The Train To Nowhere

chapter 10 - the long night

It was already dark outside when I started getting ready for Noah's party. November nights are long and uncomfortably cold, and the days are short and copious in autumnal colour. I held the invitation in my hand and stared down at it. It was a fairly simple layout. Just the necessary information like address, time, RSVP and optional choice to bring drinks and snacks. I already knew all of it anyway, but he was inviting a lot of people so I guessed he needed to facilitate everyone. I placed it down on the bed and then walked over to my bedroom window, where the long, glass doors opened on to the French balcony. The air was crisp and fresh against my skin, and took my breath away a bit. My arms draped over the latticed barrier and I looked up at the sky. The moon was high but the stars weren't visible. It was a full moon. Everything was lit up brighter than usual like it was the verge of dawn.

Automatically, my eyes strayed over to Rosie's balcony. Her doors were closed but all of a sudden I heard them open, breaking the blissful silence of the cold night as Nina came out with a cigarette between her fingers. Noise escaped from Rosie's room, and I realised they must be getting themselves hyped for the party by getting changed together and then drinking a bit. I hadn't bothered with that. I was alone, after all.

When Nina saw me, she waved, smiling and I smiled back as the song being blasted in Rosie's room filled my ears. It sounded like something indie, of course.

"Hi Abel," she giggled. She twiddled her braids flirtatiously as the moonlight struck her face, and clearly Rosie and Priya heard because they came out to, a bit squashed up around the table. Nina was all curves and her high-waisted jeans accentuated her butt as she leaned over the lattice barrier. The table that just about fit on the balcony with two chairs. Priya was clutching the bottle of wine and swaying slightly, but Rosie looked completely sober. It was only seven o'clock, but Priya must have got a head start on the drinking.

"Abel!" Rosie called out to me, "You getting ready for the party?"

"Yeah," I replied, even though I hadn't even started. They were already dressed in their party clothes and the warm light spilling out of the room fell on to their faces, illuminating their makeup.

"Rosie, it's fucking cold!" Priya said, her teeth chattering as she shivered in her tight, sleeveless red dress, "Let's just let Nina smoke in peace and go back inside."

They retreated back into the warmth and closed the doors behind them, muffling the music from her record player. I was about to go inside after but Nina stopped me by speaking just as I turned around.

"You know Rosie's been really depressed lately?"

"What?" Even though I knew vaguely what she was getting at.

"It's Luke Chung. He's dumped her and he's not even coming to the party. Noah even invited him just to make Rosie happy so she would come to the party. Think he has a crush on her to be honest. Then again, all the boys do." I didn't say anything and Nina took another drag from her cigarette.

"Do you?" Her question made me look directly at her.

"What?"

"Oh my God, Abel. Tell me you're not gonna play dumb about this again."

"I actually don't know what you mean," I replied, unmoved by her obvious teasing. Nina rolled her eyes to the moon and then looked back at me, tapping some ash off her cigarette and then raising her eyebrows.

"You two say you're friends, and I believe Rosie all the way. But come on. I've known you a long time and can tell when something's on your mind. You seem more...quiet, for want of a better word - around her lately."