Good Day
Yumi hated taking the train home from school. She missed the days when her father would pick her up. She missed her father, period. Her father was her protector, her best friend. Yumi wasn’t the most attractive, intelligent, or popular girl in her school. She was a girl very much attached to her childhood and memories of her father. Loneliness burdened her, especially when she was on the train. Sitting there alone, remembering her late father. Yumi hated it.
On a lucky day, a handsome boy with messy red hair came into the same compartment she was in. His hair flared at the back and he had long bangs. He was much taller than her, perhaps 5’8, and was always wearing attractive clothing. From his clothing style, red was obviously his favorite color. She had never been close enough to see the color of his eyes, and he would always be listening to music. Yumi thought she saw him muttering lyrics under his breath one time. It seemed silly that she developed somewhat of a crush for a person she had never talked to and only got to see two times a week at most. He seemed so mysterious; Yumi desired to know much more about him. On rare occasions, he wore glasses. They made him seem more sophisticated. Something about the redhead was just so alluring, but she was too shy to go find out what. At the next stop, Yumi would find out if it were a lucky day.
“Geffen Station, next. Geffen Station,” the train operator announced. Yumi snapped out of her daydream and realized that there was someone else in the compartment she was in. It was a man much older than her with greasy, black hair. The look on his face told Yumi that he caused trouble wherever he went. He eyed her with a perverted smile that made her feel uncomfortable. Yumi tried to ignore him, gripping her skirt nervously. He approached her, licking his lips.
“Hey baby,” he leaned over her, “how old are you?”
“None of your business,” she said quietly, looking down at her shoes.
“Heh, well…you look old enough.” He reached out the touched her face with a dirty, rough hand. Yumi whimpered. The train had come to a stop and a single passenger had come on. The troublemaker and Yumi looked to see the redheaded boy come on. He recognized the situation instantly and walked right over to them, almost furious.
“Hey, leave her alone!” he shoved the man away from Yumi, glaring at him fiercely. Instead of being shocked, she noticed that his eyes were a pale grey.
“Who the hell do you think you are, punk?” the troublemaker pushed back, only the redhead stood his ground. He paused, took off his earphones and intensified his glare.
“I’m her boyfriend-”
She could not believe what he just said.
“So get lost.”
The troublemaker scowled and made his way back to the other end of the compartment. Acting completely natural, the redheaded boy took a seat beside Yumi and began to act as if he was actually her boyfriend. He asked if she was okay, hugging her. She nodded and let him embrace her. Even the way he smelled was mysterious.
“Sorry about this,” he whispered during the hug, “He’s been watching you for days now. I thought you were I trouble so-“
“No, thanks,” Yumi whispered back. She even kissed him quickly on the cheek just to make it seem real. The redhead turned red for a moment. She noticed that the troublemaker was watching; he probably knew it too. After the hug, he put his arm around her and pulled her close. She played along by placing her head on his chest.
“So, what’s your name?” he asked softly.
“I’m Yumi, and you?” She adored his voice.
“Hmn…my friends call me Rhymes.”
“Rhymes? Why? What’s your real name?”
He laughed softly. She couldn’t help but giggle also.
It turns out that Rhymes was actually a year younger than Yumi was. He went to a school that wasn’t far away from Yumi’s and had to take the train home occasionally. She never really questioned what his real name was after that. Eventually, the troublemaker got off the train. Yumi and Rhymes were now free to drop the act that they had put up. Rhymes addressed it a few moments after the train left the station.
“He’s gone now, we can stop now if you want.”
“No…I like this.” Yumi felt herself smile for the first time in ages.
It was definitely a good day.
Over the next few days, Yumi started to see Rhymes more frequently. It was so easy to talk to him, and the half an hour that they shared on the train before he had to get off was always the highlight of her day. At one point, they exchanged phone numbers just incase one of them stopped using the train. Yumi eventually found out that he was actually going out of his way to take the train and see her.
“Don’t be stupid, Rhymes. Use the train when you need to only, just like before!”
“Fine, fine…” he laughed softly. It was addictive.
Yumi didn’t get to see Rhymes again for a week. It was Friday, and she was planning to make a visit to her Father’s grave. Happily, she left Rhymes sit beside her again on the train as usual. They had another good half hour or so to spend time with each other. He was wearing his glasses today; she thought he looked cute.
“Hey, I’m bored. Let’s go downtown.” Excitement was in his voice. It was so tempting. It made her almost forget about visiting her father.
Reluctantly, she declined, saying that she was kind of tired and that her stepmother kept a strict curfew. Both were lies; she wanted to go with him badly and her stepmother could care less.
“Okay, I understand.”
“Sorry.”
“Hey, did you know…?” Rhymes smirked a little.
“Know what?”
“That girls are horrible liars?”
Yumi’s mouth gaped slightly. Was she that obvious?
