Boom or Bus will be a collection of fictional stories about each person on a bus journey. The first set of stories will be the outward trip where no-one shows compassion, but on the return journey someone will show compassion (even just a smile) and the difference will be very evident.

I will try to link all these stories together, but it is a bit of a fly by the skin of my pants journey of writing. Just to see what happens and to develop my story writing skills.

I really hope you like the stories.

Let's start...

Passenger 1: A Single Mum's Story

"WILL YOU PLEASE BEHAVE OR SO HELP ME GOD!!"

It was at the top of Janet's voice and made not just her kids look at her, but everyone else on the bus too.

unbeknownst to them, it had taken Janet two hours of utmost patience and compromise to save arguments, whilst watching Monster High for the umpteenth to actually get them dressed and out the door. She had made numerous requests for them to stop screaming and making each other cry, yet still managed to get the dishes done.

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And when they finally made to the bus stop, they had to wait half an hour (because for whatever reason one bus didn't turn up) . They played endless games of eye spy to pass the time, spotting the cars that needed a wash and she had to have eyes in the back of her head as they tried to climb on everything and anything.

When the bus finally arrived it was packed. Janet was exhausted and her stress levels were about to whistle.

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Some people just turned away and ignored Janet's shouting and went back to their mindless chats about the weather and celebrities, or whatever it is that people talk about buses.

One teenager didn't hear it at all, as he had his headphones on and half the bus could hear all the words. It can only be described as words because it definitely wasn't singing!

An elderly lady whispered and muttered too loudly to her husband about "how kids were never like that in our day" and the woman who obviously thought she was a social worker said "you really shouldn't shout at your kids like that."

Janet choose not to reply or respond to these comments, as what she wanted to say would not be suitable for her children to spread all over the school yard.

But other thoughts and judgments filled the inside of the bus, till it was almost suffocating.

"Look, she can't even control her kids"

"What kind of mother shouts at her kids like that in public, what is she like at home?"

"We didn't come on this bus to listen to that."

Whether these thoughts were telepathically sent or imagined, Janet took a deep breath and told the kids to behave because the driver needed to concentrate on driving.

This time, thankfully they calmed down a lot, still the odd poke and jibe, but good enough.

Janet and her little angelic devils got off the bus at the supermarket, aware of a couple of glares as she left.

She silently prayed that for once in their lives the kids would behave going around the shop. Then they all had to get back on the bus AGAIN to go home.

It seemed endless.

She sighed and wondered if any other mother felt like this. She loved her children and would never hurt them, but sometimes she really understood Homer Simpson.

She wished some people would try to understand and not judge. She was a single mum who did her best. She didn't go on the bus for fun, but because she had to as she couldn't afford a car, let alone the lessons to learn to drive!

She composed herself, bit her tongue, started afresh for the 134th time that day and went into the supermarket.

She did shout at her kids again that day, she did feel guilty and she did feel all alone.

She got back on the bus with a heavy heart and shopping.

THE END

Thank you @dragosroua, I was inspired to do this by your challenge of consistency for Challenge 30 Days