Strangers on a Train 1/6
by Elysia [ely_chan@yahoo.com]
Home. After being away for so long, the word was music to her ears. Funny how she missed something so much when she didn't have it.
Serena checked both her bags into the porter, and walked outside onto the platform, her flaxen blonde curls bouncing with every step. Approaching the edge of the cement platform, she stepped into the sleek silver bullet of the passenger car, looking around for a seat.
Plopping down in one of the seats by the window, she let out a sigh of exhaust and excitement. Her breath left a patch of ice crystals on the window pane. With her fingertip, she traced a smiley face into the frost, and watched silently as it disappeared.
Turning away from the window, Serena's thoughts focused on the upcoming holiday. This would be her first trip home since starting graduate school. She was especially looking forward to Christmas shopping with her mother. How ironic that she needed her mother the most just as she moved away.
Sighing again, Serena blew a stray blonde curl out of her face and settled back into the cushy chair, preparing for the five hour trip. Her eyelids began to droop, and finally they closed over her azure eyes, her mind filled with dreams of Christmas with her family.
******
Thirty minutes away on another train platform, a young man stood, waiting impatiently for his train to arrive. A suitcase and a laptop case sat at his feet, lightly covered with the dry snow that had fallen in the last hour.
Darien reached down and brushed the snow away, then brushed off his overcoat. He straightened his dark silk tie and the rest of his expensive suit. The snow continued to fall, and he brushed it away from his thick black hair, being careful not to mess it too much. A few stray strands around his face always managed to escape the daily gel and hair spray routine.
Shaking off the snow from his hands, Darien exhaled softly with an air of boredom. Being in business was no longer interesting to him, and he only stayed with it because he didn't want to spend the time learning anything new. At 27, Darien thought he would have had found a purpose, something meaningful in his life by now, but nothing felt right to him.
Instead, he was stuck doing business for his company during the holidays, since he was really the only one still available. Unlike the rest of the company, Darien had no place to go for Christmas, other than his solitary apartment. He had no family to spend the holidays with, and though he sometimes regretted that fact, he never let it show. Not that it mattered, anyway. Holidays were not a high priority on Darien's list, and he regarded them like any other day during the year.
Just then, the silver train pulled up into the crowded station and let out a sigh of steam as it came to a stop. "Finally," Darien breathed, as he pushed up his sleeve and glanced at his watch.
Grabbing both his cases, he stepped onto the train and impatiently looked for an empty seat. Sitting down in the nearest aisle chair, Darien stashed his suitcase beneath him, and attempted to get comfortable. As he pulled out his laptop, he took no notice of the dozing blonde sitting kitty-corner to him as the train lurched to life again.
******
Slowly opening her eyes, Serena stirred, softly cursing the sharp pain in her neck. Rubbing her neck, she glanced out the fogged-up window, and used her sleeve to wipe the pane so she could see out. A glistening white covered the entire countryside, as far as she could see. The grove of pine trees hung heavy with piles of snow dragging the branches down low to the ground. They appeared as if they were bowing down to the majestic earth, welcoming the Christmas season.
She was amazed by the beauty of it all, and murmured softly to no one in particular, "Isn't it wonderful? I wish I could go out there and make tons of snow angels." She turned around and glanced at the young man sitting across from her, who seemed to be intent with his laptop. "Sir, don't you agree? Isn't it lovely out there?"
Not even bothering to look up from his computer, Darien let out a low grunt in acknowledgment. Serena was surprised by his behavior. Even for a complete stranger, she would have thought he could have at least made eye contact. But it was her nature to be friendly to everyone she met. "Sir, just take a look out the window, and I'm sure you'll agree how nice it is out there."
Again, another grunt, followed by, "Snow is snow. It falls, it sits on the ground for a couple of weeks, and then it melts. Making a big deal out of how pretty it looks isn't going to make it stay longer."
Serena's mouth dropped open. How could anyone be so rude? She blew out her breath in exasperation, turning back to her own view of the countryside. "Maybe you don't deserve to enjoy something so beautiful, but don't ruin it for the rest of us," she pouted.
Darien finally tore himself away from his laptop, taking a moment to look up at the young woman who was so adamant about the weather. Her profile was rather striking, something he had not expected at first. Her blonde curly hair was tousled slightly, probably because she had been asleep earlier. He could only see part of her eyes, but it was enough for him to tell that they were very blue, so blue that he felt himself get lost in their depths even now. His eyes traveled down to her soft, full lips, which were turned down into a very pitiful pout. This, for some reason, felt very wrong to Darien. He began to regret that he had been the cause of her bad temperament.
Setting his laptop on the empty seat beside him, Darien sat up and cleared his throat. "Look," he began, and almost choked as she faced him fully. Her cerulean eyes were upon him now, and he found it very difficult to concentrate with her intense gaze upon him.
He loosened his necktie slightly, and continued. "Hey, I'm sorry for reacting the way I did earlier. I was...uh..." he stumbled, searching for a legitimate excuse. "I wasn't paying very much attention, and I apologize for my rude behavior."
Serena skeptically stared at the man. She knew a polished apology when she heard one, but this... this actually sounded sincere, something she was grateful for, since it was so hard to find sincere people these days. Reaching out, she took his hand firmly, and with a smile replied, "Apology accepted, Mr..." she trailed off.
Darien wondered briefly if she too had felt the shocking jolt when he took her hand in his. He dismissed it as static, and shook off the strange feeling. "Darien. Darien Wilkinson. And you are?"
