Many of us were not blessed with the fortune of being able to walk/get driven to middle school. For those of you who had the delightful pleasure of taking the bus every morning and afternoon, this article is for you.

1. The Big Entrance

As I embarked on my journey of the big scary middle school, I walked up the steps of the big yellow bus after waiting what seemed like forever for it to arrive at my stop. Straight away, I just knew I was not to venture towards the back, as dangerous, outrageous things were back there. As I shook with nerves, I plopped down somewhere between the middle and the front by myself, anxiously waiting for my friend to get on the next stop. That seat would be my placement from that day on.

2. The Bus Buddy

When my friend got on and sat next to me, thus began a beautiful friendship. Every morning I looked forward to catching up with her and the group of other sixth graders we made friends with. We even created a yearly pollyanna to exchange gifts on the bus together. The best part about Mondays was getting to hear about my bus buddy's weekend. There was always an exciting story waiting to be heard. If you had a bus buddy, you would know how dreadful it would be if they were not there.

3. The Unwanted Acquaintance

The moment you saw there was no more people behind the last to get on at your bus buddy's stop, was when the moment of dread came about. Nobody could sit with you. It's either your bus buddy, or nothing. If I ever got stuck next to someone who never stopped talking to me, I'd go digging in my bag for a pair of headphones and nodded my head, pretending to be interested while Lady GaGa blared in my ears. This was the last thing I needed first thing in the morning.

4. The Gossiping Girls

In the morning, most people simply wanted to relax and perhaps even catch a quick nap. After a few conversations I usually just wanted to zone out for a bit. But no matter what bus I took, there was always at least one pair of girls gossiping about everything and anything. They talked about classes, friends, teachers... if it happened, they talked. Most of the time I tried to tune them out, but occasionally I kept an ear open. Hey, how else was I going to be up to date with who was dating who?

5. The Afternoon Bus Shenanigans

After a full day of school, most kids were so filled with energy bottled up that they felt the need to let it all out on the bus ride home. People threw things, screamed words I had never learned, and chowed down on snacks and candy. Simply put, it was madness. Disputes would arise, and in some cases fights, but the bus driver was certainly not getting paid enough to care. Half the time I watched the crazy people with delight, and the other half I spent praying to get off alive.

As much as I enjoyed the memories I shared with my friends on the middle bus, I think i'll be OK if I never have to step foot on one ever again.