Brett
The tranquil white flakes floated down from the heavens in heavy little clumps, as what remained of the black asphalt was consumed by the dancing fluff. With each step my feet would make the snow crunch and as I got older that became one the noises that I hated as it made a shiver run down my spine. I hated the sound of snow, the way it crunched. I didn't know why though, it had always just been that way, and popsicles did the same thing. Whenever I imagined the chill on my tongue, it made me tense up, and that's all I could do now as the sound of the flattening snow echoed in my ears, and caused me to bite down on my lip.
My black hoodie was slowly losing it's dark tone as it became littered with white specs, and before they could melt they clustered up and slowly took the hoodie from black to white. Any longer out in the blizzard, I was sure that my coat would have turned to ice, thankfully I was now at the train station. Even though it was outside, it was out of the wind, and that was the least I could ask for as I stood there shivering.
As usual, the platform was littered with souls that awaited the iron beast that would disperse them around the city. It was the only transportation they knew that I knew even, and I hated every second of it. Everyone was always so packed together, and it was the most intimate experience you never wanted to have.
That being said I had a solution I just needed to get to the right point on the platform. Staying quick on my feet, I had become a master at maneuvering my body through crowds of people. Approaching the shifting group, they acted like waves as I managed to easily slip past all of them as if riding the current that it left me unnoticed. Even with my bag over one shoulder, it stuck to my body, but it acted like it was strapped on like a parachute.
I figured over time that some people likely watched as this spectacle that I created happened, but it was never a prominent thought in my mind as I quickly rushed past what remained of the people, all while continuing to avoid eye contact. That was one of the mysteries my brain kept from me, for some reason no matter what, I was self-conscious of my eye's, even though I consistently had them complimented. They were a deep blue shade but would sometimes brighten up to what looked like a light teal. Girls loved them, and yet I couldn't bring myself to accept the attention that they gave me.
Shaking the thought from my head I contorted around what remained of the crowd as I arrived at my usual spot. It was the dead centre of the platform, and I was one of the only people there. Everyone else stood at the two ends thinking that, that would better their experience but the truth was that you wanted to be on the middle car of the three-car train because people in a hurry operated like sheep, they followed one another, if only they stopped to see the big picture they would've seen what I had seen.
Over the last couple of years since taking the public transit, I had realized that the way the city had set up the train system, actually had a science to it, except it might be one that they might not have known they created. Basically with all the stops on the train line being on opposite sides of the track, the doors had to be on either side of the train car, but the one constant was that the middle car was always left alone because people either wanted to be in the first or third car, making the one I took the most ideal.
Breaking it down even further though, the way it worked was that most people were attracted to the front of the train because it meant walking less, while others went to the farthest car because they assumed they'd get some leg room. Only they didn't comprehend the fact that some of the stations made the back car the front car and vice versa. The middle car though always remained the ugly duckling of the three. It was generally empty compared to its counterparts while providing sufficient leg room.
I had these thoughts daily as I waited for the train to come, watching the people who would be making a mistake that could last anywhere to an hour or maybe, even more, walk past me. However, as I looked at the sign I knew it had to be close and tuning back into reality, I looked up at the sky that was white with fluttering snow, and a new fog rolled in making it hard to see even twenty feet in front of me. Waiting for the train, I raised a leg and pressed my foot against the concrete surface behind me and pulled out my phone. I had an hour before my first class, and that wasn't nearly enough time for me to prepare mentally.
Sliding it back into my pocket, the sound of the train echoed down the rail roaring from somewhere behind the fogs curtain. Its red light was the only thing that shined through the low hanging cloud as its wheels squealed on the tracks as it went to brake. In the blink of an eye, the three light rail train cars flew past while coming to an abrupt stop as usual. Looking ahead at the train car, it was like every other morning, the doors to get on stopped right in front of me and I pushed myself off with the foot I had against the wall. Gaining some momentum I headed toward the train's door, while a couple of people had already started to pool on either side of it, and I waited for them to enter so that I was the last one in.
Upon stepping inside, I immediately let the backpack that I had on my shoulder drop off and into my hand, as I pressed my back up against one of the upright walls that ran adjacent to the train doors that I had just entered from, and once it closed I placed the bag between my legs.
As my backpack hit the floor, a low hum from the train's electrical engine engaged and the iron beast departed from the platform. To me, it was the calmest moment of the day, as I looked out the train's window as people ran up to the platform only to be disheartened as the train started to leave. After that, I merely stared at the buildings that rushed past in the early morning light, until I leaned my head back against the wall and unknowingly closed my eyes, while the train rocked back and forth. I didn't realize how relaxed I actually was as I slowly started to fall asleep standing up. With my eye's closed, I lost track of where the train was, but that was all answered for me when the automated voice activated and echoed throughout the train car.
"Next stop city centre station." The emotionless tone seemed to fit such a dreaded day, as I opened my eyes and turned to face the passing buildings that raced past the train again.
