The Tracks

Coupler

"Miss? Please say something. Can you move your foot? Can you stand?"

She knows he is talking to her, but all she could do was stare at him, as she tried to steady her breathing. She knows her heart is beating so hard, be it from almost getting hit by the train, or from drowning in the eyes of this rider from the North. He's got deep, penetrating eyes, and a dimple that she couldn't resist but poke her finger into.

He was startled at first, but he smiled, relieved that this girl in his arms was showing some sort of reaction. Even if that reaction was the least he expected, it made him feel something that he's never had before. She had the fullest and reddest lips he has ever seen, and it was parted ever so slightly, he had to stop himself from gravitating towards it. It didn't help that she licked her lips slowly, but that woke him up from a momentary trance.

"What's your name?"

She blinked, as if waking up herself, and she quickly stood up, which only made her wobble and stumble again.

"Whoah! Careful there. Please, let me have a look at your foot."

She sat and leaned on her elbow while reluctantly stretching out her left foot. He carefully removed her sneakers, then her socks, revealing a nasty swelling.

"Tsk. That's nasty."

"What do you mean? Does my foot smell?!"

"No! I meant the swelling. The swelling's nasty, it's bad. Wait here while I get Rhonda."

"Who?"

"Rhonda, my motorcycle."

"Oh. Uh, never mind. Don't bother, please. I'll just take my bike."

"You think you can pedal with that foot?"

She looked down at her foot and sighed. He was right. Her foot appears as if it's giving birth to another foot, and it really did look as awful as the pain she's feeling on it now. He stood up and quickly went across the tracks. She heard the roar of his engine and as he emerged from the other side, she finds her heart beating like crazy again. There was no one from the North who looked as handsome as he does.

He settled the bike on its side stand without turning it off. He went back to where her own bike flew. She cringed seeing that her front wheel was twisted. He carefully tied the broken bike to the back of his motorcycle, making her wonder where in the world is she going to ride if her bike is at the back. He walked back to her, held out his hand and pulled her up.

"You're going to have to sit on the tank, I hope that's ok. Don't put too much weight on your left foot, there."

He rode the bike first to balance it, then looked at her. She was hesitant, but knows it's futile to argue about this riding arrangement. Besides, her foot is getting really painful. She took his hand, stepped on the foot rest and lifted herself up with her weight on her right foot. As she settled on the tank, his arms went around her to reach the handle bars, accidentally brushing against her chest. She tried not to flinch but he quickly noticed it, so he widened his grasp of the bars.

"Sorry. Uhm, I'm Jay. Jay Faulkerson."

"Dei Mendoza."

"So, where should I deliver you and your bike?"

"You can just drop me off at the nearest gasoline station, just 2 kilometers from here."

"I can take you to your house, it's no problem."

"That might not be a good idea."

"Why's that?"

"Because you're from the South."

"Yes, and you're from the North, yet you just came from our place and ran off."

She had no response to that, so she just looked up ahead on the road. It was already too dark and the lamp posts on the side of the road are flickering. Much unlike the bright lights that she's seen in the South.

"Please. Just drop me off at the gasoline station. It will be less trouble."

"You're no trouble to me."

"But you are. And to be honest, you wouldn't want to know how much more you could get into when my brother sees you."

***

Coupler. The device that fastens cars and locomotives together. (wikipedia)