Subway Angel

Her kindness knows no boundaries...1

Her elegance is unmatched...2

Her smile is flawless...3

She is the epitome of perfection, the creation of an All-knowing.4

-----5

Click. Click. Click.  His shoes clacked on the tiled floor as he brushed past the many other students that were shuffling away idly in the school hallways.  The bell had rung only minutes ago, and everyone was opening their lockers, packing their school items, and chatting up storms and other natural disasters while waiting for their choice of transportation to arrive to take them to their abodes.6

Not this young man.7

Ignoring the laughing, the weeping, the howling, and other nauseating noises made by his peers, the tall, ashen ebony-brunette finally came to his locker.  Number two sixty-five, on the first floor of the academy.  Hastily grabbing his mathematics, literature, and fine arts books, he scurried around a corner and left through the steel double-doors only to embrace the clear, frosted November air.8

"Hey, Bastion, where are you going?"9

"Hm? Oh, Jaden.  Hello.  I was just on my way to the subway station." Bastion replied in his semi-heavy British accent and smiled politely at the redhead.  Jaden raised an eyebrow and slightly tilted his head to the side, his shaggy hair covering the right side of his face. "Why?  Don't you want to take the bus with your pals?" The taller boy shook his head sternly.  "Forgive me," he answered, "but I must go to the library to study.  I'll meet you and the others later on tonight at the mall, perhaps?"10

"Yeah, sure. All right. See you, Bastion!" Jaden took off running in the direction of where the city bus was waiting, engine gunning to heed the other students to quickly enter it.  Before Jaden was swept into the bus by the other kids scrambling to get in, Bastion could have sworn he heard the boy mutter something along the lines of, "he spends too much of his time studying."11

He was not fazed, of course. He was told that often.  After waving off the bus, he turned on his heel and walked to the town underground subway station.12

[My life is brilliant.13

My love is pure.] 14

As he jaunted, a light snowfall began to add a peaceful feeling and scenery to his surroundings.  By the time Bastion reached the stairway to the station beneath the cold Earth, the shoulders of his yellow school uniform were noticeably covered by the white baubles.  He looked at the dry, dark walls of the subway; vandalized, chipped, and old.  Sighing, the ebony-brunette walked up to the ticket booth and requested for a pass.15

"Aaron," he heard a bright and lovely voice, like a clear crystal bell, ring through out the crowd of strangers, "you need to hurry.  The subway for Central Exeter is about to come.  Do you want to be late?" Curious, Bastion looked into the crowd to see a young girl in the midst of the shifting adults, teenagers, and children.  His gray eyes widened.16

[I saw an angel.17

Of that I'm sure.]18

She was about his age. Petite yet well built; curvy yet reserved; she had long auburn hair in loose curls, covering her back and breasts; she was very pale, but looked healthy; her eyes were clear, deep and of a hazel color, and her light chestnut colored eyeshadow complimented them greatly.  She was, indeed, spectacular in Bastion's eyes.19

He must have stared at her for too long because she soon returned his gaze.  But it wasn't a scolding, insulted, or surprised notice she gave him. Her rosebud lips softly curled into a pretty smile and her eyes seemed to light up even more when Bastion came into her view.  Confused and flustered, Bastion glanced around him to see if she could be giving that lovely smile to someone else.  Apparently, she wasn't.20

[She smiled at me on the subway.21

She was with another man.]22

Much to the boy's dismay, another person was with her.  Another boy.  He was handsome, no doubt about that, but he didn't seem of this world while standing next to an angel.  He had tanned skin and shiny raven hair, and was two or three feet taller than the girl.  His arm was around her waist.23

[But I won't lose no sleep on that,24

'Cause I've got a plan.]25

Bastion blinked his mind beginning to comprehend that the girl, that angel, was already together with someone.  Someone whose name wasn't "Bastion Laramie."  He saw the girl whisper something into her company's ear, causing him to pull away from her casually and shrug his shoulders.  Then she looked back at Bastion and smiled that wonderful smile again.26

[You're beautiful. You're beautiful.27

You're beautiful, it's true.28

I saw you face in a crowded place,29

And I don't know what to do,]30

She took the sable-headed boy's hand and started to walk up to Bastion. Shocked, he began to panic. What was she doing?  Why is she with that boy? What's going on? What's happening? All these questions and more swam around in the ebony-brunette's head like a school of fish darting from side to side. "It's Bastion, isn't it?  Hi." She said my name, he thought intensely. She said my name!31

