An Unfathomable Life

six

because it's beautiful but so tragic it breaks your heart

"you've never been on a train? or tube?" Isaac stated.

"i have!"

"she hasn't," Michael confirmed.

"and how do you know?" Isaac looked at Michael suspiciously.

"she's lying, I can tell."

"how!"  I exclaimed.

"you're not a very good liar."

"why haven't you ever been on a train?" Brandon was looking at the train map inside Kings Cross station, double checking if the Victoria line was working today.

Not that I understood a word of that.

"never had too, I guess." I was holding onto my bike, which Michael and Brandon had offered to carry down the stairs for me but I had refused in reply.

"how do you get around?" Isaac gasped.

"I cycle."

"I noticed."

"Why'd you ask then?"

Isaac looked defeated, and was unable to come up with a valid reason.

"am I allowed this on the train?" I asked, moving my bike forward to show what I meant.

"probably not," Michael said, standing next to me.

"but we can try," Brandon added and turned to us, "okay," he dusted his hands together, "everything's working, we can go - train comes in five minutes."

"Mandy needs a ticket," Michael pointed out, as the others had apparently forgot.

"why don't you have an Oyster card like a normal person?" Brandon groaned.

"because I've never been on a train before. Didn't we just have this conversation?"

Michael held up a finger and went to a desk, talking to a lady through the glass partition. He bought me the ticket to and back but wouldn't let me pay, and made me promise not to look at what our destination was.

I nodded and they showed me how to go through the gates, how to scan the card and all. Brandon and Isaac went first, then me - pushing the bike in quickly when none of the security guards where looking so Isaac could catch it. I jumped through after, narrowly missing them closing on me. Michael came after and we managed to race down the escalators, Michael and Isaac holding the bike over their heads.

"Pretty sure that's not allowed!" I yelled to them but they laughed and we caught the train just as it arrived at the platform.

I helped Michael get the bike on, and the carriage was pretty empty so Brandon and Isaac sat down while Michael and I stayed standing by the doors to hold the bike.

It was weird, and I didn't understand it because never in my life had I been like this, but it was difficult for me to touch the pole that would keep me balanced.