Balancing myself, I picked up the backpack and slid it up to my left shoulder, then held onto the strap that hung from the ceiling. Now anticipating the train pulling into the station, the driver hit the brakes hard as everyone was thrown about, majority stumbled forward or fell to the ground. I was lucky that I stood where I had since I merely bounced off the wall I had been resting against earlier, and my backpack absorbed most of the impact. Only it wouldn't protect me from the person who collided with my chest.
Their fingers dug into my hoodie, and their nails pinched my skin through the sleeve. Trying to figure out what exactly happened, I looked down to see the top of a girl around my age's head. A portion of her bright golden blonde hair was tied back in a messy ponytail while the remaining draped around either side of her face just as the train came to a stop, she lifted her head. My eyes were met with her tantalizing green stare, and my heart skipped a beat as I realized who was holding onto me.
"Emma?"
I asked while looking down at the girl, and a barrage of feelings hit me all at once. Emma was the first girl, I ever really fell for, and the first one I ever confessed my love to, if only it weren't during a game of truth or dare. I think she thought because it was a game, that I wasn't serious and nothing ever came out of it. Other than a playful I love you too, and the occasional tease over the next year before high school started, I never thought she was truthful about any of it, and just like that we slowly began to drift apart. Although that didn't matter now as her hands clutched my arms, and thinking with my heart and not my brain I wrapped my arms around her, which caused her to suddenly move.
Emma
I had been watching him since he got to the station, the way he moved through the crowd, I knew Brett hadn't seen me, or he did but didn't say anything. It didn't matter we hadn't talked in ages, but I always kept an eye on him. I missed having him in my life, but I was too scared to reach out. So instead I sat there at the train station and watched him from afar. He was the same old Brett, I had known since we were kids.
Intelligent, relaxed, quiet and calm, at least in my eyes. I always wondered if Brett looked at me when I wasn't looking at him, but somehow I just knew that wasn't the case. He was shy, and so was I, but I never lost the feelings that I had for him since we were kids. With my mom being his babysitter Brett was always over at the house, I'd wake up, and he'd already be there since his mom had just dropped him off. He was always so nice, that if I told him how I felt now that we were older maybe things would have been different. Only I couldn't rely on that as the train pulled up to the station.
I usually got on the first car so that I could be off sooner, but today I don't know why but the second car stopped in front of me, and I knew Brett would be on this one as well, and with the way the crowd formed around me I was closer to him then I wanted to be. It had been nearly three years since we last talked, it was the day that I told him I loved him after he said it to me. We were just kids then, and it was silly to think that he actually meant it.
Now I had no choice but to look at him, the tote bag I used to carry my textbooks bounced against my side, and the robotic voice filled the train. The trip was almost over as I watched Brett open his eyes and I quickly looked away, so he didn't see me. I don't know why I did that, I wanted him to see me at least in my heart I did, my brain thought otherwise though as I turned back to see him facing the door. Meaning today would just be another day where I missed my chance to talk to him. Although the world had a different plan.
The train slowed down aggressively as I was thrown from where I had been standing, my hand slipped out of the rubber handhold, causing me to stumble forward putting me on a collision course with Brett. My heart skipped a beat and the next thing I knew I made contact. My fingers dug into his jacket as my head rested against his chest. He was cold, and wet likely from the snow. However I could also hear his heartbeat, or maybe that was just mine pounding away in my ears.
All in all, I couldn't move. I was frozen as the train continued to stop, then I heard Brett's voice, and it brought back memories that I had forgotten about.
"Emma?" I heard him ask and I tensed up, scared of what was going to follow.
I needed to do something, I had to do something. Only I liked this, and Brett was now holding me as if we were hugging and I was sure that I was going to have a heart attack soon. I needed to get away before I embarrassed myself, and without hesitating, I got back on my feet and broke his embrace while grabbing one of the rubber straps on the ceiling again.
"Hey." I managed to say while my voice shook, just as the train stopped beside the station's platform. "Thanks for catching me."
Blurting out the rest of my sentence, I managed to force a slight smile, but I knew my cheeks had to be red. At least I could blame that on the cold if he asks. I thought to myself as I looked at him up close now. My heart still thumping away vigorously.
"Not like I had much choice, only I'd never let you fall, Emma," He laughed off my remarks and I couldn't help but laugh with him as he tried to lighten the mood. "So were you there the whole time?
"No just once we got closer to the stop. Although you looked like you were sleeping, so I didn't want to wake you." I lied through my teeth as I put my thumb on the button to open the train doors, in anticipation for it to turn on.
"Well I wasn't sleep, just waiting for the inevitable y'know?" He replied, and it took everything in me to not look at him.
The thing was that I wanted to though, more than anything but at the time only one thing slipped out of my mouth. "Yeah I feel ya."
The words fell out as the little green light ignited on the button and pressing my finger down, the doors disengaged and began to part. The opportunity that I wanted with Brett was coming to an end, and I couldn't help but wonder if I'd ever get another chance, or if this would be the last time I'd ever hear his voice.