"Uh, yes.  Yes it is. I... may I ask your name?" He stammered to reply.  The angel smiled once again.  "Yes, you may. I'm Alida.  This," she motioned to the boy whose arm was once again around her lovely waist, "is Aaron.  I know this seems strange, but I noticed you were from Phillips Exeter Academy."  Bastion blinked. "How did you know that?"  Even as he grew familiar with Alida's presence being so close, he couldn't help but stumble with his words.32

"Simple," Aaron pitched in; "you're wearing the Exeter Academy uniform.  Duh."  He pulled her closer to his body.  Their relationship was so obvious to Bastion it hurt.33

['Cause I'll never be with you.]34

"Oh, right..." Bastion muttered as he averted his eyes from Aaron's leer.  "I saw you in the school library a few days ago when we were studying," Alida went on, ignoring the tension between the two boys, "and I just wanted to say hello. I know we don't share any classes, but some of my friends talk about you, and tell me that you're a very intelligent and nice guy."35

[Yeah, she caught my eye,36

As we walked on by.37

She could see from my face that I was,38

Fucking high,]39

Intelligent. Nice. She was calling him all these things, and he couldn't help but blush and smile like a complete goof. "Real... really?  They... talk about me  To you? I mean, tell you about me?" Smooth, he thought, real smooth. But his behavior made Alida smile even more, as if she understood how he felt and that it was okay. But her boyfriend clearly didn't want to be around Bastion, and looked at him as if he were a deadly virus that he did not want to catch. Or have Alida catch, for that matter.40

Aaron was about to say something, perhaps an excuse to leave with the angel, but he was interrupted by the loud announcement of the subway train arriving for those going to Central Exeter. Perfect timing, both Bastion and Aaron thought; only Bastion was being bitterly sarcastic.  "Oh, that's our ride." Bastion could have sworn something stabbed him when he heard those words come from Alida's mouth.41

"Are you going to Central, too, Bastion?" It could have been his imagination, but he thought the girl looked hopeful for him to accompany her.  Aaron frowned, hoping the exact opposite. He looked at her, disappointment clouding his eyes. "No, Alida, I'm not.  I'm... sorry."  42

Aaron proudly smirked.  Alida slightly frowned.43

"That's all right. I was just... no, really it's okay. Well, good bye, Bastion." She turned around and lifted her hand to wave at him formally, but Bastion's rival took her palm and held it defensively and walked ahead, forcing her to follow. "W-wait! Alida, will I... I mean we'll talk tomorrow at school, right?" Hope burned inside his chest. Yes, he had a shot at being with her. Maybe when she found out how "nice" Bastion could be, she would leave Aaron.44

Wishful thinking and not very likely, but plausible none the less.  Before she could answer him herself, the green-eyed, jealousy stricken boy replied, "Nope, sorry pal. She's moving to Meriden to go to Kimball Union Academy with me." He emphasized "me" possessively. 45

[And I don't think that I'll see her again,46

But we shared a moment that will last till the end.]47

[You're beautiful. You're beautiful.48

You're beautiful, it's true.49

I saw you face in a crowded place,50

And I don't know what to do,51

'Cause I'll never be with you.]52

That son of a bitch, Bastion thought angrily, Alida deserves better. He watched them access the train and take off to Central Exeter.  He could only stand on the steps, dazed and sad and angry.  He was a pessimist when it came to love and the whole lot. His main focus was his schooling, grades, and the like. But Cupid had smacked him with a hammer.  A heavy hammer.53

"Kimball, why Kimball?  What's wrong with Phillips Exeter?" He thought out loud. The only things that responded to his questions were the shuffling of feet, whispering of conversations, and the screeching of the trains' brakes through out the station.54

[You're beautiful. You're beautiful.55

You're beautiful, it's true.]56

He took a seat on one of the cement benches, not caring if it was deathly cold. "I don't understand why..." he let his sentence flutter away with the cool winter breeze that tumbled down the stairway and swept the subway floor. He could not get Alida out of his mind.57

[There must be an angel with a smile on her face,58

When she thought up that I should be with you.59

But it's time to face the truth,]60

Bastion briefly scratched the back of his head and leaned his head against the surface of a moist wall. He thought, he pondered, he calculated and created scenarios of how he could move to Meriden and attend Kimball Union Academy with her; it was a boarding school, but with his advanced grades, he could easily pass the entrance exams, whatever they may be.61

But he came to a conclusion. One that, if it were physical and not abstract, would have slapped him in the face and left a permanent mark.  "Those going to West Exeter, please board!" The subway conductor announced after the speakers. "Just in time," Bastion mumbled softly, and presented his pass to the conductor as he set about the train. Taking a seat, he sighed and deeply thought about Alida, repeating the answer to this terrible predicament:62

[I will never be with you.]63