As if things couldn’t get worse, the other passengers in the car departed. It was as if they could feel the tension and escaped to the platform as quickly as they could. She swore one guy clipped the opening doors as he fled. Mina watched them depart, knowing that soon it would only be them left. She bit at a fingernail, awaiting the inevitable.
Mina couldn’t not smile at her dismal luck, and when Max piped up, the only thing she could do was laugh. It was a reedy sound from someone knowing the punchline all too well. An ironic smile followed, welcoming his gesture of the empty carriage. Again, she was in on the joke and accepted the surreal situation with as much sullen grace as she could muster.
“Yeah. You can say that.” She agreed, sharing his tone, and put away her phone. The time for scrolling had passed. It was time to be an adult. Mina pulled herself from her seat by the closest grab bar and crossed the distance. She slid into seats in front of Max and nestled with her back against the window, her long legs stretched across the adjoining seat. Contrite, she looked Max in the eye and asked, “can we start again?”
Mina couldn’t not smile at her dismal luck, and when Max piped up, the only thing she could do was laugh. It was a reedy sound from someone knowing the punchline all too well. An ironic smile followed, welcoming his gesture of the empty carriage. Again, she was in on the joke and accepted the surreal situation with as much sullen grace as she could muster.
“Yeah. You can say that.” She agreed, sharing his tone, and put away her phone. The time for scrolling had passed. It was time to be an adult. Mina pulled herself from her seat by the closest grab bar and crossed the distance. She slid into seats in front of Max and nestled with her back against the window, her long legs stretched across the adjoining seat. Contrite, she looked Max in the eye and asked, “can we start again?”