The Girl He Won't Remember

Chapter 16

As much as I loved Appa, I couldn't have been happier when I boarded the train. However, it was going to be a long way to where I was headed, and the train was only taking me halfway. If there was one thing that I missed already, it was the fresh air. The train station, and the train, was filled with a sour stench, and I'd have to endure it for a day and a half. I sat myself in an empty seat in the first class car (which I'd only been able to access thanks to the Beifong passport I, um, borrowed...) and looked through the window as the city slowly drifted away. A girl sat in the seat across from me, smiling at me as the train slowly drew away from the station. "My name is Jin," she said without me asking, smiling sweetly at me. "What's your name?"

"Lily," I lied without meaning to. Why not have a new name in your new life?, I thought. "I'm Lily."

"It's nice meet you, Lily," she smiled again. Jin was a very pale girl, and her dark hair and eyes didn't help that, but her smile was infectious. "So where are you headed?"

"Ba Sing Se," I impulsively decided. "I want to start anew. How about you?"

Her smile widened. "I'm going to Ba Sing Se! I live there, though." She laughed. "You should come visit me sometime."

I finally smiled back at her and said, "I just might." There was a long silence, and I was okay with that. I looked out the window and watched the farmers working in their fields, a man and his goat-dog chasing a rabaroo frantically. 

"So why are you starting over?" Jin asked, ruining my serenity.

I shrugged. "This war has taken a major toll on my life," I said. "I just want a fresh start. That's why I chose Ba Sing Se. It's the safest city in the world right now, and I don't know anyone there— with the exception of you, now. It just seems like the best option for me."

She pursed her lips, fiddling with her bag before plunging her hand into it and pulling out a scroll. "You remind me of Cheng," she said, "the character of this story I've been rereading. He left for the war, but, when he comes home from a victorious battle, he finds that everything is different: the love of his life has a family with someone else, his parents passed away, and his younger brothers had become fugitives." She handed the book to me. "Maybe you can learn something from his journey."

I accepted the scroll. "This all sounds rather depressing."

"No," Jin laughed. "It has a happy ending."

"Well, thank you," I smiled. "It's been a long day, though. I'm going to get some sleep." Without another word, I adjusted myself and rested my head on the window. Closing my eyes, the rocking of the locomotive swayed me to sleep quickly. For once, I wasn't thrown into a nightmare, but I didn't dream either. It was like I had paused the world.

I woke hours later to movement around me. Carefully, I looked over my shoulder and found Jin playing with my hair. Having been around Sokka for so long, his behavior had rubbed off on me; I sat up and shifted in a melodramatic panic, knocking the scroll onto the floor. 

"Sorry to startle you," she suppressed a laugh. "You were pulling your hair in your sleep, so I thought I'd do you a favor." My hand instantly went to my head, feeling my hair tied in a neat and tight ponytail— except for a small section that dangled along the side of my face. She handed me a cup from a small cart. "They brought us tea. It isn't very hot anymore, but I figured you might still want some."

"How much longer until we reach the next stop?" I asked, sipping the cold tea. Iroh would've been immensely disappointed. 

"Wait, you aren't going straight to Ba Sing Se?" Jin looked shocked. "The next stop is for the ferry, for the refugees. Why do that when the train will take you directly to the city?"

I shrugged. "Something about being at sea makes me feel at ease." I downed the tea. "I feel at home on a ship."

She smiled at me. "You're interesting," she said. "We have three hours until we stop." I only nodded. Jin quickly changed the subject. "So, what's your life been like?" She asked.

"It's, um," I gave a nervous laugh, "been a mess."

She grinned, not giving up. "I'd love to hear all about it." It was that infectious smile of hers that persuaded me to tell her everything— as vaguely as possible. I told her that I grew up with a rich family that'd taken me in, how I had been raised alongside their son and daughter. I told her of my relationship with the son, replacing his banishment with being a runaway. I told her of his uncle being our guide throughout our travels, and how I'd always been so protective of him until I departed from him. I finished by telling her of how I'd rejoined childhood friends from the Southern Water Tribe, and how I'd recently departed from them to finally be independent and live in peace. "Wow." After thirty seconds of silence, she said, "You were right. It's a mess." She then laughed. "Do you think you'll ever see the boy again? You know, the one you grew up with?"

"I doubt it," I told her. "We didn't leave things on the best terms. Even if we did meet, I don't think he would be so happy to see me."

"From what I hear, you two were at your happiest when you were together. I think you guys are meant to be."

I couldn't help but laugh. We spent the rest of the train ride talking about Ba Sing Se. I'd learned that her parents were refugees, and that there was a bakery near her home that was always looking for help if I was interested. Jin spoke excitedly about her favorite spot in entire city, a fountain that is surrounded by lit lanterns every evening and night. She insisted that she show me when I arrived. My stop eventually came, and we hugged before parting ways.

Only one day on my own, and I'd already made a friend. 

I was going to be just fine.