Chapter eight : Everly

I stood at the railway station waiting for my train. I packed all of my stuff last night and surprisingly I woke up before time, got ready and here I was fifteen minutes early. I didn't know why but it did feel good not to be late. I settled myself on a bench, putting on my headphones, I grabbed a book from my bag.

"Excuse me." I heard someone call out, looking up I found a boy, maybe a few years older than me, his blonde hair were covered by a cap and he had a big smile on his face, "Excuse me."

"Yeah," I removed the headphones, "Can I help you?"

"I wanted to know if this train is headed to East Coast."

"Yes, it is. It'll be arriving any moment now." I smiled.

"Phew," he slumped on the bench next to me, "that was close, had I missed it I would've been a goner." He took off his cap and ruffled his hair. "Anyway I'm Noah." He extended his hand.

"Everly." I took it.

"So where are you heading in East Coast?"

I fumbled with myself, contemplating whether I should be telling him or not. It wasn't like I knew him, I just met him a few minutes ago. "It's okay if you don't want to tell me," he smiled and looked toward the track, "I'm going there for the National Mathlete."

"Me too." I blurted out, he turned to look at me and then smiled again, "Everly–,"

I saw his lips move but the arrival of the train at the platform cut off his words. When it finally came to a stop, he got up. "I'm sorry I didn't get what you said." I said.

"Never mind. It wasn't important. Let's go. You need help with your luggage?"

"No. I can manage. Thank you." I got up and picked it up and headed for the open doors.

I took my seat in the coach and Noah came to sit in front of me, "Looks like we're going to accompany each other for the journey."

"Sure." I said and put on my headphones again and got back to reading my book. It might seem rude but this was my instinctual reaction, couldn't be helped. I wasn't the best person to have small talk with.

The first hours into the journey were peaceful, Noah didn't talk much to me but the woman beside him was taken in by his 'charm'. I did notice him giving me side glances a few times. At the first halt, he and the woman got up, he looked down at me with a smug and then left, his arm around her waist. I relaxed, that guy is just full of himself, that's what I thought.

About twenty minutes later, the announcement for the departure of the train was made. I looked in front of me and both the woman and Noah were nowhere to be found. I looked around and spotted them on the platform, they boarded the train in the nick of time. As they entered the coach, that's when I noticed it, the woman looked disheveled, her hair all messed up and her perfect makeup was all over the place. "Look you got me all messed up." She chirped in her shrill voice. Guess it was not a great idea taking off my headphones. "I'm sorry babe." Noah leaned down and whispered something in her ear making her giggle, then she got up and left. He leaned back in his seat and looked at me, "She's very loud, gotta say."

I ignored him and looked out at the speeding scenery, "Hey Everly, don't ignore me. It's hurtful." He put on a fake painful expression.

"I don't care in the least." I said.

"Really," he leaned forward, "You know what? Right now I am really curious about what is going on in your head."

"Keep that curiosity to yourself."

"Oh, you don't talk much, do you?"

"Depends on the person, " I eyed him, "you better watch out, your babe is back."

The woman came and handed him a bottle of water, he stared at me for a moment and then wrapped his arm around her. I got back to my business.

"Hey Everly, it's your first time at National Mathlete? I'm being serious, to tell the truth" He broke the serene silence after a few hours.

"Yes." I said.

"It's my third year. I've participated three freaking times but the luck never favored me." He sighed.

"It's not the luck. You might have lacked somewhere." I shrugged.

"I've been the runner up for the past three years. What do you say now? I'm just unfortunate, to be straight."

"No. Just like I said before, had you worked hard enough you could've win. It's not luck but the effort you put in that helps you succeed."

"You really are a strong candidate. Guess I'll be the runner up once again." He winked, actually winked at me with a smirk. I almost cringed on the inside.

With the person sitting in front of me the journey seemed to be taking forever. I really hoped to survive this.