I was getting on the bus the other day, working my way through the isle to find a seat. I started to sit next to a kid, when he stopped me and started explaining with much enthusiasm that his girlfriend was getting on at the next stop and he promised he'd save her a seat.

"Swear at me all you want, I ain't gonna move. I'll even fight you," he said

"Settle down man, I don't want to fight you. I'm not even going to swear at you. That's cute and courageous, you earned that seat," I told him. It wasn't until later that I meant it. 

At first  thought he was lying. There were plenty of open row seats and I maybe he just wanted some extra room. I might have done the same if i had the nerve. But as I found another seat next to a sleeping man, I watched this jittery little kid guard the seat as if his girlfriend was already sitting there and people were trying to sit on her, right there with him watching. This kid, he radiated the epitome of youth on a bus full of hum-drummers lost to the stale routine. He stood out, not in a good or bad way; he just did. 

As we passed stop after stop the kid's girlfriend never got on and from the precious spring of elation, the kid folded into his seat and started to blend into the bus crowd with his newly found teen angst. Someone sat in his prized seat and he jumped as if to defend it further, but settled again into his depressed state. 

To be young and expendable yet resilient is a wonderful thing. 

I fell asleep eventually, and when I woke up, the kid was gone.