He got on the wrong bus to give him some borrowed time. How long? It didn't matter, just enough for his parents to cool off before they go to their night jobs. The bus was going to take him thirty minutes away from his destination. He calculated its ETA for his return to the terminal, the time of arrival to his route, and the minutes before arriving to his apartment. Never in his life had the spiky-haired teen was happy to delay the inevitable. But he knew he had another day or so before his parents confront him about the troubles he was having at school. Once again, he concluded that this delay, borrowed time will be a period of their cooling off.

Sixteen year old, Tai Kamiya, was suspended from the soccer team. There was an incident. He didn't want to elaborate further, citing the torn uniform and his black eye was enough evidence of his trouble. Earlier in the day, Tai got into a confrontation with one of his teammates. It was the quick thinking of his best friend, Matt, who prevented the fight from happening. It was later in the afternoon when transitioning in his last class where the fight ensued. Tai got off lightly with his black eye and torn uniform. Unfortunately, the boy he attacked was sent to hospital for a broken collarbone and collapsed lung.

He was now recanting his story. Not only was he suspended from the soccer team, he was also suspended from school until the school completed their investigation of the incident. He was sent away early and his parents were informed. Instead of immediately heading home, he spent the afternoon eating at a fast food restaurant and playing games at the arcade before dismissal time. It was when his troubles were registering into his young mind that made the decision to take the wrong bus.

Tai turned off his cell phone. Fortunate to have kept his mp3 player, he put on some music. The Dead Kennedys were serving his soundtrack to his current debacle. He looked at the cityscape as the buildings were looking similar, endless, and with no destination or any likeness. He tried to keep awake so he won't miss his next plan of action.

The few people sitting on the bus swamp the cab with muddied silence. The seats and windows shook with every small bump in the ragged pavement, jostling the passengers back and forth. The air conditioning pumped through only a few filters, whistling with the extreme pressure. It smelled slightly of diluted gas. As the world slid by the window, there were small movements from amongst the passengers. Someone shifted in their seat, there was a little cough and a mild 'bless you'. The brakes squeaked and everyone lurched forward as the bus comes to a stop. Outside, a woman dropped her cigarette, smothered it with her foot, and stepped inside, dropping a quarter into the plastic box and blowing the last breath full of smoke in the driver's face, who swatted it away in her direction as she walked down the aisle. The doors closed with a gasp of air and the bus lurched on, repeating its eternal pattern of stops and gos, turning down its routine corners, and failing to avoid the ditches carved in the blacktop.

The woman made her way across from Tai. The elder, wrinkled woman fixated her face on Tai's shiner. She gave him a smug look before resting her hands on her lap. She, then, reached into her purse and pulled a magazine. Tai paid her no mind as he, too, ingested the leftover smoke of her cancer stick. A cancer stick in which Tai craved at this particular juncture he wanted to numb himself of the stress in his young mind.

He knew the moment he was escorted from school grounds, he was going to catch hell from Matt and his other best friend, Sora. They were his childhood friends. Those two in particular knew the ins-and-outs of the former Digidestined. When they hear he was suspended, his phone would be bombarded with questions. He was fortunate to have it turned off for now.

For now, he was going to listen more of the Dead Kennedys before making his plan of action when returning home. What was his plan of action? He has yet to figure it out. He was still thinking of the incident when he made the first blow to his teammate.

It was a little after seven in the evening when Tai arrived to his neighborhood. The walk itself from the bus stop was going to take ten minutes. Looking at his watch, it still gave him about fifteen more minutes before his parents left for work. To pass the time, he decided to enter the convenient store in search for some snacks and hopefully, a pack of cigarettes. He had hoped that one of his acquaintances was at the register. He was too young to purchase cigarettes, but the comrade of his was lenient enough to provide for him.

He stepped inside of the convenient store. He smiled as his acquaintance was working the evening shift. He lifted his head greeting the cashier before making his way to the refrigerator. He pulled a carton of milk and an energy drink. He went to the chip aisle and grabbed a bag of sweet-and-sour potato chips. He put the drinks under each side of his arm as he made his way to the register.

"Long time no see, my friend," said the cashier. The cashier was an older gentleman of Nigerian descent. Despite being a foreigner, his Japanese was near perfect, Tai thought.

"It has been awhile, hasn't it," said Tai as he put the items on the counter. He spied the pack of cigarettes of his fancy. "I will take the usual. Unfiltered please and make it menthol as well."

"Certainly," replied the cashier as he turned to reach for the cigarettes. He placed them down on the counter. He stopped to observe Tai's shiner. "Man, that is quite a shiner," responded the cashier in English. "I would hate to see the other guy."

Tai let out a small, but polite smile. "Trust me. You don't want to know."

"Typical teenage drama," said the cashier. "I remember those days when I was back home." He scanned the items as he was putting it in a bag. "What was troubling that lad? Girl troubles? An accident? Knowing for you, it was something that that boy made have started."

Tai shook his head. "Yeah, you can say it was girl troubles and yes, he started it." He reached into his wallet to retrieve the cash. "And I sure as hell finished it."

"No question about that," the cashier responded with a smile. "He knows not to take you simple again."

Tai nodded in agreement. He paid the cashier and told him to keep the change. He grabbed his bag and left the convenient store. He looked at his watch to see if his parents had left for work. He saw that it was enough time for them to leave before heading back. He was grateful that the direction of his parents' departures were opposite ways from the bus stop. He wouldn't know what to do if they would have crossed paths. He can alleviate that thought for now. The moment he walked upon his apartment complex, he did not see his father's car. He sighed with relief as he knew that it will be only him and his sister, Kari.

He made it to the elevator and pressed the button. He knew it was good time to turn on his cell phone. He went into his backpack to retrieve his cellular device. Not even a second into turning it on, the phone was bombarded with text alerts, email notifications, and missed calls. His parents called him consistently; Sora and Matt left him plenty of messages, and there was an email from Kari. Deciding for the lesser of the devils, he opened his email.

Tai, where are you? I have been reaching you all day. Davis told me that you got into a fight at school. I must know the reason, the real reason. I have been hearing stuff and it is scaring me. I must know. I promise I won't tell Mom and Dad. Speaking of the two, they are severely pissed about your suspension. Knowing for you, you have hid off somewhere until things have calmed down. I don't blame you, big bro. Anyway, as soon as you get this, please respond. I am worried about you. I love you.

Kari

"You don't have to worry any further, sis," said Tai to himself. "Your big brother is here." Tai put the phone into his pocket. There were many reason that was consuming his mind at this particular juncture. The fight itself was the least of his problems. It was the words that perpetuated his fight with his teammate.

That reason itself involved his sister, Kari.