An Unexpected Romance

Chapter 1

"Come on, Susan, we need to get to the train station. We've only got a few minutes before it arrives."

Susan had her nose buried in a magazine. If she's as taken with this magazine as her furrowed brow says she is, she has no idea I'm even speaking to her right now.

"Sue," I nudge her with my elbow.

"Hm? Oh yes, we should get going," Susan puts down the article and adjusts her bag on her shoulder.

We turn in the direction of the train station, but before we could even take a step forward a boy stops us in our tracks.

"You go to Saint Finbar's," The boy declares. He's a bit awkward, but his demeanor seems friendly.

"That's right," Susan states bluntly.

I raise an eyebrow. Neither Susan nor I quite like being approached by strangers, and we are already in a bit of a rush.

"I go to Henson House across the road," he replies with a half smile. "I've seen you sitting by yourself."

"Yes, well, we both prefer to be left alone," I say firmly but sympathetically.

He's clearly trying to flirt with Susan, but I've seen boys try it before. It often ends with the boy being harshly rejected, and clearly this encounter is about end the same way.

Unfortunately, he either ignored or didn't get the hint.

"Me too!" He exclaims.

I roll my eyes. I tried to spare him, but he's on his own now.

"What's your name?" he asks Susan.

"Phyllis," she retorts. I try to hide my smirk.

Susan hasn't ever paid attention to boys as long as I've known her. We've been friends for a while, but we'd got particularly close in the last year because we were taking many of the same classes in school. She was a couple years older than me, but I had taken advanced classes over break to move up in class rank. Susan is even more dedicated to her studies than I, and she is not prepared to let boys distract her.

Before the boy has a chance to respond, Susan's little sister Lucy comes running up from behind the boy.

"Susan!" She calls.

A puzzled look crosses the boy's face, and I laugh to myself. Poor Sue can't catch a break with this one.

"You better come quickly," Lucy sighs.

She gives me a little nod before taking off towards the train station.

Susan looks at me and back at the boy. She hastens after her little sister, and I quickly follow her after shooting an apologetic glance at the boy we're leaving behind.

Lucy leads us down to the station, and we're suddenly slowed down by a crowd blocking the stairs to the platform. The people are jeering and crying out.

Oh no, I think to myself. Not again.

Susan has two brothers: an older one, Peter, and a younger one who is about my age, Edmund. There are four Pevensie siblings in total, and they have always been very tight-knit. I'm closest to Susan, of course, but the siblings have mostly all been kind to me since I've known them. Edmund used to be a bit of a problem, but he's grown up a lot in the last year.

About a year ago, something changed with the siblings. The Pevensies were still themselves, but they carried themselves differently, and their dynamic with each other changed significantly. The four of them became obviously closer with each other. Lucy, the youngest, had grown in her confidence and kindness, and her siblings had started taking her more seriously in the last year. Susan had allowed herself to become more empathetic, but she still let her logical mind and rationality get the better of her at times. That's why we get along so well, I think, because I appreciate her need for logic in all situations.