The Midnight Train Crossing

A boy was walking down a high school hallway, engrossed in his laptop computer.
He held it open with both of his hands, reading through a new tech article he had downloaded off the internet that morning. Not only was it interesting, but it would gain him some (unneeded) extra credit in the class.

He was so absorbed in it that he didn't notice someone come up behind him and start walking next to him. He didn't realize that he was being slowly but surely edged towards the wall until he smacked into it and let out a startled cry of surprise.

Three athletic looking students of about his age (or perhaps a year older) surrounded him.
"Uh.... hello..." Kevin managed. He pushed his glasses back up his nose from where they had fallen.
"What have you got here?" the leader of the group asked, deftly relieving Kevin of his computer.
"Hey!" Kevin protested, "Give that back... please?"
"I just want to see what you're up to," he answered, scanning through what was on the screen.
"I... I've got to get t-to class," Kevin stammered weakly.
The jock made a face at what was on the screen. "Boring."
"I-I....I was reading that for... for extra credit..." he managed quietly.

The jock hit the button to shut the power off to the computer and closed the lid.
"No...." he cried out softly as the leader shut the computer off wrong.
Kevin let out an "oof" as his computer was shoved harshly into his arms - and into his stomach.

They laughed and closed in around him, effectively trapping him.
He swallowed hard and pressed himself back against the wall. He held his computer tightly to his chest as they shoved him around, pushing him back and forth, bullying him.
He closed his eyes tightly, praying that just shoving him was all they were going to do.

"Hey!" a female voice called.
Kevin opened his eyes to see one of the most popular, and prettiest girls in school approaching them.
Her name was Samantha... even her name was pretty... but he knew that she wouldn't even give him a second look. Still, he felt himself grow weak when she came closer.

"Hey Samantha!" the leader replied, turning to her.
"What are you guys doing?" she asked.
"We were just asking Kevin here if he'd help us with our homework," he answered.
She raised a brow at that, "Since when do you guys care about your homework?"
"We always have Samantha," he insisted.
"Uh huh."
"We're just having problems in Technological Math and were wondering if he'd help us out."
"Well you guys coulda fooled me... it looked like you were pushing him around."
"We were just..." He then changed the subject. "Hey Samantha, how'd you like to have the pleasure in going to dinner with me tomorrow. Possibly a movie too."
Kevin's heart broke at that offer. She would probably say 'Yes' of course. It only made sense. There was no reason that she would notice him anyway. He had no reason to be so upset, yet...
He tried to slip away, but one of the others stopped him.

"Nah," she answered (Much to everyone's surprise.)
"Aw c'mon Samantha. I promise a good time."
"Not interested," she said
He moved in on Samantha, leaning against the lockers in front of her, "It'll be fun."
"You ought to know something about me," she said
"Oh?" he raised a brow, "I think I know plenty."
"This," she indicated the others stopping Kevin, "this bullying nonsense..." she yawned, "Terribly boring."
"Bullying?" The leader acted surprised by this. "There's bullying?" he turned back to his group.
"And you were quite in the middle of it," she said, "So I'm afraid that I simply cannot go out with you."
"Me? I had no idea this was going on."
She nodded, "Make sure it stays that way."
he nodded then said, " so will you?"
"Not tonight," she said again
"This weekend then. I'll pick you up around 7"
"Nope, I'm busy."
"Next Friday."

"I think..." she said thoughtfully, "That you'll need to prove to me that you won't be the least bit boring."
"How?"
"You'll just have to make sure that I don't catch you or any of your friends at anything so boring as bullying."
"It's your loss," the leader said as he turned to go.

As the others left, each shoved Kevin up against the wall with the last one nearly knocking the laptop from his hands. He gave out a small frightened cry and tried to save his computer. He caught it, but his glasses flew off and landed on the floor.
Samantha reached down and picked up his glasses. "Are you alright?" she asked, holding them out to him.
He was embarrassed beyond all belief. 'Well done Kevin' he thought to himself, 'She certainly noticed you now.' At that thought, he felt his cheeks starting to burn and he knew he was turning red. He couldn't look at her face.

"Kevin, right?" she asked.
That caught him by surprise and he looked up into the most beautiful brown eyes he had ever seen. "How....how did you...?"
"We have a class together," she said with a smile that somehow put him a bit more at ease, "Computer programing."
"We do?" he asked in surprise.

