Outside the window,afternoon light slanted between the tall building of P.C.A,snaking a stripe of sun in here and there where it could manage.Where it kissed the tops of the buildings,it glowed blood-red.There were hundreds of people on the pavement-tourists,businessmen,poor people whose eyes seemed to look into the bus with hunger of resentment of exhaustion.They all looked lonely to me.All alone in a sea of people.

Beside me Nathaniel said heavily,"I need to get dunk".He had said lots of things in the ponderous,heavy way,but this was a change from the usual repertoire.Usually when you  pulled the strings on Nathaniel  back,he said something like,"I do not get what he's trying to say here"while staring at a open book or a stack of notes.

I looked away from the people outside to the pens on my notebook, parallel parked bits of pen.They jiggled a little when the bus pulled away from a light.

"Drunk sounds so crass."Soused or "blitzed"is a bit more romantic."

"Man,if i don't get drunk soon,I might never get the chance"Nathaniel eyed my lap.He handed me his pen from his backpack and i took it apart as well, adding its innards to my collection.I smiled at him.

"Why are you laughing for"Nathaniel asked staring a my face as i forced my smile to a frown.I looked at him he was a comedy piece and i loved him for it.