When Stars Align

First Encounter

The door closed and suddenly she fell forward. She grabbed the railing as fast as she could, just in time before she tumbled down the stairs. After regaining her balance, Sabrina fixed herself before finding a seat. There was a seat curled away next to the stairs that is never occupied, and is somewhat hidden from the view of passengers going down the stairs. The leather was cool underneath the palm of her soft hands, forcing her to recoil. After wiping her hand on her long, pleated skirt, she sat down. She pulled out her journal from her handbag, the leather cover was worn, and the insides were a mess, a mess of illustrations and calligraphy practice. She found a corner of a page that was clean from graffiti, and held it open. She put her hands back into her bag, looking for her pencil. "Drat," she whispered. She had forgotten it.

She closed her journal and held it gently in the palm of her hand. She gazed out the window, her eyes widened at the sight of her surroundings. Sabrina quickly closed her eyes, and faced forward. The next time she opened her eyes, a mass of eager passengers piled into the carriage. While fixing her hair, she noticed someone sit at the opposite end of the carriage. Her hands slowly fell out of her long blonde hair, as she stared in admiration of this person. His attire was professional. His hair, messy. His glasses, quirky. His jawline, sharp. His eyes, enchanting. There was something so intriguing about this person, Sabrina couldn't keep her eyes away for much time at all. She felt a smile crawl across her face, and it stayed there. She was in awe, and before she knew it, so was he. She noticed him sitting, staring. He smiled at her, kindly, gently.

She felt butterflies in her stomach. But butterflies of a different kind. Not the kind that made her feel ill, but rather the kind that made her heart warm and her eyes smile. She looked away for a moment, in the hopes of calming herself down, and to gather her things. She looked up again, to find he was no longer in his seat. Her head tilted slightly in confusion, like a lost puppy she stared, wondering where he could have gone. Before she knew it, he was walking towards her as she picked herself up off the seat, ready to get off the train. In that moment, they stared gently into each others eyes, and she got lost. "After you," he whispered. His raspy voice sent chills down her spine, and left her speechless. She smiled, nodding in his direction as a sign of thanks, and stepped out in front of him to make her way up the stairs.

She reached for the bottom of the railing to help her keep her balance, especially considering the events of half an hour ago. He had the same idea. Their hands touched slightly when they made contact with the same spot on the silver railing. The warmth of his hand and his gentle touch contrasted the chill of the railing. Sparks went through her entire being and she was entranced by his presence. Without wanting to, she removed her hand from the railing as the train pulled to a stop, and made her way slowly up the stairs. As she stepped off the train, she adjusted her coat. In those thirty minutes being inside the train carriage, she had acclimatised to the heat, only to be shocked by the crisp New York air that blew through her hair as she made her way out of the train station. As she made her way up the stairs with a skip in her step, she placed her hand lightly on her face, and smiled, the thought of his gentle touch running through her entire being.