Bus ride

Ally sat on the upper deck of the bus, second seat from the top right. She chose a window seat, like always. She stared at the view outside, there wasn't much to see for it was dark. All she saw was rows and rows of tall lamps, standing silebtly at the side, lighting up the roads. The smooth surface of the window glass reflected the light that was reflected on her, she saw her reflection and caught herself smilingly dumbly. She stopped a moment in her subconscious thoughts to figure out her smile and when she realised what it was, she smiled even wider.

They were on the train, heading towards Jurong East to ice-skate with her sister and her sister's beau. Ally tried hard to not sulk in front of him, but it was to of no avail. They had a little unhappy moment back at her place before they left, and thus bad thoughts were constantly pestering her.

"Please smile." Ally turned and looked at him.
"Sing to me?"

He cleared his throat. She saw his eyes darting from left to right before focusing on her. He parted his lips slightly, and then all she heard was just his voice.

“It's a beautiful night
We're looking for something dumb to do
Hey baby
I think I wanna marry you

Is it the look in your eyes
Or is it this dancing juice?
Who cares, baby
I think I wanna marry you

Well, I know this little chapel
On the boulevard we can go
No one will know
Oh, come on girl

Who cares if we're trashed
Got a pocket full of cash we can blow
Shots of patron
And it's on, girl

Don't say no, no, no, no, no
Just say yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
And we'll go, go, go, go, go
If you're ready, like I'm ready

'Cause it's a beautiful night
We're looking for something dumb to do
Hey baby
I think I wanna marry you

Is it the look in your eyes
Or is it this dancing juice?
Who cares, baby
I think I wanna marry you”

As he hit the last note, Ally zoomed back into reality and caught herself feeling dumbstruck.

"You know, that is the cheesiest thing that anyone has ever done for me? Singing to me on a public transport.. It's the sweetest thing ever!"

She looked at him right in the eyes and said those words. She knew she was smiling like a fool before him but she couldn't care less. He deserved to know every bit of happiness that he brought to her. Whatever that made her unhappy before, it was all in the past. She could no longer remember it. He was her best Secret Shifter.

Ally alighted from the bus and started walking away from the bus stop towards her home. His voice was going round and round her head. She had been at his place earlier on, for he had catch a cold and so she went with him to the doctors. It was amazing on how he could still sing brilliantly even though he was ill, and the best part was that she now had a recording of his singing on her phone. She thought back to the scene which took place a couple of hours back at his place, when he sang...

"Robert's got a quick hand.
He'll look around the room,
he won't tell you his plan.
He's got a rolled cigarette,
hanging out his mouth
he's a cowboy kid.

Yeah he found a six-shooter gun.
In his dad's closet hidden in a box of fun things,
and I don't even know what.
But he's coming for you,
yeah he's coming for you.

All the other kids with the pumped up kicks
You'd better run, better run, outrun my gun
All the other kids with the pumped up kicks
You'd better run, better run, faster than my bullet"

Ally had to force herself to take her eyes away from him and check on the recording. He had always sang for her through the phone and on Skype, but it's so different from what she is hearing now. He was himself when he sang, gorgeous and beautiful. He continued strumming the guitar as he sang the last notes of the song. She looked at his eyes, and realised that they were brown, a beautiful brown which she hasn't noticed before. She was taking in the details of his eyes, when her ears perked up. He was singing her song. An irresistible wide smile spread through her face.

"Every single time I go out with you, it feels good, really good. All because of Sophie.

Every single time I go out with you, it feels good, really good. Oh, because of Sophie."

He had changed the chorus of "Pumped Up Kicks" and thus made it her song.

Ally leaned forward, gave him a kiss, and for the first time ever, she whispered those words — words that could only best described what she felt at that moment. She saw the twinkle in his eyes after he had registered what she had said, and he grinned from ear to ear.

He held her hand in his, and told her while looking straight into her eyes. "I've never felt so happy ever before. Thank you. And I love you too."


"I'm home!" Ally greeted her parents and went straight to her room. She heard them saying something in reply and she nodded absent-mindedly without listening. She swung her room door shut, let her bag fall to the floor with a loud thud, and climbed into bed. Her mother would scream if she saw Ally in bed with her dirty clothes on. She laid in bed, dreaming in the dark, until a ringing broke the silence. She listened intently for the ringing tone. It was "Lucky". She smiled and reached for her phone.

"Hello!"
"Hey. Home yet?"
....