At the next stop, a middle-schooler named slumped onto the bus, earbuds in, not making eye contact. But Carlos noticed his shoes were untied. "Jay. Laces, man. I don’t need you tripping into my stepwell."
She nodded, solemn as a judge. Her mother mouthed "thank you" —two words Carlos never got tired of hearing. northside isd transportation
"Northside Transportation, this is Mendez, rolling out on Route 27," he said into the radio. At the next stop, a middle-schooler named slumped
But at 2:00 PM, they’d roar to life again. Because the journey wasn't over. At the next stop
Outside, the sun was fully up now. The first bell was ringing across the district—at Clark High, at Rudder Middle, at Leon Valley Elementary. The buses were done for the morning.
Carlos laughed. "You're a magician."