As the train rumbled and creaked across the tracks, Luka sat at the window, watching the countryside blur past him. His thoughts were in a tangle, his mind still racing after the events of the diner a year earlier.
He was shaken out of his reverie when he heard the sound of someone sitting down next to him. He looked up to find a young man about his age sitting across from him, a faint smile on his face. The train car was relatively empty, but the man had deliberately chosen to sit next to Luka.
He was slightly older than Luka, but still young - only a few years older at most. But he gave off a certain air of experience - like he'd seen and done a lot in his time.
The stranger looked like a student, and he seemed slightly awkward.
"Hello, there. I take it you're heading to the university, as well?"
Luka looked up at the young man, studying him with a curious expression. The stranger seemed nice, but Luka wasn't sure how he felt about meeting new people. He was so used to keeping to himself, the thought of talking to a complete stranger made his skin crawl.
"Uh..." Luka mumbled quietly, glancing out the window as he tried to ignore the stranger's gaze. The question of whether or not he should answer felt like a weight on his shoulders.
The tension was thick in the air, and after a few seconds of silence, Luka felt a sense of awkwardness wash over him.
As Luka looked back out the window, he thought about the stranger's appearance. He was clearly nice looking, with sharp features and emerald eyes.
The stranger still hadn't given up on trying to make conversation, despite Luka's apparent disinterest.
"You're not much of a talker, are you?" the stranger finally asked. His tone was soft and easy, like he wasn't trying to provoke a response but genuinely wanted to get to know Luka better.
Luka felt his cheeks flush slightly, and he turned his gaze back to the window, unable to answer the question.
"I'm Zane by the way, what's your name?"
Luka felt his heart drop, and his nerves kicked into overdrive. The thought of having to tell a complete stranger his name filled him with dread.
He looked over through the corner of his eye, unsure of what to say. He tried to think of a lie, some sort of fake name that would sound believable. But the words wouldn't come.
"L-Luka," he stammered out, barely able to get his name out. He quickly looked back out of the window, hoping that Zane didn't notice his nervousness.
Suddenly, a burst of anxiety made itself known in Luka's mind, as he struggled to think of a way to end the conversation. Should he keep talking to this stranger?
He had been so intent on keeping to himself, and now there was a chance that he could break that pattern, but that also meant opening up the door for new challenges - and potentially new hardships.
"I...I really need to check something on my phone, sorry," Luka finally forced himself to say. As he pulled the phone out of his pocket, he noticed that his hands were shaking.
Luka couldn't help but feel a little bit guilty at avoiding the conversation but, in a way, it was exactly what he needed right now.
As Zane looked at him, Luka could feel the other man's gaze, it felt like an intense study, as if he was trying to figure Luka out. And it worked, because the longer Luka made eye contact, the worse his nerves seemed to get.
Luka quickly glanced out the window just to break Zane's gaze, but he couldn't escape the lingering feeling of the stranger watching him.
As the train rumbled on, a slight sense of relief washed over Luka when he realized that Zane hadn't pressed him to say anything more. They rode in silence for a few more minutes, until finally, Zane spoke up again.
