He with the Green Eyes

The train trugs loudly along the snowy track of the vast countryside, as the winter snow rushes across the outside of the windows of each car. Resting an idle finger on the cold surface of the window, sat a woman in a red winter coat. She peered outside at the fallen snow as the thought of heading back home fill her thoughts with joy. She was finally able to come home to see her family for the holidays. Especially since the pandemic had finally allow her to see them.

The lady sat in her train car, while drawing a tree on the frost of the window. Across from her was an old lady sleeping in her seat soundly, with her winter coat and shawl bundled snuggly around her. The red coat lady smiled and resumed her attention back outside. “I’m nearly there.” The lady utters to herself. “This Christmas will be an amazing one.”

Thirty minutes later, the train had finally pulled into the station of Hoofbeat Town Train station. With a simple hiss and a slight jolting halt, the train parked in the station. The lady in a red coat retrieved her small luggage from the overhead shelf and followed the many passengers out the train.

The lady stepped on the platform whilst adjusting her luggage on her back. As her breath frosted in the chilly air, she gazes up and down the platform, recalling how to exit the station to the main roads. As she traversed the station, her eyes gaze up at the lovely holiday decorations along the old fashion lamps and windows. Not much has changed since she was last here… And that filled her heart with content and child-like wonder, as tears filled her eyes. “I never knew how much I’ve missed this place …until now.” She once more readjusts the luggage on her back, as two men rush by to get on a train that was ready to depart on the other end of the station.

Once outside the station, the lady in red made her way to a familiar coffee shop that she often visits when she stayed in town. The recall of the flavor of the hometown coffee rushed to her mind and made her even more eager to get a cup. Just as she was making her way into town, her eyes locked on to a familiar figure…One that she hasn’t seen for a decade. Her heart skipped a beat as she stopped on the sidewalk and stare at the figure. Time seemed to slow down, as memory of the past, rushed back to now.

She was a teenager and had just gotten her gorgeous prom dress and shoes with a group of her friends and their mothers. It was a sunny day, and she was giddy with excitement for prom. She had already had a date for it. The hottest guy in school: Drake Mancoas himself. And her closet friend was telling her about how she also snagged a date. As they walk to her mother’s van to go grab a bite to eat, the sound of someone her age calling for her from down the street was heard. The young girl turned to the voice and saw that it was a fellow classmate that had a crush on her since freshman year, coming to her. He was gangly and a bit shorter than she was. Eyes as green as grass under thick glasses frame. With a smile that was rather goofy and full of hope for something. He stopped before her, as she sighs off a bit of annoyance. “Hey Lindi!” greeted the boy whilst catching his breath with a smile.

“Hello, Bart.” Answered Lindi. “Why are you so winded? I thought you were in football?”

“It’s my asthmas… And…I… am training to improve my breathing for football next year.” Bart answered as he finally caught his breath. He saw that Lindi had her gown in a hanger bag and smiled. “Oh, so you’re going to prom?”

“Yes, I am.” Lindi says as her friends watched on from inside of the van with silent giggles. “I am graduating this year. “

“O-oh right.” Bart said. “I remember you saying that in class yesterday. That’s why I wanted to ask you something, as well as tell you something, since I saw you out and about.”

“Really?”

“Y-yeah!” spoke Bart with beaming eyes. He bashfully looks down at his dusty converses before starting up again. “I wanted… to tell you…. that I reeeeally like you a lot.”

“You don’t say?” spoke one of Lindi’s friends in a snarky manner. The girls laughed while one of the mom’s scold their manners to the situation.

“I would never have guess.” Added Lindi with a popped eyebrow to Bart. Bart was shaken for only a moment but recollected himself.

“I k-know that I’m not graduating with you and the others, and I am short and weird…. B-b-but! I wanted to let you know of my feelings and that I had to shoot my shot in asking you…” The girls in the van got giddy, while Lindi gave an unsure glare to him. She knew what he was about to ask and refused to want to hear it. “Will you- “

“I have a date to prom!” Lindi blurted out as she hurries pass Bart and got in the van. She glances back at Bart to see he was in shock and then disappointed.

“Oh…” Was the last thing Bart said as Lindi climbed in the van and closed it. Her girl friends laughed at what happened, as she sat there grossed out and embarrassed…

           That following week, Bart was the joke of the school for asking the most popular girl out to prom; thanks to Lindi and her friends gossip… Soon he wasn’t appearing to class…At the end of the year…He stop going all together… Lindi and her friends graduated and went on with their life. That summer, Lindi ran into Bart again. He was standing at a bus stop, waiting for the bus to arrive. He’s once vibrant green eyes now darken and hurt. She felt bad. He only wanted to go on a date with her…And yet, she humiliated him just because he had a crush on her. “Maybe I should apologize.” Lindi said as she went to Bart.

