Chapter 22 - Romeo and Juliet Found Guilty (1/2)

Jasper looked at his wallet after they boarded the bus. The rumbling of the engine and chatter of excited children didn't bother him as much as the emptiness in his wallet. All his savings... gone! The cause? Alex didn't have money even though she was loaded.

If looks could kill, Alex was probably going to die horribly. Jasper didn't know if he should be crying over this or resigning it to his fate for being born into servitude for the Wilde household by ill luck. All the hard-earned savings that he managed to hide from his penny-pinching mother... gone! Jasper was looking forward to treating himself to a bar of slightly expensive dark chocolate at the end of the week with the money he managed to keep away from his mother. Mrs Hopper would always confiscate Jasper's savings and put it away in a bank for him. Jasper wasn't allowed to withdraw anything that goes into his bank account as he wasn't of age and Mrs Hopper absolutely would not allow it. She was very strict about helping Jasper save up to afford his university tuition fees when he grew older.

Why was it so hard for a ten-year-old boy to enjoy life?

The bus driver didn't seem to care for the passengers on board and appeared to have made it his goal to run over every pothole on the path. While Jasper was having a hard time maintaining his hairstyle, Alex was mentally struggling to cope with bumping her arm into Jasper's repeatedly. For her, she now understood the appeal of travelling together in crowded public transportation. Ignoring the noise, smell, and uncomfortable ride, spending any kind of time with the person you fancy is bliss in itself.

Jasper who was lamenting the loss of his savings noticed that Alex was pulling closer to him each time the bus jerked. Although he was irritated at the girl for clinging onto him, he kept his cool and relented. For a pampered young miss to travel on such boorish transportation, it must be making her highly uncomfortable. Being the understanding kid he was, Jasper allowed her to hold onto his arm at some point until the reached their destination.

”Wait, hasn't it already been the third stop?” Alex asked. ”We should alight at the next stop.”

Jasper shook his head and suppressed a sigh. For the common folks, the bus is as good as a private car that follows a strict route. The driver decides where stops actually are and the regulars don't usually alight at the designated stops unless they've informed the driver or ticket collector in advance. Jasper had already taken care of that when he paid the ticket collector more than the ordinary fare so that he will inform them when it is time to alight.

”Don't worry about it, the ticket collector knows that we aren't from this area. He will let us know when it is time to alight.”

Relieved, Alex nodded happily and smiled charmingly. The school girls on the bus saw that and started whispering among themselves, trying to be discreet about stealing a few peeks at the handsome youth. Jasper grimaced. Mrs Wilde was right. If Alex was a girl, it would attract even more unwanted attention. Until Alex gained some common sense and self-preservation instincts, she would have to remain as a boy until she completes her education.

The bus rumbled by and the ticket collector signaled for Jasper that the next stop was their destination. He picked up both their bags and ushered Alex down the narrow aisle, telling her to hand the handrails as they passed through. They slighted without fuss and Alex was once more thrown into a different world.

”Who is going to be meeting us?” she asked.