soldiers and schoolgirls

It's hard to find a moment on the bus where I am conscious. There's something about the rolling motion of the bus that instantly takes me to a dreamier place, and it's not until I come to a screeching halt at the end of the line that I usually wake up. (I have so often missed my stop...)

While this is typically the case, I was particularly drawn toward the curious mating rituals we humans perform. I was sitting on the bus in one of the back seats watching these two people in the front area. I had my headphones on so I wasn't really paying attention to what they were saying, but their body language was enough to tell me what was going on.

The male was sitting on the left side of the bus in his full combat fatigues, camouflage and floppy hat and all. He looked like he was too cool to ride the bus with his gigantic green backpack and his Oakley shades. On the other hand, this trendy female with giant hoop earrings and a Guess bag sat on the far right side across from him. Somewhere along the way, the guy started a conversation and the girl tentatively responded. The conversation started to pick up, and the guy moved over one seat to hear her over the drone of the bus. Soon they were locked in animated talk and he was fully turned towards her.

The soldier pulled the string to signal the next one was his stop, and I removed my headphones to listen if he would make a move. He thanked her for the wonderful talk, shook her hand, then when he should have been asking for her number, he played Mr. Nice Guy, got up, thanked the bus driver, and left. This stop was a timing point, so the bus driver idled the bus there while the soldier walked into the field. See the curious thing is that Miss Bangle Earrings watched him intently the whole time he walked away. I swear, he was so close; just a little more persistence and he would have been gold.

The curious ways of males and females interacting never ceases to amaze me. You should learn from Nice Guys - if you feel a connection, say it.

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