Continuation of "Going Home" by Pete Hamill

"Then suddenly all of the young people were up out of their seats, screaming and shouting and crying, doing little dances and shaking their fist in triumph. But Vingo ignored their behavior. He just sat there, looking at the tree. It was covered with yellow handkerchiefs, dozens of them. The tree stood like a banner of welcome, blowing and billowing in the wind. As the young people shouted, the man rose slowly in his seat, collecting his belongings. He made his way to the front of the bus. He was really going home.”[1]
Vingo walked slowly out the bus, and waved friendly goodbye to the Mary, Jack, John, Sarah, Liz and Chris. They were so happy for Vingo, and were smiling wide. The bus drove out of Brunswick, and was headed to the highway to Florida.

The youths were having fun at the bus, they were talking and listening to music at their iPods. It was not much people left on the bus now, so it was enough space for the remaining ones. Mary and Jack was sitting next to each other for the rest of the trip. Mary was showing her music to Jack and he loved it, it was just the kind of music he liked to listen to. Beside Mary and Jack were John and Liz sitting. They were playing cards, and Liz was winning every time. Chris and Sarah, the two last in the gang sat longer in the back of the bus. The others hadn’t seen them in a while, so therefore went Mary and Jack to check what they were doing. When they got to the back, they saw they were lying in the seats sleeping. Sarah was lying on Chris’ chest. Mary and Jack started laughing, and Chris and Sarah awoke suddenly. Mary and Jack began asking if they were flirting, and why Sarah was lying on Chris. Both Chris and Sarah got embarrassed and blushed. They wouldn't answer, just backed of and sat themselves in each others seats. Chris and Sarah started watching a movie together, and Jack and Mary went back to where they sat.

Not long after they had a stop in Palm Bay. The youths went out to bus to stretch on their feet. The bus had parked next to a gas station to fill gas. The youths went into the station to buy something to eat. They picked one soda each and lined up in the queue. The queue was very long, and they had to stand there for long time. After standing in the queue John had to go to the WC. He went for it and the others went outside to breath in some fresh air. When John came out he couldn’t see the bus, he got panic and called Jack. Jack didn’t take the phone, and John got even more nervous. He was thinking he had lost the bus. John was walking around while trying to call his friends, and suddenly he saw the bus. He got relieved, the bus had only parked on a spot behind the gas station. John went in to the bus and there were all his friends. John told them about his little adventure. He told them he got so nervous he almost shit himself, he was so afraid he had lost the bus. The friends laughed, thinking his adventure was extremely funny.

The bus started to roll again. This was the last stop before Miami. On the bus the youths were talking about the beaches again. They could wait to go for a swim on Miami Beach. They had heard that the ocean there was crystal clear. Mary and Jack started playing cards, together with Liz and John. Sarah and Chris went sleeping again, but without lying on top of each other this time. Chris and Sarah got awoken suddenly again. Mary, Liz, Jack and John were hanging over them screaming; we’re here, we’re here! The youths were finally in Miami.They walked out the bus, and the bus driver opened the luggage locker. The boys went to collect the luggage while the girls found out which direction they should go to find a place to stay. The guys came back with the luggage and all of them, John, Jack, Chris, Sarah, Mary and Liz said goodbye to the bus driver and started walked into the city.

[1]Targets p. 100-101, Aschehoug, 1998