So, the second half of this day has been quite rainy. After work I rushed to the tram stop providing some minimal cover. There were already a few people there. Closest to me was a couple. That were talking about something, but I just stood by the edge of the cover, looking the other way quietly for the few minutes till the tram arrived. This is the prelude.
So there I was in the back of the tram, as usual, reading tvtropes and some political channels on telegram. It was the direct route tram, no need to transfer under the heavy rain, which was good. I was about halfway home, when someone entered through the door in front of me. I didn't raise my eyes, but from the voices could tell those were a young guy and a girl, late teens or early twenties, talking in an excited manner about football or something. For some reason, instead of going further in the front where there still might be seats, the guy stood right beside me, his back resting on the wall(I instinctively shifted a bit away). The girl was standing opposite him and a bit further away from me. I could tell just from the sound and peripheral vision, knowing already that raising my eyes from the tablet is just gonna give me more pain.
So, the guy was right under my ear, loudly talking about something football related, interleaving curses and sharp gestures, more than once concerning me that I might get hit due to my proximity. I didn't know what to do if he actually does hit me? Ignore it? Stare him down? Push him back? The girl giggling and makings jokes as well. I am already easy to intimidate by a group of extroverted strangers, but those two were a couple, making me stand out as the ugly weird lone guy, desperately trying to pretend he doesn't notice anything around him even more.
Then, I think they mentioned something about food. The guy opened his bag and took something out. Soon enough, I was able to tell that those were sandwiches and some cucumbers by the smell and the loud sound of his chewing, no less with open mouth (I saw spit flying in front of me a few times), all to the continued giggling of the girl. I was thinking that it is becoming painfully obvious how uncomfortable I am but still couldn't do anything, even less so raise my eyes. Just wait it out. They said it's two more stops, right? Just a bit more...
I overheard them talking how they were free riding. Maybe that's why they were near to the exit. But surely there was no need to be right next to me. That's like a meter away from the door. They were preparing to leave. Now the girl was in front of me, facing the exit. I internally signed with relief. But my peripheral vision caught her taking something out of the bag. Something round... A football! Flashbacks of classmates bullying by hitting me on the face with a ball, it bouncing back too fast for me to catch it flew through my mind. I could feel how she exchanged glances with the guy. I was expecting them to do something. Maybe just do some playful tossing back and forth, but I would no doubt be hit by accident...I tried to prepare myself. Thankfully they didn't. Near the end she said to the guy she wants to discuss something with him outside. He wondered what could it be out load, so secret that you can't talk about it in the tram. I realized that as they left they probably are laughing their asses off "Did you see that weird loser?"