading to his classroom, his thoughts now dwelling on what may be for lunch that day in the cafeteria. Hopefully it’s Sloppy Joes, his favorite.