She nodded.
He blushed even more and took his glasses back from her. "I... I-I better get t-to class..." Mentally he scolded himself for the stutter. 'Very smooth'
"Alright," Samantha said, "I'll see you around."
"...M-maybe..."
"Of course I will," she smiled again, "In class."
He risked a very small smile back.
"I'll see you around then." With that she continued off down the hallway.

He watched her go. Not only was she beautiful, but she was nice too... even if it was a little embarrassing to have her 'save' him. Still... she hadn't seemed to mind... and she had turned down a date with one of the jocks because he had been the one pushing Kevin around, so maybe...
No. He stopped that train of thought. There was no way on earth someone like *her* would be interested...

She suddenly came to a stop and walked back to him, "Oh Kevin?"
"Yeah....?" He tensed a little, worried about what she was going to say now.
She pulled out her cell phone, "What's your email?"
That took him completely by surprise. He had been expecting her to say that she wouldn't help him next time, or not to bother her... "My-my email?" he repeated.
She nodded, holding her phone, ready to enter it.
"I.... it's...i-it's..." For a moment his mind went blank. 'Calm down Kevin! Think!' "It's... It's K- Kevin K- Khashoggi at globalsoft d-dot com..." he told her, after going over it in his head first to make sure he had it right.
She looked up at him, "How d'you spell your last name?"
He took a deep breath and mentally went over how to spell his name. He was determined to get through spelling his name without a stutter. "K....H....A....S...H...O....G....G...I." 'Whew.'
"Thanks," she said, entering it, "I'll see you around."
"Sure..." he said softly, his heart fluttering around in his chest as he watched her go.

Later on that day, he was sitting at a computer in his programming classes working on a difficult assignment.
He was surprised by a soft bip as his computer alerted him that he had email. There wasn't supposed to be any emailing in class.
Kevin looked up and around the room, seeing that the teacher was at the other end of the room helping someone else. He quickly opened his email to see what it was. The senders address was from DarkBraids@globalsoft.net.
That didn't look familiar, but he opened it anyway.

"Hi Kevin!" the email read, "Well no wonder you didn't know that we're in the same class - you never look up, and you certainly never look back."
He turned his head to the back of the room to see Samantha seated several rows behind him, smiling at him. He couldn't help but smile back. Wow. She had been telling the truth. AND she had emailed him too! 'Hey...' he mouthed back to her.

She smiled at him and pointed back to his computer, indicating he should keep reading. So he turned back.
"This is a tough assignment... what do you say we meet up after school to work on it? Give me a nod if you're up for it and we'll talk about it after class."

His eyes widened. She wanted to meet with him after school? He turned back around and gave her a small smile and a hesitant nod.
She grinned and nodded back.

He turned back to his computer and then sighed as it hit him. Why did he just say yes? She wasn't interested in *him* just his answers...

After class, he gathered up his things, pushed his glasses into place and exited the room.
"Kevin?"
He turned and came to a stop, seeing Samantha waiting for him.
"So you're free after school today then?"
"Yes..." he answered, "I-I don't usually go... go out Friday nights." He cringed as he said that. Lord, he sounded like such a loser.
But she had no real reaction to that. "Where d'you want to meet up after school?"
"Library?..." he suggested.
"Alright cool," she said, "I'll see you there then."
"...Alright."

The end of the day arrived and Kevin made his way to the library. He greeted the librarian who answered in kind before making his way to 'his table' near the back.
The library was pretty well empty, as usual.
He plugged in his computer and got set up. Then leaned back to wait.
Five very long minutes passed and he looked at his watch. Five minutes... Where was she?

"Hey Kevin," a voice said from behind him.
He turned around to see Samantha standing there. "Hey..." he said softly, growing self-conscience once more.
She sat down and pulled out her computer, a smaller, sleeker, newer model then his.
"Nice..." he commented.
"Thanks," she responded, turning her own on and getting set up.
He took a breath. Fine, so she wanted his answers, but he wasn't just going to straight give them to her.
"So... what do you understand?" he asked, opening the homework on his computer, not looking over at her.
"I've gotten all the calculations worked out, but I can't believe that the way I've got it is the most efficient way to write it..."
He blinked in surprise. She didn't just want him to do her homework for her?. "You've...." he started.
"Here look," she opened up her nearly finished homework and angled her computer so that he could see.
He looked through it, adjusting his glasses. She was nearly done with it.

