This Creepy Public Transport Story

About a year ago in my final semester in college, I worked at a department store in the mall. I didn't have a car yet, so I asked for day shifts because it was a 2-hour bus ride back home. So basically if I had a closing shift, I'd get done at 11 but not get home until 1 am. But sometimes I'd be given closing shifts much to my annoyance since I had a 6 45 am class & my mother's worry because who wants their kid on public transport that late? (Sometimes she could come & get me but it'd be too much of a hassle to get my younger sisters out that late & such, so I never asked her). My managers being the jerks that they were gave me a week of closing shifts, knowing my situation. I was pissed but whatever. One night I had just finished my shift, got on the bus (I sat in the back)& was minding my business when my iPod died. I was annoyed, but I just kept my earbuds in & occupied myself by playing a crossword on my phone.

About two seats behind me I hear these guys speaking Spanish. Now, my stepmother is PuertoRican so while I uunderstand a fair bit of Spanish, I don't speak it. So i hear them talking, but I don't pay attention because it's rude to eavesdrop & all until they say "that black girl up there" then my ears perk up. I keep my earbuds in so that they think I can't hear them & I continue listening. What they're saying is horrific. To paraphrase, they knew my stop (second to last one before the bus gets back to the terminal & while my stop is at the front of my neighborhood, it's got no street lights & at this time of night, empty.) & to put it simply were planning on "snatching that piece of ass up."

I was about 20 mins away from home, so I knew I had to act quickly. Since I knew they could see me (they were 2 seats behind me but like across if that makes sense) i pretended to play on my phone, oblivious while I was actually texting my mom."Mom, can you please meet me at the bus stop" 5 minutes go by, no answer. We're getting closer to my stop so I decide to call her cell. No answer. I call the house phone & she finally answers. Its about 1230 am so she was asleep. I try to talk as cheerily &calmy as I can. This was our convo. "Hey mom, did you get my text?" "Uh, no...what's up?" "Oh, I sent you a picture of these jeans I'm gonna order online when I get home. I REALLY need your opinion so I REALLY need you to look since the sale ends at 1 am." She gets the hint that I need her to look at her cell so I say goodbye & hope for the best. We get to my stop & I see my mom's car. I snatch my shit up & hightail it off the bus. Idon't even look behind me to see if they're following me. I jump in the car & tell my mom to just GO. I look in the rearview & I see the guys staring at the car.

The next morning I called my job & told them I quit. No more public transport for me. Thanks to my stepmom for teaching me Spanish. Thanks to mom for getting the hint. Weird Spanish speaking guys, let's not meet again.

- kirashadowcat