The Train

Chapter 3
Discover

After sitting in my room for what seemed life forever, I grabbed the small suitcase from inside of my closet. I wish I had one bigger, but my mother never wanted to take me anywhere, so there wasn't a need for a bigger one. I packed all I could with the allowed space. I stuffed the ribbon in my pocket, grabbed the money I've been saving, and put on my jacket. I took a last good look around my room. The enclosed space of my own really grew on me, not considering the fact that my mom locked me in here for a week before. 'This is what happens when you don't clean up your toys' she said. My eyes then drifted to the window instinctively and the train tracks were in my gaze. Looks like that day is closer than I thought.

I walked down the hallway, which seems longer than usual, and stopped by the front door and began to put on my shoes.

"So you're going to leave me too?" my mother's voice was heard. I didn't stop. Instead, I just moved on to the next foot. "Rin, I love you. Stay, please?" After I tied a knot in the strings, I stood and faced her.

"That's the same way you begged dad. Well, I guess you're going to get the same result." I grabbed my suitcase handle and headed toward the door.

"...You'll be back." she said, her voice shaky. I reached in my pocket and gave her my house key.

"Is that proof enough for you?" Her hurt expression was enough for me. I made my exit and descended down the stairs. I stopped at a spot where there weren't stairs and let out a big sigh. It felt like a huge weight was lifted from my entire body. When I started walking again, I realized where I was in front of.

Miku's house.

I couldn't leave without saying goodbye to her. So I pulled out my cell phone and sent her a text. 'If you're awake, then come to the door.'Miku was my only friend, besides that boy. At school, I was afraid to make a friend because I've always had a feeling that they would leave if I did. But now, I'm the one leaving my friend. Within seconds, Miku opened the door and look as if she was relieved to see me.

"I was just going to come up there! She was yelling really loud...did she hit you? Are you okay?" She asked slightly frantic.

"I'm leaving." I said simply. She now had a shocked expression on her face.

"W-where are you going?" I watched as a tear welled up in her eye.

"I don't know yet. As far as the train will take me, I guess." The tear streamed down her cheek.

"but...Rin, you can't! I know! Come and stay with me! My parents won't mind, and I asked them for a little sister before! and…"

"And..?"

"They bought me Hamo…"

"Hamo? Your dog? It's not even a girl!"

"Yeah, so the sister spot is still available!"

"Thanks, but that won't do any good. My mother is right upstairs!"

"Oh…yeah. Right…" She said wiping her eyes. I tried hard, very hard not to cry.

"Miku, I have to go. But I promise we'll keep in touch, alright?" I said and grabbed her hands.

"Okay but…I'm going to miss you, Rin. A lot."

"And you think I'm not going to miss you?" She gave me a hug, which I quickly returned. After a small smile and a wave I walked down the last flight of stairs and left into the misty air.

I started down the sidewalk towards the train station. I hope I could make the midnight train, since I have no clue what time it is. But I was so excited I would stay at the station and wait for the first train in the morning. It was a long walk, but I wasn't at all tired. And finally, after all this time, I was in front off the train station. I felt a smile creep on my face, which shocked me. It's been so long since I last smiled, and it felt good, a lot better than frowning for sure. I kept smiling as I walked through the entrance and to the ticket counter.

"Where is the farthest the midnight train will go?" I asked.

"Tokyo Station." She replied sleepily.

"I'll have one ticket, please." I said and slid the money under the window and in return she gave me a small square of paper. I nodded my head as thanks and made my way to the boarding platform. I looked around at the few people who were waiting for the train. They all looked so calm and composed, unlike me. I couldn't stop smiling and I kept looking around like I was in a museum. A rumbling sound broke my "sight-seeing" and I saw the lights of the train approaching. I watched as the familiar blur rattled on the tracks and came to a stop. The doors opened and one or two people got out. I took a deep breath. This is it!

I walked inside of the train car and it was more crowded than I expected. I looked left to right trying to find an empty seat. If there was one, it was occupied by a bag and the person next to it was asleep and I didn't want to wake them. So I kept walking until I found an empty seat by the aisle and a boy was next to it.

"Is this seat-" I froze once I looked at him. This boy... His blonde hair in a ponytail? His eye color similar to mine? It couldn't be the boy from all those years ago...could it?

"Taken?" he finished my sentence. I shook my head to fully snap out of my thoughts.

