Hyun Joong felt like he had just been slapped a second time when Autumn’s word “coward” echoed through the upper compartment of the carriage.

Hyun Joong suddenly stood up and looked at Autumn in the eye, his eyes glistening with angry tears.

“You don’t know me. Or Rose. Don’t act as if you know everything and everyone. Because you don’t.” Hyun Joong said in a low and menacing voice so only Autumn could hear him.

The train suddenly stopped.

“Next stop, Town Hall.” The announcer spoke.

Hyun Joong walked past Autumn and the others and out of the train with the door closing slowly behind him.

Everyone was now looking at Autumn who looked like she was about to burst into tears.

Autumn looked at her friends with a brave smile and said in a small and constricted tone,

“I want to go home.”

Everyone instantly know what she meant.

It meant, “ I want to go home and cry.”

Sammie stood up to where Autumn was standing and, taking her hand, they both slowly descended down the stairs to wait for the train to stop, everyone else following them.

***

Autumn felt her heard pierce itself when Hyun Joong walked past her after saying those words.

It was like Hyun Joong was stabbing her heard with every word he whispered to her with angry tears threatening to come out of this beautiful eyes.

Autumn was strong.

She didn’t want to show her friends the weak side of her and especially on public transport.

She stoo there, by herself, alone, in the middle of the isle with friends looking at her worriedly in every direction.

She forced herself to smile and persuaded her heard to not let her tears fall.

And, she guessed, that it had worked.

“I want to go home.” Autumn said to her friends in a constricted voice that she couldn’t ignore.

It was that stinging feeling in that told her, no, warned her that she was about to cry.

Sammie walked up to Autumn and smiled at her encouragingly and, taking her hand, she took her down to the waiting compartment to wait for the train to stop at Town Hall station.

When they train did stop eventually at Town Hall, the eight of them stepped out onto a crowded platform and walked quietly to the station that bristled with people.

Sammie turned towards the others.

“You guys go have fun. I’ll take Autumn home.” Sammie said.

Everyone looked at each other and then back at Sammie.

In one go they all replied,

“No.”

Sammie sighed, frustrated and was about to retort when Autumn stepped up.

You guys go have fun. This is all my fault. I don’t want to drag you guys into this.”

“You already have.” Jonghyun said absentmindedly but instead, he received a kick from his new girlfriend, Iris and death glares from everyone else.

Autumn smiled at Jonghyun and then turned to Sammie with the same smile on her agile face.

“You too Sammie.”

Sammie began to protest but was stopped by Autumn’s shake of a head.

“I want some time alone.”

Sammie stopped protesting immediately and just nodded her head, her eyes looking at Autumn worriedly.

“Now,” Autumn said loudly after awhile of silence.

“Which platform do I get on?” She asked with a genuine smile on her face but all her friends, including Autumn, knew that she was forcing herself to be cheerful.

Sammie pointed at a platform and Autumn nodded.

She walked towards that platform, followed by everyone else.

She turned around to face them.

“You guys go have fun. I’ll talk to you on MSN or something.” She said and began to push them away.

“Are you sure-“ Sammie began.

“I’m sure.” Autumn cut across her, mid-sentence.

“But-“ Soph began.

“No buts.” Autumn said, cutting Soph off as well.

“You guys. I can look after myself okay? I’ll see you at school!” Autumn ended her sentence before anyone else could protest and walked down the station, waving good bye at them before disappearing from view.

“Will she really be okay?” Soph asked worriedly after a moment of silence as she turned to face her friends.

“I don’t know…” Carol said helplessly.

“I don’t think this is right. We should go after her to make sure she gets home safely-“

Sammie stopped Iris from moving forwards to go down the station, onto the platform.

“Sammie…” Sammie stopped looking down the stirs but turned to face her friends who all just questioned her action with their eyes.

Sammie smiled.

“She wanted some time alone she told me.” Sammie replied to all their questions in one swift go.

“Plus…” Sammie turned back around to look down the stairs.

“I’m sure she is going to be okay.”

***

As Autumn stood there on the platform, waiting for the train to arrive, she could suddenly feel the tears come back again.

“No…not now. Not now.” She whispered frantically herself, not wanting to embarrassed herself in public.

Then, Autumn heard the train sounds become louder and louder and she took a step back as a gust of fierce wind blew through and the train came into view.

She looked up at the computer board high up and seeing that this train goes to Killara, she stepped on.

She walked up the stairs and was surprised to find that literally the top compartment was empty.

She walked down the isle and she stopped at a one seater and the every end.

“Perfect…” She said to herself.

She sat down as the train began to go forward towards her home.

“…You don’t know me…”

Hyun Joong’s words suddenly pierced through her heart tears began to swell out of her eyes, not listening to her command any longer.

“…Don’t act as if you know everything…”

Autumn continued to cry, her face buried in her hands.

Why, why did I have to say those words to him…

Autumn said to herself, crying harder than ever.

I didn’t want to hurt him like that…

She said to herself once again.

I just want him to walk out of his past…

Autumn’s hands were now so wet, that she was cupping onto a pool of tears.

So I can love him…