They spent the next hour discussing the assignment.
He suggested some things that would help her make the program move smoother. And she had a few ideas that he hadn't even thought of.
"Of course... you don't have to do it that way..." he said with every suggestion. But she approved of most of them.
Kevin was starting to relax. His speech was steadier and he was more confident and he was actually enjoying himself.

"Kevin?" she asked after awhile.
He looked up at her, "Yes?"
"Are you hungry?" she asked.
He blinked, "What?"
She grinned, "Are you hungry?" she repeated.
"Now that you mention it... yes..." he admitted.
"Did you want to go get food?"
He blinked in surprise, "Me?"
"Yes you," she laughed lightly, but not meanly.
He blushed slightly, "Well... yes..."
"Alright," she saved and shut everything down. "I for one am hungry. So let's go something to eat."
"Both of us? Together?"
"Yes silly," she teased.
He blushed again as he put his computer away, pretending to be very absorbed in that task.
"Unless you don't want to..." she started.
"Oh no, I'd love to!"
She smiled, "Then let's go."

His heart fluttered wildly in his chest as he stood up and left the library with her. She led him down the street to a café where he had eaten once or twice.
She led him over to a booth.
As he followed her he was very unsure of what to do. Well, better sit across from her. That made the most sense.
She gave him a smile, "Thanks a lot for your help," she said, "We should do this again."
"I would like that," he answered. Then sighed inwardly, did that sound too eager? They were *just* working together on homework, and they were getting food. That's what she had called it. It was not a date. She had probably just invited him because he was there. It was not a date.

They ordered their food.
"So I take it that you like computer science?" she asked.
He gave a nod, "Yes. I'm very interested in all of that. I'd like to maybe be a programmer."
"That's cool," she said, "I'm pretty good at it I guess, but most our assignments generally aren't that exciting. My favorite class is English... or well, the lit. part of English anyway."
"Really?" he asked, "I suppose then... that you're in a more advanced English class then I am?"
She gave a nod, "I've got the regular English class for sophomores, but then I've got a more advanced literature class."
"Nice," he said.
"Yeah," she smiled, "I download a lot of books... and I'm at the library quite a bit too..."
He blinked, "I... haven't seen you."
"Well, I never stay for long," she said, "Usually I just pick up some things and take them home. But I've seen you sometimes, studying."
"Ah," he said, "Then you study mostly at home?"
"Yup," Samantha answered, "I can concentrate better there."
"I have the opposite," he said.
"That's cool," she said, "I know some people like that. Being at home is too distracting for some people."
'You've got that right...' he thought a bit sadly, but he only nodded.

Their food arrived. Several of the waiters greeted Samantha, some by name.
"Come here often?" he asked her.
"Yes," she smiled, "My aunt and uncle own the place actually."
"Well that would do it," he said, giving her another smile.

One of the waiters, who looked to be about the same age as Kevin and Samantha came over, greeted her and then gave her a kiss on the cheek.
Kevin felt his heart break. No wonder she hadn't wanted to go out with any of the jocks...
"Kevin, this is my cousin Brian," she introduced, "Brian, Kevin's in one of my classes and we were studying together."
'Cousin?' Kevin's spirits rose. She obviously wasn't dating him then. Rumor about her around the school was that she didn't have a boyfriend anyway.
"Hey," Brian greeted Kevin.
"Hello," he answered automatically.

"I've gotta get back to work," Brain said, "But I'll see ya 'round Samantha. Nice meeting you Kevin."

All too soon they were done eating, and there was no other reason for her to stay.
She looked at her watch, "Whoops... I've gotta get home." she looked up at him, "Would you mind taking care of the check?"
He blinked in surprise, "Uh... sure..."
She counted out some money and put it down on the table. "That should take care of my half."
"Alright," Ah, so she didn't mean that he should pay for her food too. That was good. He didn't mind, but he didn't think that he had enough money to cover hers too.
"Thanks," she said, "I'll see you on Monday then."
"Alright," he said again.
"Bye Kevin."
"Bye... Samantha."

