Sparrow quietly sat, thinking, in the middle of the area outside the
roundhouse. It was pouring rain, but the twelve-year-old steam locomotive
didn't care. Her closest friend, Dustin, had been taken on a trip to
another yard, for some sort of training thing. She felt alone, and didn't
know what to do.
She had been teased, by some of the other young trains her age. Her leg had gotten much better, but she would have lifelong problems with it. The other trains didn't care how much their teasing hurt her, they delighted in seeing her cry.
So now, she sat outside in the rain. She was so upset. She wanted Dustin to come home, so she could hear his voice, and have him there to make the teasing more bearable. He had always been able to do so, for some odd reason. He was always kind to her, and was always there for her, when she was in pain… Except now… Their training had started, and they hadn't had a chance to even speak to each other in weeks.
"Sparrow! Dinner!" Belle called.
"I'm not hungry!"
Sparrow didn't feel like eating. Earlier Greaseball had punched her in the stomach, and it still hurt. She knew she'd only be sick, if she ate. So she continued sitting. She wished Dustin were with her. He'd make the pain go away, at least for a while. He always knew how to take her mind off things. She liked that aspect of his personality.
"Sparrow!" Poppa called. "We're playing cards, you wanna join us?"
"No thanks, Poppa. I don't feel like it."
"Okay. Just come on in outta the rain, soon. You'll get sick."
"All right."
Sparrow was certain Dustin could, and would have, convinced her to come in out of the rain. He had a way of making her listen to him. He always had. Her friends and family found it odd yet were glad of that ability, at times. They couldn't always get her to listen, because she was so bullheaded.
She thought about how much she missed Dustin, for a long time. It really bothered her, to be apart from him. He was her closest friend, and the only person, besides her family, that she could be around, without feeling uncomfortable.
She looked up, as she felt a hand on her shoulder. It was her older brother, Rusty.
"Phone call, Sparrow." he said, holding out the cordless phone.
"Don't wanna talk…"
"You will."
Sparrow sighed, took the phone, and watched her brother go back inside.
"Hello."
"Hi, luv. Thought ya'd never answer me."
"Dustin!"
Sparrow's spirits immediately soared, hearing her best friend's voice.
"Poppa says you're out in the rain."
"Yeah…"
"Wot 'appened? You 'ad a bad day?"
"The others… Greaseball…"
"Oi… Wot did that overgrown piece of junk do t'you this time?"
"He punched me in the stomach…"
"Oi, didn't you fight back?"
"I couldn't…"
"Oi, I 'eard that thunder, just now… You best get inside. I'll be 'ome, tomorrow, we can talk, then."
"Okay."
"Goodnight."
"'Night…"
Sparrow hung up, and went inside. Somehow, things seemed so much better, when she had Dustin there to talk to. It was great. She had someone who truly cared about her. She loved it. Dustin was always there, when she really needed him.
She had been teased, by some of the other young trains her age. Her leg had gotten much better, but she would have lifelong problems with it. The other trains didn't care how much their teasing hurt her, they delighted in seeing her cry.
So now, she sat outside in the rain. She was so upset. She wanted Dustin to come home, so she could hear his voice, and have him there to make the teasing more bearable. He had always been able to do so, for some odd reason. He was always kind to her, and was always there for her, when she was in pain… Except now… Their training had started, and they hadn't had a chance to even speak to each other in weeks.
"Sparrow! Dinner!" Belle called.
"I'm not hungry!"
Sparrow didn't feel like eating. Earlier Greaseball had punched her in the stomach, and it still hurt. She knew she'd only be sick, if she ate. So she continued sitting. She wished Dustin were with her. He'd make the pain go away, at least for a while. He always knew how to take her mind off things. She liked that aspect of his personality.
"Sparrow!" Poppa called. "We're playing cards, you wanna join us?"
"No thanks, Poppa. I don't feel like it."
"Okay. Just come on in outta the rain, soon. You'll get sick."
"All right."
Sparrow was certain Dustin could, and would have, convinced her to come in out of the rain. He had a way of making her listen to him. He always had. Her friends and family found it odd yet were glad of that ability, at times. They couldn't always get her to listen, because she was so bullheaded.
She thought about how much she missed Dustin, for a long time. It really bothered her, to be apart from him. He was her closest friend, and the only person, besides her family, that she could be around, without feeling uncomfortable.
She looked up, as she felt a hand on her shoulder. It was her older brother, Rusty.
"Phone call, Sparrow." he said, holding out the cordless phone.
"Don't wanna talk…"
"You will."
Sparrow sighed, took the phone, and watched her brother go back inside.
"Hello."
"Hi, luv. Thought ya'd never answer me."
"Dustin!"
Sparrow's spirits immediately soared, hearing her best friend's voice.
"Poppa says you're out in the rain."
"Yeah…"
"Wot 'appened? You 'ad a bad day?"
"The others… Greaseball…"
"Oi… Wot did that overgrown piece of junk do t'you this time?"
"He punched me in the stomach…"
"Oi, didn't you fight back?"
"I couldn't…"
"Oi, I 'eard that thunder, just now… You best get inside. I'll be 'ome, tomorrow, we can talk, then."
"Okay."
"Goodnight."
"'Night…"
Sparrow hung up, and went inside. Somehow, things seemed so much better, when she had Dustin there to talk to. It was great. She had someone who truly cared about her. She loved it. Dustin was always there, when she really needed him.