Yellow Jacket

A little excerpt from a "book" I am writing... not sure if this even has enough substance or is good enough to continue and try actually writing.

Cedric Jacobson knew little of the subway system.

First day in Stratford and Cedric felt like he was already ready to go home. It was already chilly in September, unlike his home town Bodington where the summer rays would grant sunshine well into October. The cool air mimicked the coldness of the strangers’ stares, as Cedric noticed nobody in the walk here, nor in the station, ever bothered to offer a friendly smile. The city turns you into a skeleton, Cedric’s grandmother once said. Everyday routines make you forget how to be yourself. Today, he can start to see what she meant.

Cedric clutched onto his lunch bag tightly, nervous he might somehow lose it on his way to campus. He had woken up an hour early to prepare a nice sandwich for himself. A sandwich nice enough that would maybe draw some lunch buddies to his lunch table. If universities had big lunch tables for sharing with people. Eating on campus from any of the expensive places (Burger King, Pizza Hut or Pressed) was simply not an option. He was trying to save up and spend as little as he can. Tuition and lodging made a large dent on his family’s savings account already.

He made his way to the middle of the platform, where the station map was located. He had already checked the schedule of the train countless times last night. 8:22 am Corona Station. He knew this already but just wanted to check again. It wasn’t like Bodington where he would walk everywhere or at least get a ride from Miss Judy down the street. In the city you were never alone �" with people passing you and cars honking �" but you were always on your own.

It was only 3 minutes until the train was scheduled to arrive. Cedric was nervous about his first class. Biology 107 with Professor Sanghera. He had his new laptop on his backpack, filled with syllabi from different classes. He looked at the time. 8:19 am. University students are filling up the station, his eyes were scanning the crowd, for a familiar face from Orientation the other day, but instead he eyes drew to a bright yellow jacket. Close to the platform.

A pair of soft brown shoes were straddling the very edge of the platform, her graceful feet balanced perfectly within the fine line between safety and gory death in about 30 seconds. The lights were signaling the arrival of the next train and and for a brief moment Cedric was paralyzed with fear for this girl. And for someone reason unbeknownst to him, Cedric’s frozen legs jumped for the bright yellow jacket. 

The train whizzed by just in time as Cedric had wrapped his arms around this girl he did not know and pulled her. There was a loud thud as Cedric hit the ground and acute pain in his shins. For a moment Cedric didn’t know what he just did, in front of everyone, in a completely new city when he felt a squirming body under him.

“Get off me! What is WRONG with you?!” a girl cried from underneath him. She was struggling to stand up and Cedric rolled on his side to let her stand. “Are you crazy?!?”

He looked up and saw her soft, curly brown hair in a high ponytail. Her face was contorted in an expression between anger and confusion. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry.” Cedric said, picking up his fallen back pack. “I thought, I thought you were….”

“What? Going to jump off?” She said, her green eyes bright with fury “Do you think I’m crazy?!” A sea of people just walked passed them into the train and she was hitting him with her fists, punching every part of him she could reach. “You, f*****g, moron!”

“Stop, stop, hold on, stop �" ah! �" what are you doing?! Stop!” Cedric was trying to get a hold of her hands to try to stop her. People were looking at them and the girl just would not stop. Cedric stepped back a little to distance himself, when the train’s doors closed down.

The girl realized the train was about to leave and pounded on the train doors. “No! Stop! Don’t leave!” she cried, but it was too late. The train had left.

Cedric looked on the ground and found his lunch bag trampled on. He picked it up and found his sandwich almost completely crushed; he thought he could still save it, maybe wrap it in itself and call it a donair. So much for luring friends with delicious sandwiches.

“Look what you did, you made me miss the train!” the girl screamed.

“That wasn’t my fault you kept punching me for no reason!” Cedric defended himself.

“I wouldn’t jump off the train tracks you idiot. Maybe next time you mind your own business.”

“I’m sorry, I really am.” Cedric said, and the optimistic side of himself thought maybe she’d calm down if he talked about something else “Were you going to the university too?”

She looked at him, annoyed. “Oh you better not be one of those fools who ask for my number after they tackle me to the ground,” she said “Buy me dinner or offer me to bed first!”

Cedric was slightly shocked by how crass and open this girl was. Talking about going to bed with a random stranger without worrying about how other people might perceive her. Maybe this was part of being a skeleton, of losing your skin, in a big city. You’re surrounded by so many people that you become nearly invisible.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to come off like that…”

“You must be from out of town,” she said, eyeing his shoes “A little too proper for the first day of school. Well good luck mister and try a different tactic next time.” And with that, she stormed off the platform.

Cedric was standing there with a broken sandwich on one hand and a friendless morning on the other. His first day was not off to a good start. He looked at the time and was grateful for planning ahead because at least he was not late for his 9 am class. He sat at one of the benches as he waited for the next train, thinking about the crass girl in the bright yellow jacket.