Dark Forest

5.First night

Hi! This chapter comes a little quicker that I intended to, but I'm totally not sure what happen there, so just to be on a safe side, you all continue to read on your own responsibility. To calm you down it is a nice chapter, but I totally don't know what got into Penny in there 😳 but I hope those of you who will continue reading, would enjoy it ;-)

They boarded the train at exactly the same time, but before they could leave Newtown Station they had to find their seats in two separate compartments.

"We'll have to split up," Sam announced, looking at their tickets. "We've got three seats in compartment B and two in compartment C," he read aloud, gesturing with his free hand to the two doors in front of them.

"Well, why don't Arnold and I take three seats, and you and Penny can sit together," Ellie suggested, gesturing to herself and Elvis, though even that didn't stop her from giving Sam a sly grin.

"Ellie..." Penny hesitantly tried to interject, but failed as Sam interrupted both her and the others.

"Maybe it would be more appropriate if you and Penny sat in the double compartment, and Elvis, Arnold, and I could fit in the other three seats," he explained.

"I thought you, Sam, should be happy about my offer," Ellie teased him spitefully.

"Ellie," Sam hissed admonishingly, his eyes narrowing in warning as he glared at his friend.

"What?" Ellie asked innocently, clearly not caring about the embarrassment she had just put not only Sam and Penny through, but the entire five of them, as neither Elvis nor Arnold felt confident that they were in their seats any longer.

"Can we make up our minds, because the train is leaving soon," Arnold finally broke the silence, pointing at Sam's watch. However, when he got no response from anyone but Penny, he added loudly. "Elvis and I can take the two lonely seats, and then you can have a quiet chat," he suggested timidly.

"Good idea, Arnold," Sam agreed, and seemed pleased, at least until he added. "If Penny agrees to go with you."

"I..." Penny stuttered uncertainly.

"Well, it's settled then" Ellie rubbed her hands together in satisfaction. "Penny decided. Have a nice trip, you two" she waved to them disappearing into the second compartment, pulling Arnold and Elvis after her.

Sam and Penny were left alone in the train corridor and only when the train was starting did they manage to take their seats. Penny gave Sam the window seat with a shy smile and sat down in the seat next to him without giving an explanation.

"Is everything okay?" Sam asked her concernedly, seeing that she was still strangely lost in thought. He had noticed her withdrawal when they were getting off the bus, but only now did he notice that it hadn't passed yet.

"Yes" Penny answered simply, but her voice remained indifferent, as if absent.

"I have a strange feeling that something is wrong. What is it, Pen?" He pressed, deliberately using the shortened version of Penny's name. While hearing someone call her by her full name only made Penny wince, using the even more shortened version always got a reaction out of her. Sam was right this time, as Penny almost immediately turned her face towards him and with a skeptical look, sighed.

"Do you really want to know?" She asked, giving in. She knew Sam wouldn't let up until he found out what was bothering her. That was just how he was.

"If I can help you in some way..." Sam explained gently.

"You can always help, Sam," Penny replied with a smile, this time not wanting to do anything about her flushed cheeks. She felt hurt by Sam's words and didn't feel the need to hide it from him.