Taking her hand from his, Serena glanced at it, wondering where that shock had come from, and then looked back at him. "Oh, I'm Serena. Serena Cardon. It's a pleasure to meet you, Darien."
"Likewise, Serena. Likewise."
******
" ...and the teacher yelled at you instead?" Darien asked incredulously.
"Yes, and it wasn't even my fault! The kid standing behind me had thrown the snowball at her, but I guess it looked like I did it. That was the longest time I've ever had to spend in the principal's office," Serena finished, giggling.
Somehow after their awkward confrontation, the two strangers began talking. Darien stared at the flaxen-haired beauty sitting across from him. Never before in his life had he met someone who made him felt so alive. It was refreshing to hear her speak warmly about her home and family.
Serena's voice broke into his thoughts. "I feel like such a clod! I've been talking about myself nonstop for the last three hours, and I hardly know a thing about you. Tell me about yourself, Darien. Where is this train ride taking you?"
Looking away from her gaze, for once in his life, Darien found himself nearly speechless. What was there to say? There had been no funny stories to remember, no happy memories lodged in his mind. No, for most of his twenty-seven years, Darien had been alone in every sense of the word.
He cleared his throat. "There's not much to tell, really. I'm on my way to a couple of business meetings over the next few days, and then I guess I'm headed back to the city after that. I'm afraid I don't have much of an exciting life," he chuckled, trying to lighten the somber mood.
Serena cocked her head slightly, looking at him curiously. "You're working over the holidays? How terrible! What about your family? Won't they miss you?" Darien's expression froze, and Serena immediately regretted what she had said. He licked his lips, and spoke softly, barely above a whisper. "I lost my parents in a car accident when I was just a child, and for many years after that, I was shuffled around from orphanages and foster homes until I was old enough to live on my own and get a decent job. I've never had a real Christmas, not in the orphanages, not with foster families, or on my own. That's just the way it's always been."
He then noticed that her eyes were shimmering with unshed tears. This was exactly what he had wanted to avoid. "Please, the last thing I want from anyone is pity. It happened a long time ago, and I had to grow up and get on with my life. Maybe that's why I'm such a grouch now," he chuckled.
"I don't pity you, Darien," Serena spoke quietly, enough that Darien had to lean closer to hear her. "I feel bad that you never experienced a real Christmas as a child." She smiled, attempting to change the subject. "What are you going to do with the rest of your time then?" Shrugging, Darien replied, "Probably what I do every year. Go back to my apartment, get a fire going in the fireplace, sit back and watch all those cheesy Christmas specials they play all night long."
Serena giggled. "You watch those too? And here I thought I was the only one. I even taped some of them one year so I could watch them other times." His eyes widened, and he laughed. "I once thought about doing that, but never got around to it."
"Next stop, Sugar Hill!" the conductor called out. A few people in the car began to gather their things, and Serena was one of them. Darien looked on with considerable sadness. He was just getting to know her.
As the train slowly came to a jerking stop, Serena pulled on her down-filled coat, slung her bag over her shoulder, and turned back to look at Darien. With a soft smile, she reached out and took his cold hand in her warm one. "I'm glad I got to know you, Darien, and I hope that this Christmas will be better than the other ones you've had." With one last smile, she walked slowly out of the train car, and outside to the station.
Darien watched her leave and for some strange reason, he longed to go after her. 'Get a hold of yourself, Darien. You just barely met the woman, and you won't ever see her again. No use setting yourself up for disappointment.' He picked up his neglected laptop, and with a sigh, began to do the little work he started four hours earlier.
Just then, a warm hand on his shoulder startled him. Serena stood there, her cheeks flushed red from the cold wind outside. "Darien, I just had the strangest idea, and I can't make it go away." She took a deep breath. "Would you like to spend the holidays with me and my family?"
Trying hard to keep his jaw from dropping, Darien stared at the petite blonde glancing pleadingly down upon him. A complete stranger ('that's not true anymore, and you know it,' his mind argued with him) was inviting him to spend the most special holiday with her? Darien couldn't remember anyone inviting him to do anything, especially at this time of the year. He was speechless. "Serena, I... don't know. I mean, I hardly know you, and I feel like I would be intruding--"
"Oh, don't be silly! We always have people dropping in during the holidays. Mom loves it when we bring someone by." He started to protest again. "But my work, I just can't up and leave it. I have an obligation to fulfill." Serena realized he was right, and her lower lip unconsciously stuck out in a frustrated pout. Darien found that look of hers absolutely adorable.
In an act of spontaneity, he shut off his laptop and looked back at Serena with a silly grin. "I don't know what I'm doing, but I'm going to accept your invitation. I can check my work schedule later."
Serena wanted to burst out yelling in joy, but she managed to contain herself. After all, she had no idea where or why she thought of inviting Darien along, but it seemed like the right thing to do. It was the perfect opportunity to show him a real Christmas.
Darien finished packing his things back into his attaché case, and followed Serena out of the train and into the station. "Is your family going to meet you here?" he asked from behind. Without looking back, she replied, "Nope. It's a surprise. I didn't tell them when I would be arriving."
"Oh. Are you sure they won't mind me being there?" Serena laughed, and turned around. "I told you before, they'll love you, and that's just what you need right now." She took his hand in her gloved one, and gripped it tightly. "Just trust me on this one."
He glanced down at their hands clasped together and said nothing, just smiled broadly. Perhaps this wouldn't be a disappointment after all.