Ruby had just gotten her paper back. Usually these things weren’t a problem for her. Words flowed out easily because she was so used to writing and the process was ingrained in her everyday behavior. But this class was different. It wasn’t like she was actively seeking a science class, but according to her credits, she still needed a science. Her eyes were so sore from reading so many science articles. Hypothesis, theory, validity, all of these words sounded foreign. She gently rubbed her eyes, hoping that by massaging them, she could erase the millions of jargon words that she had forced herself to read. “Why me, why me,” she secretly whined. Not that anybody was around to be listening. She was on the afternoon bus making her way back to the apartment. All she wanted at that moment was a well-made tomato, mozzarella panini. With a dash of cayenne, just how she liked it. Judging by the loud demands of her stomach, that was definitely what she was craving.
In order to avoid thinking of her paper or the embarrassingly loud noises of her stomach, she pretended to be busy and observed the people on the bus. Not in a creepy way, but just to pass the time. Buses were always interesting vehicles. They placed people who have never met before in a small area, where they were forced to sit in that place for an awkward amount of time with barely any talking to be heard. She was probably the only college student there. This was the precise reason why Ruby chose to stand by the door rather than awkwardly sit next to a stranger. She wasn’t as outgoing as Kat was. Well, Kat was just bizarrely outgoing. She looked to the left to see two old ladies sitting across from her by the window. They had nice purple 90’s jackets on with their cute tote bags, and were animately talking about the latest family outings. Ruby smiled. They were going grocery shopping for sure. And those snazzy tote bags meant that they were hipster grannies. She looked towards the front of the bus to see a young dad holding on to his baby daughter’s hand quite gently. That made her melt. Stay-at-home dads were the cutest. She quickly sunk into her romance mode as she imagined the dad wearing an apron and cooking delicious meals while playing with his daughter. She made a future note to write a new romantic novel about a single dad finding love. It would be too perfect. Ruby couldn’t help but giggle in excitement. A familiar white building made her register that the bus was just before her stop. She hastily tugged on the yellow string hanging on the edges of the bus’s interior. The bus driver quickly pulled the bus to a stop, and Ruby hopped off.
As she was walking towards the apartment complex, she noticed that a guy who had been in the bus was walking beside her. Yes, she noticed him on the bus. He was sitting by the front area wearing a black snapback and a nice black jacket. He was probably one of those hipster bboys, but she couldn’t deny that he had a nice face. He was presumably Asian. She didn’t want to presume, but based on his looks, it was pretty obvious. The guy was pretty built, with a sharp jaw line and very deep, intense looking eyebrows that made his dark, brown eyes seem even more intense. He had white headphones on, and he seemed to be deeply engrossed in whatever hip hop song he was listening to. All Ruby could hear was the faint repetitive drum beats that slipped out of his headphones. She definitely approved of his black jacket. That was nice. She hoped he didn’t notice she was staring. The guy was a pretty fast walker though, and soon she found herself lagging behind. She realized that he was pretty tall as well. It was probably because of his long legs.
But his long legs were too long. They made Ruby stop daydreaming. She woke from her romantic thoughts and actively looked at his legs. He was wearing skinny jeans. They were so skinny that they wrinkled around his knees and his ankles, making him look like a shriveled up beanstalk. Ruby found herself shivering with disgust. It was not attractive at all. What was with this growing epidemic of men wearing skinny jeans? She knew it was the newest trend. All men seemed to think that wearing tight things made them look taller. Of course it did. But Ruby wished they realized that it also made them look like women. The closer she looked, the more she realized that the guy’s legs were half the size of hers. The worst thing a guy could do is to make a woman compare her body with his body and find him to be skinnier and prettier. Ruby shook her head emphatically in anger. She knew that if Kat were here, she would go straight up to that guy and tell him. But Ruby calmed herself. She, unlike Kat, was much more mature and elegant in her ways. She would not stoop down to publicly shaming someone for kicks. That was not her thing. She took a deep breath and let it all out. Ruby smiled, beaming with pride. Self control was her forte. She decided to focus on her dream panini instead. But as she picked up her pace, she saw a huge diamond earring peeking out of the guy’s ear. Before she realized it, her frustration erupted out of her like a volcano. “Sparkly earrings are not for men! And neither are skinny jeans! Why, why, why, why, WHY?!” The guy turned around; his face was blood red in embarrassment. Ruby gasped and started walking in the opposite direction.
That day, it took her twice as long to get home. “For the scenic route,” she told Kat, Lily and Socorro. They did not believe her.
Skinny Jeans
