The train to New York had just departed from its second-to-last, at 9:30 in the night. Passengers were few and far apart. The night looked beautiful, but it was all that one saw out the window for miles.
There wasn't anything better to look at in the train either, except to analyze what each stain on the opposite seat was caused by.
In one of the first few coaches, Kaitlynn Winters sat by the window, breathing, and looking around. Her phone had run out of battery, and there was nobody else around, which meant that her only sources of entertainment were the night sky, the stains on the opposite seat and her thoughts.
Until she heard a voice disrupt her thought flow.
"Is this coach 3?" a younger woman asked. She looked 20, but was definitely busier than your average 20-year-old. She had a notebook in her hand and a pen stuffed in the pocket of her jeans.
Kaitlynn nodded. The woman sat down, heaving a sigh of relief. "Thank you," she said. "You wouldn't believe how much trouble I had to get here."
"It happens... trains are rather confusing." she paused for a minute, before asking, "Are you a writer?"
The woman brushed her blonde hair off her face, and replied, "Yes, I am. But I'm still in college. I'm hoping to go professional someday. I already have a story I'm writing."
"That's interesting. If you don't mind, can you tell me?"
"Sure. It's about a pair of shallow-brained rivals who hide their feelings for each other behind hate, and then grow apart. It has a somewhat tragic ending, but that's what makes it all the more heart-touching, if you ask me."
"That reminds me of my little brother, to be honest. He had a rival in school he liked-slash-hated, but since we had to move, they grew apart. The worst part is that they had a fight." Kaitlynn replied, with a chuckle. "Now he's in college too. He's over that crush... I think. By the way, I never got your name."
"It's funny, we've shared a whole conversation and yet we're strangers in the most basic sense. I'm Angelina. And you are?"172Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhHZnYaZUvP
Kaitlynn's eyes widened in disbelief, a mix of surprise and recognition flashing across her face. She hesitated for a moment, her mind racing with memories and possibilities. Finally, she managed to speak, her voice a blend of shock and curiosity.
"Angelina? Did you, by any chance, go to Sunny Coast High? Because I swear, I knew an Angelina back then, and we were actually... kind of friends." Kaitlynn's chuckle had faded, replaced by an earnest hopefulness. "It's Kaitlynn. Kaitlynn Winters. This is crazy, but are you the Angelina who used to be in art club with me?"
"Kaitlynn Winters? As in Jayden Winters' sister? My brother Leo's best friend's sister?"
"Yeah... our little brothers were best friends... and their siblings were the worst of enemies."
"What do you mean?" Angelina asked, with one last desperate attempt to avoid the subject. "We were never enemies. I don't remember having anything against you. We were always good friends. I don't know Jay well enough to call him a friend or an enemy."
Kaitlynn paused, a knowing look crossing her face. "Not me, or Jay. Ashton. I know you remember him. I, for one, remember your final competition. You had a big bake-off in Home Ec." She laughed softly, shaking her head. "I was the older sister watching from the sidelines, amused by the fierce rivalry that only young minds could conjure up."
"Hey, you were only in twelfth grade, and we were in ninth." she replied, awkwardly. She wanted the conversation to shift from Ashton Winters as soon as possible.
"Yeah, but you started the fighting all the way back in first grade. And now you're writing a book about him, huh? I always knew there was more to you guys than meets the eye."
Angie sighed. "Yes... I want to get back in touch with him someday, but he was really angry at me last time I talked to him. And I know better than anyone what kind of responses come out of someone who's been holding a grudge for years. I wasn't at my politest last time we spoke. That was 8 years' worth of grudges."
"He's had his cooldown time, but I don't know how he'll react. I could give you his number, but we both might get a shouting from him. I do know this. He misses you. I've seen him read your webcomic every now and then while he's supposed to be doing his robotics homework." she said, with a smile.
"Robotics?"
"After leaving, he got into robotics as a distraction from missing you, to the point of choosing it for his career. Now, it's a passion of his."
"You're never too old to try something new, huh?"
"Yes," Kaitlynn replied. She heard the sound of the PA announcing that their stop had nearly arrived. "Before we both have to go, Angie... let me tell you this. Keep writing your book, and don't hesitate to publish it. Who knows, he might read it. I'll make sure he does."
The train doors opened up, and both girls picked up their bags. They bid each other farewell and went their separate ways, never to see each other again... or at least, until the wedding.
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