The Morning Train

3. Gums and papers

Jamie just got on the 6 a.m. train with earphones plugged in her ears as she settled on her seat when she saw 'him' already seated in front of her to the right. He was asleep with his arms folded on his stomach and his bag on his lap. She looked at him annoyingly then looked away and snagged her earphones out of her ears, her morning ruined again.

'So we really do take the same train' Jamie thought mournfully as she thought of all her morning ride that will be ruined because of the guy.

In order to distract herself from the annoying guy and stop herself from possibly throwing things at him she just played on her phone the rest of the ride, not once looking away from the game she's playing.

After 30 minutes the train slowed down and the doors were opening again. Looking up from her phone and to the right Jamie was surprised to see him looking back at her. After a moment she frowned at him which made him smile. 'The fuck?' It was getting weird so she looked away abruptly and began to walk to the doors.

Getting out of the train she felt a slight tug on her hair causing her to whip around and catch sight of the guy's  back walking away from her. 'The heck was that?' She was confused as to why the guy didn't do more like usual but just shrugged it off thinking maybe the guy was finally dropping whatever he was playing at.

On the way to the cafe Jamie got odd looks from passersby which made her uncomfortable. 'Why are they looking at me like that?' It was awkward to say the least and she was itching to get inside the safety of her cafe. Speed walking for 10 minutes more she finally reached the doorstep of her cafe and eagerly went in slamming the door in her haste.

"Woah, woah slow down girl what got your ass on fire?" Gwen asked from her spot at the counter arranging today's baked goods on display.

"People are staring at me weird I don't know why" She said in one breath as she caught her breath on a nearby chair.

Gwen finished the displays and stood back up.

"People are staring at you? That's kinda creepy"

"Yeah it was really weird it was creeping me out, do I have something on my face?"

Gwen surveyed her face but there was nothing but when Jamie looked sideways she caught sight of something green.

"Wait what's that on your hair?" Gwen asked as she leaned closer on the countertop to see what it was.

"On my hair?" Jamie asked confusedly as she felt her hair, then on the right side of the back of her head she felt something stuck to her hair then realization dawned on her. It was a gum, 'his' gum to be exact that was what she felt this morning at the train doors, and she was wondering why he didn't do anything this morning.

Fuming, Jamie threw the gum on the floor angrily.
"I'm gonna kick his ass someday I swear!"

"Hey now who do you think cleans the floor?" Harry emerged from the door at the other side of the counter opposite of the kitchen door holding a mop and a bucket.

"It's just a little gum don't panick princess" Gwen rolled her eyes at him.

"Shut up Guinnever" Harry snapped back prolonging the name Guinnever

"Don't. Call. Me. That" Gwen and Harry are now having a glaring contest which does distract Jamie for a while. As much as she's pissed she's also interested in these two who have been pissing each other off since they started working here. Gwen has a good relationship with Larry but not so much with his twin Harry which has always been a mystery to Jamie.

After a few moments of glaring at each other Jamie decided to interrupt and walked between them.

"Ooookayyyyy get back to work it's already 7:00, time is running!" With that they went back to work quietly while Jamie went to the kitchen were Larry was putting bread in the oven.

"Still got no idea what started it?" Jamie asked referring to Gwen and Harry's behavior towards each other.

"We've been wondering the same thing for two years now hadn't we? And we still don't have a clue why they're like that even two years later, it's best to just leave them be maybe they were destined to not like each other." He said with a resigned sigh looking at the door Jamie came from.

With an identical sigh, Jamie set down her bag on the couch at the far right side of the room and got a blue apron identical to everyone else's on a hook by the door on her way out of the room. Getting to the counter, her day continued on as usual.

The next day Jamie was determined to give payback for the gum yesterday, so she imagined different scenarios as she waits for the train in the subway. After a few minutes there were already a crowd of people surrounding her as they too waits for the train. There were newcomers coming to join them and when Jamie looked back he saw 'him'.

Head hanged low as he types on his phone, bag on one side of his shoulder. Before he can look up Jamie crouched a little and edged her way to the back close to him. It seems like he wasn't paying attention to his surroundings, completely submerged on his phone so Jamie took advantage of that to sidle beside him. 'Payback time' She thought darkly as they move towards the now open doors of the train.

Stepping through the doors she casually put her foot to the right and he went tumbling into an old woman in front of him phone still clutched tight in his hands. Jamie was quick to find a seat and plopped down triumphantly. She had a hard time reigning in her smile though so she quickly got out her phone, plugged in her earphones and closed her eyes, celebrating in her mind as she heard the old woman scolding him throughout the whole ride.

When the train stopped at their station, Jamie knew enough to let him go first. So using the people around them as shield she successfully hid from him. But then someone shoved her from behind, when she looked back there's no one there so she assumed it was just an accidental push. Her good mood continued out the station until people giggled behind her back.

They weren't looking at her but when she passed by them some of them would laugh quietly. She knew at once that it was his doing, it seems like she wasn't able to hide from him after all. So she found herself speed walking to the cafe again and showing her back at Gwen asking what's wrong with her back this time. But when she turned her back at Gwen to have her examine it she bursts into a laughing fit that has her gasping for breath.

"What is it?!" She demanded irritatedly when Gwen wouldn't stop laughing. Gwen held her arm up and went over to Jamie, she plucked something stuck on Jamie's back and gave it to her. Jamie looked at it and was astounded, it was a white paper with the big words 'I'm a booger' in it complete with a doodle of a disgusting looking booger inside a nose.

'Yeah maybe I should just kick him in the balls tomorrow'