“You weren’t obvious, I’m just good.” Rhymes laughed. “But hey, whatever the reason, I’m sure it’s a good one. I mean after all, we just met.”
“Actually, I’d love go. “ How could she resist?
Yumi’s father also often took her downtown. When she was a child, he would carry her on his shoulders, showing her all the sights, buying her things. She loved going to the city. From where they were by train, Yumi and Rhymes had to go in the complete opposite direction. She wanted to go to the giant mall right in the heart of the city, just like where her father took her. Rhymes insisted on treating her to dinner.
When they got to the mall, a group of Yumi’s friends approached them. They caused a huge commotion over Rhymes. Complimenting him, touching his hair, and telling Yumi that he was a keeper. They all laughed.
“Omigosh! We don’t even know his name yet, Yumi!”
“Oh, his name’s-“ Yumi wasn’t sure to call him Rhymes or not.
“Darren,” said Rhymes, smiling.
“Well Darren, may we borrow Yumi for a bit?” asked one of her friends.
“Sure, why not.”
He sat down on a bench while Yumi’s friends dragged her off to the women’s bathroom. They all crowded her around the mirror, telling her what they really thought.
“Ditch him, Yumi.”
“He’s a younger guy! Ew!”
“You can do better…”
Rhymes waited for a whole hour.
He realized that the women’s bathroom had two entrances.
“…Whatever.”
At one point, Yumi lost track of all the calls she made to Rhymes’ phone. At another, she simply gave up, regretting pushing away the best thing that’s happened to her. The train rides home after school were lonely once again. A week passed, and there was no sign of him. Another week passed, and then another. It’s as if he completely vanished from existence.
It was Friday evening; Yumi had planned to visit her father’s grave again. The train stopped at Geffen Station again. Yumi still had hope and looked up at the doors to see if anyone was coming in. No, no one. Her eyes fell to the floor.
Suddenly, footsteps.
A well-dressed, handsome, redheaded boy came in, his music playing rather loudly. He completely ignored Yumi and sat at the other end of the compartment. It was complete torture for her. She looked over at him a few times; his expression was blank. It was as if she wasn’t even there. Yumi was too afraid too talk to him, but she wanted to so badly. Her heart wrenched at the thought that he possibly hated her after what she did. Could she blame him? No. She needed to do something before his stop! But it was too late. He simply got up and left. The compartment went quiet without his music.
As the train began to move, she noticed that Rhymes had left a red envelope. She scurried over to the seat, finding her name written on it. She opened it delicately and unfolded the letter. Reading it, she began to cry. It said one thing.
If love is a word that you say, say it and I will listen.
On a lucky day, a handsome boy with messy red hair came into the same compartment she was in. His hair flared at the back and he had long bangs. He was much taller than her, perhaps 5’8, and was always wearing attractive clothing. From his clothing style, red was obviously his favorite color. She had never been close enough to see the color of his eyes, and he would always be listening to music. Yumi thought she saw him muttering lyrics under his breath one time. It seemed silly that she developed somewhat of a crush for a person she had never talked to and only got to see two times a week at most. He seemed so mysterious; Yumi desired to know much more about him. On rare occasions, he wore glasses. They made him seem more sophisticated. Something about the redhead was just so alluring, but she was too shy to go find out what. At the next stop, Yumi would find out if it were a lucky day.
“Geffen Station, next. Geffen Station,” the train operator announced. Yumi snapped out of her daydream and realized that there was someone else in the compartment she was in. It was a man much older than her with greasy, black hair. The look on his face told Yumi that he caused trouble wherever he went. He eyed her with a perverted smile that made her feel uncomfortable. Yumi tried to ignore him, gripping her skirt nervously. He approached her, licking his lips.
“Hey baby,” he leaned over her, “how old are you?”
“None of your business,” she said quietly, looking down at her shoes.
“Heh, well…you look old enough.” He reached out the touched her face with a dirty, rough hand. Yumi whimpered. The train had come to a stop and a single passenger had come on. The troublemaker and Yumi looked to see the redheaded boy come on. He recognized the situation instantly and walked right over to them, almost furious.
“Hey, leave her alone!” he shoved the man away from Yumi, glaring at him fiercely. Instead of being shocked, she noticed that his eyes were a pale grey.
“Who the hell do you think you are, punk?” the troublemaker pushed back, only the redhead stood his ground. He paused, took off his earphones and intensified his glare.
“I’m her boyfriend-”
She could not believe what he just said.
“So get lost.”
The troublemaker scowled and made his way back to the other end of the compartment. Acting completely natural, the redheaded boy took a seat beside Yumi and began to act as if he was actually her boyfriend. He asked if she was okay, hugging her. She nodded and let him embrace her. Even the way he smelled was mysterious.