"Y-yeah." I said shyly.

"No, it isn't." he said with a small laugh. I put my suitcase on the rack above and sat down. I took a quick look at him. Could this really be him? I wonder if he still remembers me... but even so, it might not be him, just someone who looks a lot like him. Which also means they look like me. I started to fidget with my fingers. I wish there was some immediate, definite way to confirm if he was the same person, besides asking. I could'nt just burst out with a stupid question. I don't even know the boy's name...and I don't have the ribbon, they object I planned to use for identification if we ever-

"Hey, are you alright?" he asked, referring to my constant movements and probably the expression on my face.

"Ah, yeah. I'm just a little anxious." I said and stared down at my lap. His voice was so...familiar. It almost made me feel nostalgic.

"Why? First time on a train?" he asked.

"Yeah…well, that and…I'm kinda running away." I looked at him through the corner of my eye. He now had a shocked expression. "Well, I wouldn't necessarily call it running away. My mother didn't exactly stop me." I continued.

"What would make you want to run away?" He asked. I looked out the window to avoid staring at him. We were moving now. I thought for a second. Should I really tell him? I mean, even if he was the boy, I didn't exactly know him. It might be kinda weird to just pour my heart out to…somewhat of a stranger. "Sorry, if it's too personal. You don't have to tell me if you don't want to."

"No, it's alright." I said quikly. "Actually, it would be nice to tell someone about it, that is, if you don't mind."

"Sure, I got a long ride ahead of me anyway."

"Where are you going?" I asked.

"Tokyo."

"Really? I am too!" I said, maybe a little too eagerly. He smirked.

"Guess that's another thing we have in common."

"Huh?"

"Never mind. Go ahead with your story."

"Well, yeah, so it was my mother. We never really got a long. Although it was mostly her part. She would always yell at me, hit me, insult me, and order me around all the time. And she would always make everything seem like my fault." I looked at him and he was listening with intent, careful eyes. "For a long time, I believed her. I really did think everything was my fault. So I tried very hard…just to try and make her happy. To hear a compliment, a praise even. But it never happened. And I realized that a little too late. But I couldn't take it anymore. So I finally left." I said. I felt something…a feeling I've always known, but much deeper and it hurt even more. I was fighting tears again. I stared down at my lap and stared at my clenched fists.

"I'm…so sorry…I shouldn't have asked." He said.

"No, It's fine. I don't mind. I'm just glad I finally left." He then guided my chin up with his finger so that I was facing him. My heart started beating faster.

"You shouldn't keep your head down. Then no one could see your eyes. You know, they're really pretty." He said. I could feel myself blushing.

"T-thank you." I breathed. Those words… he smiled at me and I smiled back. Then the train shifted and something moved by his feet. It was a black case. "You play guitar?" I asked.

"Yeah, I do. This one was a gift from my mom." He said.

"That's nice. I'd like to hear you play sometime." I said.

"Maybe someday you can." He said. I looked back down and notice something green hanging off from it. I looked closer…it was a clover preserved in plastic.

"Wow, is that a four-leaf clover?" i asked.

"Nope, just a three." He answered.

"Why would you keep a three-leaf clover?"

"It was a gift. From someone I met a long time ago." I couldn't deny it anymore. This was him. The boy that was my friend for a day, who I've longed to see and always had a small bit of hope that we'd meet again. "Some people think it's kinda stupid to carry a three-leaf clover around, but it's special to me. And that sounded really cheesy."

"It was a girl, wasn't it?"

"Yeah, it was."

"And she gave you a sunflower."

"Uh-huh. Wait- how did you-"

"And you gave her a ribbon for it, but instead she wore it on her head."I reached in my pocket and pulled out the torn ribbon. I looked up at him as realization hit and showed in his eyes. "She wore that ribbon every single day. She hoped that one day, she'd meet that boy again. I'm glad we did."

"Me too." He said. We talked for a long time. Catching up, telling stories. After a while, we stopped talking and I stared out the window. I was falling asleep, and he gently pulled me so that I could lay on his shoulder. I muttered a thanks and my eyes closed.

I felt something on my lips. And then a shift of movement. I opened my eyes and noticed he wasn't next to me. His guitar was gone. I quickly sat up and saw that we stopped. I looked down the aisle and saw him leaving the train. I panicked and cursed silently. After all that…I still didn't know his name!