Buses and Queers

You are on the bus with a beautiful boy. Something about his (cycling-link: 2bind $his, "darting eyes", "chaotically dyed hair", "colorful hearing aids", "cane and its decorations", "unsteady hands", "chipped black nail polish", "long hair tied in a shy ponytail", "glittery make up") and the way he (cycling-link: 2bind $way, "watches the world go by", "fidgets in his seat", "is protective of his possesions", "gets absorbed in the music from his headphones", "holds on tight when the bus turns a corner") you feel you [[just //have// to -> Choose]]

"Um, hi-" "Hi?" he looks at you the way he looks at you matches the way $way your skin crawls and you can't tell motion sickness from anxiety you need to say something back [["Hey I like your-"->Compliment]] [["Is that-"->Recognition]]

'Hey I like your- (seq-link:"you can't say you like the way he $way", "pin,' you say instead") his laugh is bright 'Thanks' he mumbles you need to think of something else to say but you just cant he looks at you he looks at the window he gets off at the next stop he glances behind before stepping off the bus you let out all the air hiding in your chest you didn't say enough

"Is that- from that one book?" you ask, he nods "I love it so much" you both know what is inside its pages "It's probably my second favorite thing ever" you both know there is something behind his pin, inside his chest "me too" that is a little bit like something inside your chest you both miss your stops

you don't want to be rude or disrespectful strangers don't just talk to each other but you aren't strangers you think you think maybe he is like you that maybe his $his means he is like you you bide your time waiting for exactly the right moment surely it will come, any second now... he gets off at the next stop you let out all the air hiding in your chest you were too late

You can't do this you can't he is just too much too perfect you think you think maybe he is like you that maybe his $his means he is like you but you can never say that certainly not on the bus when he gets off at the next stop you let out all the air hiding in your chest see, see it would never have worked you could never

(set: $counter to 10)|amount>[$counter] [["Um, hi-"->Talk]] [["Hey I like your-"->Compliment]] [["Is that-"->Recognition]] [[wait for the perfect moment->Stall]] [[no you can't do this->Surrender]] (live: 1s)[ (set: $counter to it - 1) (if: $counter is 0)[(go-to: "Surrender")] (replace: ?amount)[$counter] ]