TROUBLE MAGNET - Completed

Chapter 14 - First Class Seat

Chapter 14 - First Class Seat 

When we finally arrive at the train station we find my team easily. Our travelling team outfits consist of black flat dress shoes and dress pants, white blouses, red fleece pullovers, black leather hockey jackets with our Toronto Mavericks crest on the front and black winter toques. There's no mistaking that we are a team.

Our coaches take care of getting our hockey bags, sticks and luggage loaded into the designated baggage car. We have about fifteen minutes before it's time to board. Some of the girls have family members coming with us, but not me. My parents are going to visit Grandma-with-the-white-hair because she hasn't been doing so well lately. Then they're going away for the weekend to a chiropractic seminar. I hug and kiss them goodbye and tell them to give Grandma a kiss for me. They in turn make me listen to their final hockey pep talk. I assure them that I will call them after each game, and give them a play-by-play. My line-mate Jade, who has already said goodbye to her parents, is patiently waiting for me. I finally interrupt my parents and tell them I have to go. I give them each another hug and kiss, and yell my final goodbye as Jade and I board the train.

Once on board, we head towards the area where the rest of our team is hanging out. I'm very happy when I find out that my seat is located directly across from Jade's. Excitement is in the air as most of the girls have never been on a Via Rail train before, including me. Between all the accompanying family, coaches and players we have an entire passenger car to ourselves. It isn't long before the train begins to slowly pull away from Union Station. The train trip is going to take about five and a half hours to get to Montreal. I figure that means I'll have about five and a half hours of fun with my teammates and five and a half hours of not having to think about Landon.

Ten minutes into our journey the girls come up with a plan to tour the train from front to back so we can see all the different train cars. We decide first we'll take a quick five-minute washroom break and then we'll all head out together. Most of the girls line up at the washroom in our car, but because the lineup is so long, some decide to go one car forward and use that washroom. Rather than follow everyone else, I decide to go one car back.

I squeeze inside the small washroom and have a little trouble closing the door behind me. I don't want anyone accidentally walking in on me though, so I struggle with the lock until I hear it click. The train bathroom is much like an airplane washroom inside; very compact. After I finish up, I wash my hands in the tiny sink and take a quick look at myself in the small mirror. When I'm satisfied that I don't have anything embarrassing stuck in my teeth or hanging off my face, I decide to rejoin my teammates.

However, when I try to unlock the door, it will not open. I try again. It won't budge. I cannot get the lock to move. I try again and still nothing happens. Okay, calm down Karissa. This door will open; you're obviously just not doing it right. I try again with no luck. The lock is jammed and the door simply refuses to open. Is it my imagination or is it getting smaller in here? I look at the little picture above the handle that demonstrates how to lock and unlock the door. I follow the simple instructions and still it will not open.

I jump when my cell phone vibrates in my pocket. It's Jade texting me, "Where r u? All the girls r back. Just waiting 4 u." "Crap! This is unbelievable," I mutter to myself. "Come on!" I try the lock again and nothing. I text Jade and tell her to go ahead with the girls. I tell her I'll catch up with them shortly. I can't believe my rotten luck. The added pressure of knowing that the whole team is waiting for me is only making things worse, not to mention that the last thing I want is for anyone on my team to find out that I'm locked in this small bathroom. If they found out, they would never let me live it down.