Their 'study dates' as he came to think of them became a almost daily thing. They didn't always go out to eat afterwards, but that was fine with him.
He liked Samantha. A lot. Besides being pretty, she was smart and funny and nice. And to top it off, she seemed to like him too - at least as a friend.
But all this week, he had been trying to psyche himself up. Today was Thursday. Today he was going to ask her out on a real date for Friday.
He had it all planned out. He knew a restaurant where he wanted to take her. It wasn't really fancy or expensive, but he thought that she would like it.
It was also close enough to walk, as neither of them could drive yet.
He *would* ask her today! He would! He had rehearsed what he was going to say over and over again. Now he just had to do it. He also had to convince himself not to *act* crushed if she said no.

For once, she had beaten him to the library. That figured. He had wanted to 'practice' a bit more first.
"Hey Kevin," she greeted him cheerfully.
"Hi S-Samantha." No! He would not stutter!
She moved her stuff so that he could sit down.
"I was wondering..." he started.
"Yeah?"
"Tomorrow... instead of getting together to study after school... if..."
She looked up at him, "Yes?"
He took a breath, "Would you like to... to... go out...I-I mean... as... as a sort of a... a..."
Her eyes sparkled as she smiled at him, "As a sort of a date?"
"Yes..."
"I'd love to."
"You... you would?"
"Yes," she said with a smile, "I would."

Samantha met Kevin at his locker, like she’d been doing for the last few weeks. He looked up from putting his books away.
"Hi there," she greeted him.
"Hello... Samantha..." he greeted her, suddenly feeling shy. No. He shouldn’t be shy around her. And he wasn’t, not normally... it was just... he was trying to work up the nerve to ask her something.
"You ready to go?" she asked him.
"Yes," he replied.

"So, library or food first?" she asked.
He thought. "Let’s eat first."
She reached out and took his hand, "Okay," she agreed cheerfully, leading him out of the school.
As they walked along, his gray eyes looked down at her hand in his and he swallowed. This *would* be the day... he’d make it so. They’d gone out on a few dates, and they met up every day after school... He want to make it a bit more. He liked Samantha - a lot. In fact, he loved her.

Soon they reached their normal restaurant and took their normal booth.
She got settled, and then looked across the table at him.
He gazed into her beautiful brown eyes and swallowed hard. Unconsciously, his hands twisted his napkin nervously.
"So..." she started, sensing that he wanted to say something.
"I...." he took a breath, "I...." he couldn’t seem to manage to get any more out.
Samantha smiled at him, "Yes?"
"I.... wanted t-t-t-to.... to..." his stammer came back full force, nearly as bad as it had been when he was little. 'You’re ruining it!’ he scolded himself.
She reached across the table and put a hand on his, but though it was meant to comfort him, it only made him more nervous. He swallowed hard.
"You wanted to?" she prompted.
"T-t-to ask.... ask i-i-if......"
"Calm down Kevin," she said gently, "Just ask."

He took a deep breath, "to.... ask-if-ya-wanted-ta-be-my-girlfriend," the words spilled out in a rush.
"Only if you want to be my boyfriend," she answered, her eyes sparking a bit, "will you?"
He blinked, momentarily thrown for a loop by that answer that it took him a second to process what she had said. Did he want to be her boyfriend? "Yes!! Of course!!" then he realized how that had sounded and he felt his cheeks grow hot, "I mean.... um....."
"Good," she smiled, "Because I’d very much like to be your girlfriend."
His whole face seemed to light up, "Great!"

She stood up and went over to his side of the booth, sitting down next to him. He cuddled against her, laying his head on her shoulder.
"Kevin..." she said softly.
"Yes?"
She turned to face him and leaned in closer. He did so as well, automatically. He gave out a soft gasp as their lips met.
Samantha’s eyes smiled at him as she held the kiss. He kissed her back shyly.
When they parted, she smiled and nuzzled him gently, finding the way he was blushing again to be very cute indeed. She lightly stroked his cheek.
"I..." he started slowly, "I... I..... love you....."
She smiled and kissed him again, this time he wasn’t as shy about kissing her back.
"I love you too," she replied.
His heart soared.

"Did you like that?" she asked, referring to the kiss.
"Yes..." he replied.
She smiled, "Good."
"Did.... did you?" he asked hesitantly.
"Yes," she said. Her eyes sparkled teasingly, "I hope we can have a lot of them."
Kevin blushed again, but he didn’t mind so much