King's Cross.
To most, the place was a train station, only worth minutes of their time.
To me, it was home.
The benches were my bed, the food carts my kitchen. I just wore my closet. The biologically unrelated people around me were family. Dean woke me every morning to share a breakfast of toast and coffee before the daily commuters arrived. Alicia brushed or plaited my hair and sent me off to the day with a prayer. Libby provided sandwiches if I provided coke or cordial. Rodney protected me from any of the dangers of the train station. Evie covered me with a blanket every night as I slept, her initials embroidered in the corner of the soft material. In return, I worked where ever, whenever, and on whatever I could. We were a family and this was my own little slice of dysfunctional heaven within the chaos of King's Cross.
"Ariadne!"
My eyes fluttered open at the sound of Dean's call. Sitting up, I glanced down towards the brunette, still rubbing drowsiness from my eyes. A chill autumn wind brushed past me as Evie's blanket fell from my shoulders. Shivering under my wool sweater, I pulled the blanket back around me and accepted the mug of coffee Dean offered to me. Giving me a quick smile, he too shivered at the cold. There was something, some hidden thought behind his smile. Before I could ask him what was bothering him, Dean left to attend to the earliest of commuters arriving, leaving me with some strawberry jam and toast.
Taking one more moment to stretch away the sleepiness, I forced myself to my feet and watched as Dean and Alicia shared a brief glance. In that glance, there was something, some emotion or shared thought. Before I could ask her, Alicia sat me down in front of her and began tugging her fingertips through my hair, chatting away about anything and everything. Seeing that I wouldn't be getting a word in edgewise, I munched on the toast Dean had left behind. As she chatted and worked through my mess of hair, light locks would fall into my face every once and a while, only to be pulled back by Alicia's delicate fingers. Not really listening to much of what Alicia was saying, I thought more and more about what could be bothering her and Dean. Had I missed something?
Whatever I was missing, apparently I was the only one missing it…whatever it was. Rodney also was trying, and might I add failing, to hide their anxiety about whatever it was. Again, I tried to find the answer to all of the nervousness, this time through Rodney, and again, I found no opportunity to ask any questions. Any chance that might have arisen was thwarted by numerous upon numerous menial tasks.
A few hours later, I finally managed to sneak off, away from everyone and blend in with the crowd. I sat down, allowing the cool air to rush past my face as train cars arrived and consecutively departed from King's Cross. I'm not sure how long I sat on that bench but when I glanced up, I was surrounded by a huge crowd. It's a bit odd for there to be this many people at this time of the day, isn't it? I looked toward the clock and it read 8:15. Very odd. I looked more intently at the people; they were all kids...and all in various uniforms. But that means…oh, shit!
A panic ran through my body and I swept the crowd again and again. I had to get out of here. No, first, I had to remain calm; I had to act like nothing was wrong and like I would be joining the other students on their way to start the first semester of school…a semester of school I would not be attending like every other semester to come. I stood. I smiled, weaving between groups of parents, some smiling so proudly, some tearing up so quickly, and their children, dressed in stiff and starched uniforms, looking their best for the other students and the other parents. I smiled and grasped a fold of my sweater, pantomiming a school bag thrown over my shoulder. The noise of King's Cross reached a maximum as the train rolled in, screeching to a halt, the students and parents began saying their last goodbyes and pets hooting and cawing at the commotion.
My heart started beating faster as I fought through the masses, trying to find a room, an alcove, a nook, anywhere I could crawl into to hide until the trains were at a very far distance and any truant officers who were patrolling would be as far off as the trains. The doors hissed open and students began filing in, making it harder and more obvious that I was going and searching in the opposite direction. Why wasn't anything coming up? I searched more desperately until I saw him; all of a sudden all the noises stopped except for my heart beating louder and louder in my chest. He must have heard it fluttering because his gaze suddenly locked on me. My face paled and I immediately ducked into the crowd, now flustering and letting the full pulse of my panic to hit me. I could hear him calling but all I could focus on was where the nearest escape was. Shit shit shit…there was a back room in the far corner past Platform 10! If I made it in there, I could just go through the back door, into the offices, and back around to the ticketing booth. Brilliant!
Knowing my new course, I focused on the far end of the platform, rushing past column after stone column. Weaving in and out of people I thought I had reached freedom. I thought I was going to make it. Closer and closer and closer I came.
Then, I tripped.