           She stopped beside him. He soon snapped out of his train of thought and peered over at who was next to him. His green eyes gave her a discourage glare. “Came to e-embarrass me some more?” Bart hissed as he stepped away from her.

“Look...” Lindi started as she sighs at his remark. “I deserved that. It was wrong that we treated you like that.”  Bart peered off across the street and shook his head. “I’m here to apologize.”

“Why now? After graduation and everything- now you want to apologize. After you got your last chance to have the school turn on me and make me feel ashamed to confess.

 to you? I must transfer schools because of what you’ve done to me!” Bart yelled as his green eyes burn with pain and anger to her. ”But after it’s all said, and done, now you wanna come back to me; when all your friends are nowhere around to say ‘I’m sorry’. Well, it’s too late. You done the damage and you cannot change what you’ve done.”

Lindi gazed at Bart with a heavy heart. ”I….” Lindi utters weakly. There were no words to help show she was sorry. A bus finally pulls up to the bus stop, while Bart readies to climb aboard.

“You enjoy your dazzling life Lindi…” Bart says as he glanced back at her one last time. “I hope you get everything you deserve…”

And that was that… That was the last time Lindi tell him. How his words stung her mind for so many years after. Even when she gazes back at the photos of her at prom, it left a bitter taste in the back of her mind. She also recalled that that prom night didn’t even go the way she wanted. Her date was a drunken disaster and ruin her gown, even one of her so-called best friends was caught making out with her date. Lindi often wondered how that night would have played out, had she given the boy with green eyes a chance.

Her mind returns to the present, as the boy was now a man…A surprisingly handsome young man. He appeared doing well and embracing the winter snow with a smile on his face. He let out a frosty sigh as his sight fell onto her. Those green eyes…So much more vibrant and radiant than she last remembered. Her breath catches as she subconsciously moved towards the man. The man continues to stare at Lindi as she finally stops before him. “Lindi…” the man utters in a velvety voice that made her nearly lose all sense of her existence.

“Bart?” Lindi responded with a shameful smile. “I-It’s good to see you again after all these years.” She sat her luggage at her side as she adjusts her scarf around her neck. “It seems like you’re doing well…Grew taller too.”

“Y-yeah.” Bart responds with a fleeting grin. “Same goes for you it seems…” Lindi nervously chuckled before her smile fade away.

“I’m back in town to see family and to…well be back home. Especially after the pandemic and all.”

“Oh nice.” Bart says nodding.

“Yeah…” Lindi chuckles gain as she glances at her feet. She felt like she was right back at that day, at the bus stop. She sighs as she gazes back up at Bart with the courage to finally say the proper words, she failed to do years ago. “Hey, um… I’m truly sorry, for what I’ve done to you years ago.” Bart listens on as his attention stayed focused on her. “I was an asshole, young and stupid... You didn’t deserve that at all… And I’ve always wanted to apologize properly for that…” she glanced at the train station as a car drove calmly by. “I know that I’m the last person you would want to see…And you most likely hated my guts because of it… but please know that I am sorry for everything I caused you.”

           Bart sighed as he too looked at the train station. “To be honest…I got over it years ago.” Bart expressed as he huffed another sigh. “After I last saw you at that bus stop, I heard about what happened to you at prom from a classmate. And it made me feel better about what you did to me.”

“Oh? Oh.” Lindi said as made a nervous smile. “You heard about that huh?” Bart chuckled and nodded.”

“Yep. And I can say you deserved every bit of. That too.” Bart expressed as he folded his arms. “Now if you had gone out with meeeeee…I would have made sure everything went right.” Lindi smiled at the way Bart spoke that with a confidence grin. That same grin she’s seen when they were in school…How could she have not seen that lovely, adorable smile back then.

“Something told me that it would have prooooooooobabaly gone differently.” Lindi chuckled in agreement.

           It fell silent for a moment, before Bart spoke up again. “I appreciated you coming over to say sorry to me Lindi.” Bart says as she peers up at him. “I…really needed that closure.”

“of course.” Lindi quickly utter as she felt the years of regret melt of her. “I wish I could do more though.” Bart eye lite up as he glances into town in a particular direction.

“Do you have time to grab coffee at the usual spot?” Bart asked. “I know you’re trying to see your folks and all- “

“Oh no no. I can grab a cup of coffee!” Lindi eagerly replies as she grabs a hold of her luggage. “But I don’t want to intrude on your day either.” Bart smiled and shook his head.

“Not at all.” Bart answered as he began walking with her into town. “I was just enjoying the winter day, wondering what this day will have in store for me.”

“Really now. I hope I was a bad thing turn good for you.” Lindi giggled nervously. The two walked happily into town, talking about the many things throughout their years, and more. And throughout her time spent with the man with the green eyes, Lindi come to adore all that Bart was and had become… Maybe so much so, that she developed more than adoration…maybe a touch of unforeseen love.

The End?