"There is no moment more alive than the one before something begins." ~ Unknown
Each compartment held five seats. Selina and her friends had claimed one; other classmates filled the remaining spaces. When the train began to move, someone produced a deck of cards, and the aisle soon became a gathering place. The compartment hummed with laughter and the shuffle of cards.
Michael stayed and observed quietly. He found his gaze drifting toward the center of the group, where Selina sat cross‑legged on a seat, her hair loose now, falling over her shoulders in dark waves.
Her eyes swept the compartment during a lull in the game and stopped on him. He was smiling at something. Something flickered in her expression, a quiet surprise, before she looked away.
He's handsome, she thought. When did I start noticing that?
The night deepened. The card games wound down, replaced by quieter conversations. One by one, passengers retreated to their berths.
Around one in the morning, Michael woke up unable to sleep. He slipped out of his berth, grabbed his phone and AirPods, and padded toward the passageway between compartments.
The door slid open with a soft hiss. The passage was narrow, lit only by the moonlight filtering through the glass. And there, leaning against the wall, was Selina.
She had a vape pen in her hand, the faint glow of the LED illuminating her fingers. When she heard the door, she startled, quickly tucking the device behind her back. Her eyes widened when she recognised him.
For a heartbeat, neither of them moved.
Then Michael closed the door behind him. "You can keep doing your thing. I won't say anything."
Selina exhaled, a mixture of relief and residual embarrassment colouring her cheeks. "Thanks…"
He moved to the opposite end of the passage, giving her space. He put in his AirPods, queued a soft playlist, and leaned against the window. Outside, the moon traced a silver path on distant fields, trees reduced to silhouettes.
A presence settled beside him. He turned. Selina had crossed the small space, her vape now tucked into her pocket. She gestured to his AirPods. "Can I have one?"
He unclipped the right earbud and handed it over. She fitted it into her ear just as the song shifted, a slow, melancholic melody with a gentle piano line. A smile spread across her face.
"I knew it. You're the type who likes soft songs."
Most men his age favoured pop or rock; she'd half‑expected something else. But this, this fit him. The quiet, the patience, the way he never seemed to need to fill silence with noise.
"Yeah," he said.
She tilted her head, studying him in the dim light. "Why did you get up? I thought everyone was asleep."
"I have trouble sleeping in unfamiliar places. Unless I'm completely exhausted, it's hard to settle." He paused. "You?"
She looked away. "My mother called. Just… family stuff."
He didn't press. She appreciated that.
"Listen," she said, lowering her voice. "About the smoking…"
"I wasn't planning to tell anyone." He met her eyes. Relief softened her expression. She leaned her shoulder against the window frame, close enough that their arms almost touched. "So since we're both stuck awake, let's do something. I'm bored."
"What should we do?"
"Hmm? Maybe watch a movie?"
"Okay. I'll get the blanket from my bed. We can put it down and sit."
She frowned. "Won't it get dirty?"
"I have a long coat in my bag. I can wear that. I don't get cold easily."
"Are you sure? I don't want you to be uncomfortable."
He was already moving toward the door. "I'm sure. You pick a movie."
He slipped back into the compartment, leaving Selina standing alone in the passage. She watched the door close behind him, music still playing in her ear.
She didn't know what to call the feeling settling in her chest. It wasn't just gratitude for his discretion or the comfort of company. It was something quieter, something that felt like the moment before a song begins, the space waiting to be filled.
She smiled to herself and began scrolling through her phone for a movie.