“Sorry about this,” he whispered during the hug, “He’s been watching you for days now. I thought you were I trouble so-“
“No, thanks,” Yumi whispered back. She even kissed him quickly on the cheek just to make it seem real. The redhead turned red for a moment. She noticed that the troublemaker was watching; he probably knew it too. After the hug, he put his arm around her and pulled her close. She played along by placing her head on his chest.
“So, what’s your name?” he asked softly.
“I’m Yumi, and you?” She adored his voice.
“Hmn…my friends call me Rhymes.”
“Rhymes? Why? What’s your real name?”
He laughed softly. She couldn’t help but giggle also.
It turns out that Rhymes was actually a year younger than Yumi was. He went to a school that wasn’t far away from Yumi’s and had to take the train home occasionally. She never really questioned what his real name was after that. Eventually, the troublemaker got off the train. Yumi and Rhymes were now free to drop the act that they had put up. Rhymes addressed it a few moments after the train left the station.
“He’s gone now, we can stop now if you want.”
“No…I like this.” Yumi felt herself smile for the first time in ages.
It was definitely a good day.
Over the next few days, Yumi started to see Rhymes more frequently. It was so easy to talk to him, and the half an hour that they shared on the train before he had to get off was always the highlight of her day. At one point, they exchanged phone numbers just incase one of them stopped using the train. Yumi eventually found out that he was actually going out of his way to take the train and see her.
“Don’t be stupid, Rhymes. Use the train when you need to only, just like before!”
“Fine, fine…” he laughed softly. It was addictive.
Yumi didn’t get to see Rhymes again for a week. It was Friday, and she was planning to make a visit to her Father’s grave. Happily, she left Rhymes sit beside her again on the train as usual. They had another good half hour or so to spend time with each other. He was wearing his glasses today; she thought he looked cute.
“Hey, I’m bored. Let’s go downtown.” Excitement was in his voice. It was so tempting. It made her almost forget about visiting her father.
Reluctantly, she declined, saying that she was kind of tired and that her stepmother kept a strict curfew. Both were lies; she wanted to go with him badly and her stepmother could care less.
“Okay, I understand.”
“Sorry.”
“Hey, did you know…?” Rhymes smirked a little.
“Know what?”
“That girls are horrible liars?”
Yumi’s mouth gaped slightly. Was she that obvious?
“You weren’t obvious, I’m just good.” Rhymes laughed. “But hey, whatever the reason, I’m sure it’s a good one. I mean after all, we just met.”
“Actually, I’d love go. “ How could she resist?
Yumi’s father also often took her downtown. When she was a child, he would carry her on his shoulders, showing her all the sights, buying her things. She loved going to the city. From where they were by train, Yumi and Rhymes had to go in the complete opposite direction. She wanted to go to the giant mall right in the heart of the city, just like where her father took her. Rhymes insisted on treating her to dinner.
When they got to the mall, a group of Yumi’s friends approached them. They caused a huge commotion over Rhymes. Complimenting him, touching his hair, and telling Yumi that he was a keeper. They all laughed.
“Omigosh! We don’t even know his name yet, Yumi!”
“Oh, his name’s-“ Yumi wasn’t sure to call him Rhymes or not.
“Darren,” said Rhymes, smiling.
“Well Darren, may we borrow Yumi for a bit?” asked one of her friends.
“Sure, why not.”
He sat down on a bench while Yumi’s friends dragged her off to the women’s bathroom. They all crowded her around the mirror, telling her what they really thought.
“Ditch him, Yumi.”
“He’s a younger guy! Ew!”
“You can do better…”
Rhymes waited for a whole hour.
He realized that the women’s bathroom had two entrances.
“…Whatever.”
At one point, Yumi lost track of all the calls she made to Rhymes’ phone. At another, she simply gave up, regretting pushing away the best thing that’s happened to her. The train rides home after school were lonely once again. A week passed, and there was no sign of him. Another week passed, and then another. It’s as if he completely vanished from existence.
It was Friday evening; Yumi had planned to visit her father’s grave again. The train stopped at Geffen Station again. Yumi still had hope and looked up at the doors to see if anyone was coming in. No, no one. Her eyes fell to the floor.
Suddenly, footsteps.
A well-dressed, handsome, redheaded boy came in, his music playing rather loudly. He completely ignored Yumi and sat at the other end of the compartment. It was complete torture for her. She looked over at him a few times; his expression was blank. It was as if she wasn’t even there. Yumi was too afraid too talk to him, but she wanted to so badly. Her heart wrenched at the thought that he possibly hated her after what she did. Could she blame him? No. She needed to do something before his stop! But it was too late. He simply got up and left. The compartment went quiet without his music.
As the train began to move, she noticed that Rhymes had left a red envelope. She scurried over to the seat, finding her name written on it. She opened it delicately and unfolded the letter. Reading it, she began to cry. It said one thing.
If love is a word that you say, say it and I will listen.
posted by Aude Sepere at 9:31 PM
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