The bus rumbled through the streets. Dazzling light flashed outside the bus, the day was starting.
Inside of the bus, Trout was quietly reading the book titled 'sovereign of secrecy'. His fingers flipped through the pages and he read quietly.
The bus driver looked up to the rearview, he said nothing and glanced back down at the road.
Trout's flipping slowly became faster and faster. His helmet shone more grey time after time. He closed the book and put it down next to him, leaning backwards.
The sound of the book closing made the bus driver look at the rearview again. His eyes squinted a little.
Trout glanced up and saw the bus driver looking at him through the rearview. His helmet turned back to white, the instant light change made the bus driver blink yet the wheel stayed steady.
" So... How are you?"
Trout opened first. His attempt of communication was replied with a head shake from the bus driver. Trout once again spoke up.
"What's your name?"
The bus driver sat still and focused on the wheels.
"Caballo."
The bus driver replied.
Trout nodded, he stood up from his seat and moved towards the bus driver, sitting closer to him. Outside, a red neon light flashed through the corner of his view with little yellow one following them as they passed through a restaurant.
The stepping sound was very low, yet echoed through the bus like a bell.
The bus driver took a deep breath.
"Sorry for the silence, I was... walking through my own thoughts for a while."
Trout's helmet changed into bright yellow. Caballo looked away.
"I'm never getting used to this, ever."
Caballo grunted. Trout was going to apologize but got cut off by him.
"You mind If I ask a few questions? You know, just road trip talk since it might take a while until we're there."
Trout stayed quiet. After a short moment, he nodded.
"Good, how is Sal?"
Caballo asked. Trout shrugged his shoulder.
"He looks pretty unserious most of the time to me, I can't tell if he's good or not."
Trout said.
Caballo looked back to Trout with a raised eyebrow. Opening up his mouth.
"He is... unserious?"
Trout nodded.
"Never been serious for more than an hour."
Caballo rubbed the wheel slightly with his fingers. Closing his eyes for a moment but kept on driving.
"So... is Sal going out much?"
He asked again. Trout shook his head.
"The first time I saw him going out was when he lead me here for the first time."
Caballo clicked his tongue, the bus was taking a turn. His body remained steady while Trout was tilting to the right for a few seconds.
Caballo's fingers stopped rubbing the wheel. He took another glance to the rearview back at Trout.
"So, is Sal still making tea?"
Trout froze. His helmet flashed bright yellow, Caballo quickly look back at the road, avoiding the flash of light.
"Tea?"
Trout asked. He quickly looked out the window before his helmet begin to shine yellow again. The movement caught in the eyes of the bus driver. A chuckle tucked in the corner of his mouth but quickly got suppressed down.
"Yes, tea... Is he still brewing tea?"
Caballo asked again. Trout's helmet glim with yellow and a faint hint of gray.
"Did he ever?"
Trout answered. Caballo flinched, he closed his eyes and took a deep breath then focus back on the road.
Trout's body tilted to the left with the ride. He looked at the bus driver in the front.
"Why are you asking me about Sal?"
Trout asked. He could feel his body leaning forward from the momentum of a brake. Yet the bus kept going. Caballo didn't reply.
"Why do you care so much about Sal, Caballo."
Caballo's fingers began to rub slowly but hard on the wheels, his hand grabbing tight making his palms turn white. Trout leaned back down his seat and looked through the window.
The streetlight shining outside began to fade off. Red neon lights caught from outside once again passed through Trout's view with yellow lights following. This time Trout looked back at it.
"Wait, isn't that the restaurant we passed through earlier?"
He asked and looked to the bus driver in the front. Caballo shook his head and kept driving the bus forward.
...
...
The bus came to a bus stop, the brake tilted Trout's body forward while the bus driver remained steady.
"Is this my stop?"
Trout said. Caballo nodded.
"Just go down already."
Caballo added.
The doors of the bus creaked opened, at the bus stop, 3 figures awaited, their focus were on Trout and the bus.
Trout stood up and walked towards the doors. before he could get down the bus, thebus driver's tablet device vibrated and began to play a oddly off-tuned melody.
Caballo picked the tablet up. His eyes suddenly widened...