Hello and goodbye

She was the only person in the train station at 3:30 pm and all of that seemed so weird to me. That was the busiest train station in the country how could it be so empty at this hour? 

The train to Aviemore would leave at 3:55 pm on line two, and I was so happy to see my family and friends again that I could not stop smiling and gasping. I was at St. Andrews University, but most of my time was spent in Edinburgh, where I met my boyfriend during a party weekend. Unfortunately, he could not join me on this trip to Aviemore due to the final exams. I have already finished mines, so home was where I wanted to be. He would meet me there later. Maybe in August. It was him who brought me to the train station and the kiss he gave me seemed so much like the last. I hope it was all in my mind, but deep inside me, something was telling me he was about to break up with me. A further reason to stay away from Edinburgh for the next two months. 

I approached the lonely girl in line two and sat next to her.

“Hi,” I said, trying to be friendly. 

“Hello,” she replied. 

We got in silence for the next two minutes, still being the only person in the train station. How could that be possible? Where was everybody? It was a bank holiday; it was supposed to be full of students getting back home. 

“Where’d everybody go?” I asked, more to me than to her, but she probably was thinking the same because her answer came immediately.

“Right? I never saw this train so empty of living souls.” 

“Yeah, me too,” I spoke.

“Are you from here?” She asked.

“No, my boyfriend it is,” I replied. She nodded, getting mute for another minute. “Where are you going?” I was trying to break the ice once we were the only people there.

“Aviemore.” 

“Me too,” I cried.

“Are you from Aviemore?” She asked, her eyes shining just like mines.

“Yeah. You?”

She nodded. How random was that? Two strangers from the same place meeting in what used to be a busy train station heading to Aviemore.

Have I already seen her before? I cannot recognize her face. I thought to myself. She was about five feet tall, blonde hair stuck in a bun, beautiful green eyes, and a slender figure who would envy any woman.

“Which part of Aviemore are you from?” I asked, trying to know her a bit better. Maybe we knew each other and could not remember.

“The Silverglades.” 

“Me too.” I cried again.

“Wow, how random is that?” She said, and both of us started laughing. With this, the station started to get a little more crowded and stop looking like a phantasmagoric train station. The rain stopped falling, giving way to the sun, which now started to shine, as it has always been there. It was becoming a wonderful Friday. 

It was 3:50 pm, with only five minutes left for the train journey. I was so excited about knowing this girl that I did not even listen when my phone ring with a voice call. 

3:55pm. The train was on time. Both of us got on the train and sat in the third car, laughing, and knowing each other a bit more. 

When the journey started, we even did not know each other’s names. 

“I am Catriona,” she said. “And you?”

“Amy,” I said.

“Amy Buchanan?” She asked as if she knew me.

“Yeah. How do you know?”

“I am Catriona MacPhee. From the MacPhee’s Pharmacy.”

“Oh, I see. Our parents were best friends.”

“Yeah.” She said, enthusiastic. 

“How small this world is,” I said, laughing.

“Well, not the world, but Aviemore it is.” We shared some laughs. Outside the train, the night was starting to fall, and the train has stopped in Perth to let some passengers out. He then continued his journey to Inverness. That is when I checked my cellphone for new messages or missed calls. 

“Oh, my boyfriend sent me a voice call,” I said to her, and then I put on the speaker.

‘Hey Amy, I wanted to apologize for not going with you on this trip to your hometown and meeting your family and friends but… um… I want… well, we cannot see each other anymore. I am in love with someone else. I am sorry, I should have told you before letting you go, but I did not know how to say it. Sorry, anyway. We are done. Have a safe journey. Bye.’

“What a schmuck!” Catriona said hugging me then. I was devastated. I could not even say a word. My heart was broken into tiny pieces, and I did not know if I could ever rebuild it. “Hey, don’t cry, sweetie. You deserve much better.”

“How could he do this to me?” I finally managed to say.

“It’s his loss.” She said, whipping my tears with her fingers. “You are too beautiful to cry for a dickhead. And now that we have reunited, I will not let anyone else hurt you again.”

“Oh, Catriona, I was so in love with him,” I whined. “I thought he was happy with me, and we would stay together for a long time. How could he do this to me?”

More tears fell from my paled face. Five minutes later, Catriona received a message.

She smiled at the phone screen, and I figured out it was someone special to her.

“Is it your boyfriend?” I asked, a little calmer.

“Yeah. Gary is so romantic. Check what he sent me.” She showed me her phone screen. It was a tall, handsome guy with a huge bear and red roses in his hands, saying: ‘I can’t wait to be with you again. Love you. G.’

I covered my mouth with my hands, completely shocked.

“What is it?” Catriona said. “Are you okay?”

“That’s…” I cleared my throat. “That’s Gary, my boyfriend!” I finally said, tears forming again in my blue eyes.

“What are you saying?” Catriona was also in shock. “That’s impossible.”

I showed her my phone with Gary’s picture on it. She covered her mouth, tears forming in her eyes. We faced each other and then looked away. We were about to get to Aviemore. Five more minutes and we would be home. Would we get there together or separate? Catriona could not say a word and me neither. We were still in shock. He broke up with me because of her, and we were just getting to know each other, and it was so fun to travel with her before Gary’s voice call. Both of us had our hearts broken on the same day at the same time by the same guy. How the world can be so small despite its size…

“I’m so sorry…” Catriona finally said. “I didn’t know he had a girlfriend.” 

I looked at her, not knowing what to say. She was visibly embarrassed. 

“How long are you two together?” I finally said, the train stopping at the railway. My parents already outside waiting for me. Her family also waiting for her. Would we keep being two strangers? 

“Two weeks.” She replied.

“That bastard!” I whispered. 

The train finally stopped. Catriona and I pulled our bags from the divider. She was the first one getting to the door, I was right after her. My heart about to explode. I was not mad at her but at him. He was unfaithful to both of us. He should never start a relationship with her while he was still with me. God damn it, Gary!

“Catriona, wait!” I cried; she was already reaching her family. Mine was already waving at me. 

She turned to me, her eyes full of tears.

“We were both fooled by Gary. He does not deserve us to hate each other.” I said.

“Well, I already broke up with him. I cannot be with someone that unfaithful. He ruined everything with you and me at the same time. How can he be such a loser?”

“Yeah,” I said.

She ran at me and hugged me so hard, dropping her bag on the floor. “Can we please forget about Gary and be friends? We both deserve much better.” She said, her face buried in my shoulder.

“Are you kidding? Of course, we can.” I said, truly happy. “And I am sure after all of this we will be friends forever!”

We both laughed and changed our phone numbers, so we could be together again.