Freshmen Taxi

I am the freshmen taxi

 

Not because I necessarily like freshmen--

nothing against them by any means,

as they are endearing and adventuresome young things,

but they are freshmen and I’m a senior,

it’s not a typical thing.

 

I’m the freshmen taxi because they need me to be

 

I was a junior when it first started

 

I had my license for a little over half a year

when practice for the school musical started up.

I overheard one of my freshmen friends

(acquaintance at the time)

mention they weren’t joining the musical,

because his parents worked at night

and couldn’t get him there.

 

Our school musicals

have the ratio of 7:1 of girls versus guys.

If the only thing stopping this boy,

from adding one more tenor to our musical--

was transportation...

I could do that.

 

We exchanged numbers.

I promised to pick him up fifteen,

minutes before warm ups.

Of course, this also meant rides home too.

I didn’t really mind though, as I found out--

he was a very enthusiastic boy,

with a great sense of humor.

I really enjoyed our short rides together

 

and looked forward to them.

 

One night he didn’t need a ride.

He had a dentist appointment.

I found the ride to practice to be,

very… quiet without him.

 

Practice let out early that night.

As I was walking to the parking lot

I overheard a girl talking with her mom

on a borrowed cellphone.

 

“A half hour? But mom, we’re done now, nobody is going to be here in a half hour! Can’t dad come?”

This girl was the quiet type,

who stood in the background of the scenes

and sang with a voice smaller than a mouse.

She was sweet,

although I’m not sure that I’d heard her speak

more than six words

...before eavesdropping on her conversation.

 

“I can take you home.”

 

I knew she lived close to the school,

and the only thing preventing her from walking

was the late hour and the dark night.

Her house wasn’t too far out of the way.

It didn’t matter to me. It took a little convincing,

since she didn’t want to be a burden,

but nevertheless,

I got her home safe and in a timely fashion,

and the car ride wasn’t so lonely.

 

After that my route began to expand.

 

 

Wednesdays the twins needed a ride to the art club meeting,

and then Friday Connor's mom couldn’t pick him up from school.

Hannalisa broke her foot and had issues with riding the bus in a foot cast,

and Lauren… Lauren’s a sweetie and was practically a neighbor,

so it was convenient for both of us.

 

Now everyone just knows,

if they need anything I’m always there for them.

 

The underclassmen are too often avoided or forgotten about,

 

which is why

 

I go out

 

of my way

 

to make sure

 

they are

 

included.

 

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