Néon Raider ♉

Brewing Adversity

Danielle Pastèque rolled her travelling bag into the Ouibus as the hostess led her to the VIP section.
"Merci," Danielle offered, crossing her feet and gazing outside from the first class section of the train. Not bad. She thought. She had paid only seventeen euros. She would have paid a hundred and fifty euros by air for the same journey and time.

Twenty one trains travelled from Marseille to Cannes each day. The train station was abuzz with passengers that never seized to flood the trains. Where were they all going to? She studied passengers closely. Some frowned, some laughed, some were expressionless. Each with their problems. She pressed her face to the window, thinking of her own problems.
The window pane was cold against her temples as she shuddered, more from the news of Léon's apprehension than the freezing window.
She never cared for anyone except her late brother, till he passed. Then she had found Léon. He was all that mattered to her in the living world. The news of his apprehension cut through her mind every minute like a poisoned dagger. She had packed a small bag and made it to the garre de Marseille, St Charles.
From Marseille to Cannes it took about 2hrs 15 minutes by train.

The train honked as the last passengers boarded. Danielle pulled a blanket under her seat and draped it over her body. Soon. She thought. Soon, Léon would be free to she would do everything in her power to get him out of the mess.
Her eyes grew heavy and she couldn't control the urge to doze a little. She sighed, leaning back on her seat and drifting aslumber.

WONK! The train honked as Danielle stirred in her seat. A young couple, sitting adjacent to her gave her wild stares, whispering to themselves. Maybe she snored when she slept. Or maybe she talked. She shrugged. Whatever was the case, she did not dwell on it. She craned her neck and watched outside the window. The train was in Toulon. One more hour to Cannes. She sighed a breath of relief as the train began rolling away to its final destination.

***

It was 3am and the Garre de Cannes wasn't as full and flooded with passengers as Garre de Marseille. Good. Danielle thought. It would be easier for her to spot Ivory, the girl who'd called her with Léon's phone. How would she recognise her by the way? Who was she? Who was she to Léon? Danielle pondered, stepping outside the train and rolling her box behind. She stopped by escalators with access to street level and sighed.
Where was she? Danielle grimaced, taking out her phone from her Gucci purse, punching digits and dialed Léon's phone.

"He...hello?" Danielle tugged a few strands of lose hair behind her ears.

"I'm here...oh, where? I'm at the escalators...behind? What... am I wearing...red...yes...wide hat. Here." Danielle spun round and faced the way she had come and spotted a curvy girl in dark ripped jeans, and knit sweater, rushing towards her. She must have been waiting by the train. Well, she was basic. How could she spot her from the rest of the people? Nothing special to spot.
Laughable. Danielle grinned. Not Léon's type. She breathed. There was nothing to be jealous of.

"Hi, I'm Ivory." Ivory extended her cold hands and shook Danielle's hands.

"I'm Danielle." Danielle puckered her lips, studying Ivory from head to toe, silently gasping at the wool hat with fur pom-poms.

"Well, err. You got here early. The police station won't grant us audience till 8:30am. So," Ivory shrugged, adjusting her back pack.

"I guess, we have to wait it out till morning then," Said Danielle, leading the way up the escaliers.

"So, I guess you have a vehicle?" Danielle asked, trolling her box as Ivory crossed the street and kept walking without a direction in mind.

"Not yet. I'm new here, so," Ivory cleared her throat, gazing from side to side as if on the lookout for something.