BUSTER

The car was still impounded, so she took the bus.

Who really takes the bus during school hours? Senile seniors and scruffy slackers, she discovered. The young bum across from her stared at the floor, his head nodding stupidly to whatever modern filth was emanating from his headphones. Baggy pants, spiky hair with green tips... A boy like that must have pushed Kate. Probably a whole gang of them, stoned and looking for a junkie joke. Bastards.

The bastard bopped his head all the way to the hospital (and presumably for longer after that, but she got off there). The principal was inside.

“Did you catch the bastard who pushed her?” she asked.

The principal looked shifty. “I think you should go in and see her.”

She did. Kate's arm was in a cast and her leg was bandaged.

“Are you okay? Did you see who pushed you?”

Kate looked shifty. “Mum, I wasn't pushed. I jumped.”

That was unexpected.

“Why?”

“Stuff just sucked.”

On the bus home she finally thought of a response.

“Stuff sucked? That's just too damn bad. Stuff sucks for everyone, you know.”