Better on our own - English

Analysis

I was turning toward the visitor parking lot at the train station when Mr. Evan's bus stopped behind me and Sarah got out. I gave the bus driver a quick wave, but he just nodded a serious greeting before driving on and Sarah came over to say hello.

"What's wrong with Mr. Evans? He's not usually that unfriendly," I asked her surprised and she looked after him briefly before going through the gate.

"I don't think he's very happy about me meeting you late in the afternoon in a secluded place like this," she answered me with a shrug as I followed her across the tracks behind the train that was parked there.

"What? Why?" I replied, genuinely shocked, while she easily pulled herself up onto the platform and sat on it. How could he have a problem with that? What did he think we were doing here?

"Because he's Dily's boyfriend in some way, Dilys' is Norman's mother and Norman must have told her about you," Sarah said with a smile and I was taken aback.

"Oh," was all I could think of. I certainly didn't want to cause any more commotion than she already seemed to have because of me. "Shall we go into town then?" I then asked her. Maybe if someone saw us together around town it would help calm everyone else down a bit?

"It doesn't matter where we go, Niall. As long as it's just the two of us, people will have their own thoughts. That's just Pontypandy," she replied with a smile and a shrug of her shoulders and I wondered for a moment how everything couldn't matter for her.

"Then why did you suggest this meeting point? We could have met with the others somewhere. I didn't thought that..."

"Stay calm and sit down first," she interrupted my nervous stammering as my mind raced with what consequences this could have - Norman making her life difficult. People who might not want to talk to her anymore because of that. Her parents, who might also get angry... I took a deep breath and followed her request. If she took it so lightly, maybe I should do it too."You asked me if I had time and not the group, that's why we're here alone. Secondly, I thought this would be the most sensible solution because the train station is between Penny's house and Pontypandy. So everyone has the same way. Besides, the others don't have time today anyway. Hannah and Mandy are still in a lecture and the rest are in my Mum's yoga class," she explained to me.

"Yoga? James, Norman and Peter do yoga?" I objected in surprise. I wouldn't have thought that of them. I wouldn't do that either. That was just a woman thing...at least that's what I always thought.

"James is only participating because Susen is participating and Peter has his eye on a tourist girl who is here on vacation and joins in. Norman is probably sitting at home gambling while he keeps staring at the clock because he's waiting for me reporting back from school," she then remarked with a shrug of her shoulders and I was taken aback again.

"And you won't do that?" I asked her cautiously.

"No?!"

"Why not?" I replied, perplexed. She was only making things worse.

"Because Trevor will tell him what he saw over dinner soon enough." I sighed as I briefly rubbed the bridge of my nose in annoyance. I was definitely going to get punched in the face by Norman pretty soon without having done anything.

"You'd think you'd go for it," I muttered, a little offended, and Sarah laughed quietly. She seemed to be having a lot of fun with me stumbling like that.

"Not really. I wrote to Norman that I'm meeting you because you have a question about my uncle. So it's not like I'm not playing with my cards on the table," she replied with a grin and a cheeky wink I couldn't help myself and smiled too. She made it easy.