What to do?

Four

You run after the bus and shout out a bit. At first you seem to be catching up, the bus is still moving fairly slowly & it's on winding streets, but you know that if it gets to the freeway you're done for.
Thud, thud, thud, thud. Each time your foot hits the ground it sends a jarring force up your leg & slaps your bag uncomfortably between your shoulder blades.
Thud-slap, thud-slap, thud-slap.
The bus has sped up & just to keep pace you have to run pretty hard. Your breath is coming fast & there is a burning in your lungs.
If it was later into the term and you'd had a few more rounds of sport, you'd be fitter & perhaps it'd be easyer. But you've been back at school little over a week & so when the road starts to steepen you just have to stop.
You bend forward to lean on your knees, breathing heavelly though your mouth, begrudging the way that your hair sticks to your face.
Once your breathing has slowed down a little you lift your head.
The bus is no where in sight.
Dammit.
You've been really good this week, helping out with the dishes and stuff. Maybe if you go home you could convince your mum to give you a lift. Then again she might not, and it would be faster to walk from here than all the way from home.

So, do you:

~ Turn around and head for home? (Chapter 6)
~ Or walk / follow the bus? (Chapter 7)