He Can Hear You Ben mouthed to Lola his eyes burning into hers Well it’s disgusting Lola said back at normal volume Please just watch your videos Ben said Please don’t act like you’re the boss of me Lola replied mocking her older brother Ben groaned It was his parents idea to send the two of them to Chicago to visit their grandparents Their grandparents had moved there a few months ago But their parents didn’t want to pay for an expensive plane ticket or drive them back and forth themselves so they had decided to send them on a bus Seeing that Ben was almost fifteen years old and Lola was pretty much thirteen they were old enough to make the trip themselves It’ll be a good experience for you Dad had said Besides Grandma and Grandpa will pick you up Seemed simple enough but no one took
into account how difficult Lola could be sometimes Where Ben was quiet and kept to himself Lola didn’t really care what anyone else thought Being stuck in a metal tube on wheels for over five hours with his little sister wasn’t his idea of a good time Ben was thankfully looking forward to seeing his grandparents When he felt the coast was clear Ben looked over to see the man across the aisle had replaced his socks and shoes and was scrolling through something on his phone He wondered if the man’s phone smelled like feet The last few hours of the bus ride were fine Lola only had to get up two more times to use the restroom and each time she complained about how bumpy it was and how much it stank in there As they got closer to the city a baby began to cry I’m ready to get off this bus too kid Ben thought
After navigating the inner-city traffic the bus pulled into the Race Dog bus transit terminal It was a flat one-level building with eight bays for other buses to pull into Once the bus came to a stop and the air brakes hissed the passengers stood up Ben heard people groan as they got to their feet Sitting still for five-plus hours was a long time and he too was happy to be able to stand and stretch his legs Carrying their small backpacks Ben and Lola stepped off the Race Dog bus and headed toward the terminal Above the door was a blue metal sign with the bus company’s running-dog logo on it Below the silver racing pooch it said WELCOME TO CHICAGO IL So are Grandma and Grandpa supposed to meet us out here or Lola began looking around They’re probably inside Ben replied He paused at the door for a moment to
listen The city was loud and alive with the sounds of traffic roaring along the streets and overhead on a freeway overpass As they walked inside they saw rows of benches where people were waiting for their departing buses or the arrival of friends and family It like the rest of the city was busy and seemingly hectic for a Thursday afternoon I don’t see them Lola said popping her earbuds out for the first time since their trip began Are we sure we’re at the right station Ben scanned the crowd There was a family of five huddled in front of a vending machine their suitcases piled around them A line of about twelve people stood at the ticket counters Moving quickly through the crowd and heading their way were two older people When they made eye contact with Ben they lifted up a small handmade sign On it were a series of Japanese
