A/N

Hey! I might not post anything tomorrow (due to a choir concert, that short story I was writing earlier, and a few tests I have to study for). But the good news is that I will be pretty much free for all of Christmas vacation! So I'll be posting more!

Happy reading!

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CHAPTER SIX: A HORRIBLE MISTAKE

"We have to stop the train!" Dad said when the two of us had stuck our heads back in.

"I don't know how to stop the train!" the girl said.

Dude…we weren't asking you! I thought.

"The emergency brake!" the nerdy kid cried, pointing to a handle on the back wall.

Dad ran to the stepladder on the back wall and pulled the brake. We heard the brakes squeal, and we were all suddenly thrown forward and onto the floor.

As we picked ourselves up, I saw my dad wave at someone. I guessed that the little boy had gotten on the train. But…he didn't enter our car. He went to the one next to it.

Well, as you can imagine, the conductor stormed in, livid. "Who in the blazes applied that emergency brake?!" he shouted.

The nerdy kid stood up. "He did!" he said, pointing to Dad.

What a tattletale! I thought, glaring at him. But as the conductor approached us, all I could think was, Oh, snap…we are SOOOO dead.

The conductor stood facing Dad, staring him down. "In case you didn't know, that cord is for emergency purposes only! And in case you didn't know, tonight--" here he made his signal out the window to the driver to drive "--is Christmas Eve! And this train is on a very tight schedule!"

"But--" I tried to cut in.

"Now, young man," the conductor continued, not even noticing me, "Christmas may not be important to some people, but it is very important to the rest of us!"

"But…but--" Dad stuttered.

"He was just stopping the train so that kid could get on!" the girl piped up.

The conductor looked to the next car and saw the boy. "Oh…I see." He turned to my dad again. "Young man…is that what happened?"

Dad nodded vigorously. He turned to me and the girl, and all three of us nodded.

I could tell the conductor was at a loss of words. Ha, ha…you don't have anything to say to that, do you?

"Well…let me remind you: this train is on a very tight schedule! And I have never been late before…and I am certainly not going to be late tonight! Now, everyone: take your seats, please!"

No one wasted any time getting back to the seats. I lingered a bit on purpose, just to annoy the conductor, but when he gave me his signature glare, I quickly sat down.

He then picked up the intercom and asked if any of us wanted refreshments or whatever. I was the only one who didn't raise my hand. Hello! I had had cold pizza before I went to bed! If anything, I was full!

But then these dancing waiters and chefs came out with HOT CHOCOLATE. And, if you know me well, you know that, whatever the circumstances, I cannot resist hot chocolate…especially coming from dancing, singing waiters.

After they were gone, everyone was stuffed. But that didn't stop from the nerdy kid from talking some more about random stuff. Dad and I exchanged glances, trying to keep our laughter to ourselves.

As the nerdy kid started talking to other kids, I noticed the girl across the aisle going under her seat. When she emerged, a cup of hot chocolate was in her hands. I figured she must have sneaked it there.

"Where are you going with that?" Dad asked.

She smiled at us. "It's for him," she said simply, and I knew instantly she meant the kid in the other train car.

"I don't think we're supposed to leave our seats," Dad pointed out.

"Yeah!" the nerdy kid chimed in. "It's a violation of railroad safety regulations for a kid to cross moving cars without a grownup."

I sighed. "Normally, I wouldn't agree with you, nerdy kid--"

"It's Eddy, actually."

"Fine. Normally, I wouldn't agree with nerdy kid--" Here he gaped at me "--but I really think you shouldn't do that."

The girl stared at the three of us. "I think I'll be okay."

"Are you sure?" Dad persisted as she walked away.

She suddenly stopped. I thought it was cause Dad had finally gotten her goat or whatever, but then I heard heavy footsteps behind us. I turned and saw the conductor approaching us again.

Uh-oh…

The girl turned around and stared up at the conductor.

"What about this lad in the back?" he asked. "Did he get anything?"

The girl shook her head no.

"Well, then! Let's take some to him, by all means!" he exclaimed, leading the girl to the door. They exited without a problem.

"Uh-oh!" Dad said. "She forgot her ticket!" He picked it up and examined it. "It hasn't been punched."

"Yeah. So?" I asked. "When they get back, she can get it punched. No biggie."

But my dad had other plans. He ran to the door and opened it.

"Hey, what are you doing?" Eddy, the nerdy kid, said. "You're going to get us all in trouble!"

"I hate to agree with him, but…seriously, Chris, you can't do this!"

The cold air rushed in, and Dad was on the edge, about ready to cross. He didn't do so at first, and I saw him teeter a little. I was about ready to drag him back in when he started grabbing at something. I looked out the window and saw a flash of gold.

He had let the stupid thing go.

He pushed past me to where the ticket was caught in one of the windows. He opened it carefully, but the ticket flew away, anyway, out of his grasp.

I sighed and tilted my head back.

This was SO not good.