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THE OLD CHROME-YELLOW school bus crawled south on Market Street at half past seven that MayIts side and back ere blacked out, and a hip-hop hit throbbed into the low- lying mist that floated like a silk veil between the sun and San Francisco

Got my ice

Got my smoke

Got my ride

Ain’t got no hope

Hold ya heads up high

Don’t knohen

Ya gonna die…

The traffic light changed to yellow at the intersection of Fourth and Market The stop-sign ar out, the four-way hazard lights burned amber, and the vehicle came to a halt

To the right of the bus was a shopping dale’s, Nordstroe Abercrombie posters of provocative half- naked teens in black and white

To the left of the bus was a blue Ford van and then one of two islands splitting the road — a staging area for bus passengers and tourists

Two cars behind the school bus, Louise Lindenray Volvo She buzzed down herand glared at that goddamned school bus

She’d been stuck on its tailpipe since Buena Vista Park, then watched it pull away froht at Fifth and Market as a stream of traffic took the turn and pulled in front of her

And now that bus had stuck her at a light… again