The Ride Home

An early lesson for a group of youngsters: fool around and find out!

"I'll stop the bus! I'm not kidding!"

The kids in the rear seats continued cutting up, bouncing back and forth bench to bench, standing up— everything not to do on the school bus. Old Gunther shook his head. There was only so much horsing around he could safely tolerate. Some people just don't learn, but if they weren't taught young, they'd never have a chance to try. So he calmly turned the wheel, pulled up to the curb, hissed the air brakes, and turned off the bus.

"What did I say?! You all know the rules, and the consequences. Now– we're not going anywhere until you're all following the safety rules!"

"I'm calling my mom, you old goof! She'll have your butt fired!" Billy Harris, the ringleader. Gunther wasn't surprised in the least.

"Billy Harris, you go right ahead. Put her on speaker and I'll talk to her myself!"

Billy and the rest of the kids grudgingly settled down. Gunther waited another minute then pulled back onto the road.

When he pulled up to the bus stop, Mrs. Harris was waiting, hands on hips. Billy stepped off the bus, stood beside her, and smiled triumphantly up at Gunther.

"Did you stop the bus because of Billy?" she asked.

"Yes'm He was the instigator. Usually is."

She looked down at Billy, who was grinning. Suddenly, she grabbed him by the hair and he let out a howl. "You apologize right now, William!!"

Billy whined a halfhearted apology, his head cocked at an uncomfortable angle.

"Thank you," she said to Gunther. "For helping keep these children safe." She glared down at her wayward son. "...And in line!"

As the mother and son walked away, Gunther smiled. With parents like Mrs. Harris, maybe these kids stood a good chance of learning after all.

NOTES: ▶︎

Word Count: 300
Submitted for "Daily Flash Fiction Challenge" 
Prompt: Use the words hair, bench, wheel