Could Have, Should Have, Didn't - A Narnia Fanfiction

Chapter Three: Way Too Fast

With a loud whizz, the train chugged to a stop, causing Edmund's knees to jam and his head to thrust forward. They had arrived at the train station.

Murmurs rose as people stood from their seats and began filing off of the train and into the station.

Too many miles to count from here was the boat they'd be boarding, which meant, more walking and more sitting in cramped positions, his legs would never get a break. Ed groaned internally, stood up, stretched, and turned to the other five still in their seats.

They all looked exhausted, their eyelids heavy, and he put a hand out for Rita to grab onto as the rest of the crowds rushed by; he immediately cursed at himself for it. He knew that would cause his heart to jump, so why had he done it?

"Thanks," she said, hurrying along the train to get her suitcases and making sure her bags' strap was secure. The loud noise of never ending footsteps and train engines pulsed, following her figure down the aisle.

Not answering, he began walking into the baggage car, his head ducked low, he knew the rest would be close. Rita took the lead in front of him, her small-heeled shoes clattering as she scurried.

Why must she ever be near him? It was torture. Pure torment. And yet, every day, she always lurked nearby, haunting his existence with the ache of forbidden love.

Ugh!- he sounded like some poor, lost romantic. Gross. He washed the thoughts from his mind and instead gazed at the bored assistant opening the baggage car door with a grinding creak. A thin strip of musty air flowed out.

As they all stepped inside, being quickly sandwiched by random people against walls, dust reflected on every item and agitated his nose. Ed prevented a sneeze from breaking out of him; and he stopped himself from shouting at whoever pinched his toes.

The culprit being: a kid with a snotty nose, coughing loudly and endlessly, sneezing, and then proceeding to cry for his mummy.

Squirming uncomfortably, holding his stomach and remembering exactly why he never wanted to have children, Ed eked away from the child and slammed into the back of a short, portly man in a too-long coat.

Whoops.

Making up for his lack of height with a startling temper, the man whacked out at Edmund, snarling, "Get lost." He bared his uneven teeth.

Avoiding the other people as best as he could, Ed heard Rita struggling with her cases amidst the throngs of people pushing and pulling and he moved to help, grateful to get away from the angry man.

"Here, let me get one of those." He reached out a hand.

Rita smiled tightly and handed him a case. "Normally I could get it, but these people... Thanks."

Her suitcase wasn't heavy and he balanced it easily with his own in one hand, half doing so to show off, hoping she would notice.

"Who was that you were talking with?" Rita asked, trying to contain laughter as she scooched closer to him. She mustn't have noticed how he expertly held her suitcase. Whatever.

Ignoring the blush that settled on his cheeks because of the fact that she had been looking his way earlier, he shrugged. "Just another grumpy person having been crammed in a stuffy train for too long-"

At that moment, someone backed into him and sent him spiraling closer to Rita, her back hitting the wall, their shoes hitting together with a squeak and their faces inches apart, her breath fanning his nose. He might die. Or he might kiss her, and that was bloody awful. That would go badly.

She giggled lightly. Rita. Happy and smiling despite the chaos. His mind blanked and memories once again took hold of him.

Carefully moving so as not to wake up either his aunt or his uncle, Edmund, on tiptoes, wiggled his body further up on the counter to try and reach the jar of cookies that had been a gift from George Bernard "Ash" Poplar and his family.