Sliding Doors ⧨ Peter Parker

1 | Train Doors

Y/N

_

"Don't forget you have school after this!"

I zipped my backpack closed, swinging it over my shoulder quickly. My mother stood in the doorway, a soft smile on her face, and a sandwich in her hand.

"I know!" I laughed, scrambling around my room, "have you seen my computer?"

"Living room," she smiled.

"Thank you," I said, dragging out the last word, "sorry, I don't want to be late!"

I brushed past her and ran towards the couch, spotting my tiny computer. Scooping it up, I tucked it into the corner of my arm, and made my way towards the door.

"Hey, wait just a second!" my mom called out.

I spun around, my face burning anxiously. I overslept by accident, and consequently was rushing to get all my things together.

"Here's a breakfast sandwich," she said, holding out a paper bag, "and I left someone money for Delmar's inside."

"I love you," I exclaimed, giving her a peck on the cheek, "wish me luck!"

I didn't have time to hear her toss words of wisdom at me, because I rushed out the door in the nick of time. I bolted down the steps on my apartment building, skipping two at a time, my sneakers skidding against the concrete.

Clutching the lunch bag in my hand, I pushed through the glass doors and ran out into the bustling city. The sound of traffic horns and dogs barking surrounded me, the noise I had grown up with.

"Hey y/n!" someone called out as I ran past, "where ya' off to?"

I turned around, still keeping my forward-moving pace, and waved to the man who called out my name. He was holding a fresh bouquet of flowers, setting them out onto his cart.

"Morning Ronnie!" I yelled back, "I've got a job interview!"

"Good luck, kid!"

"Thanks!"

I spun back around, slipping through the crowd of busy people. As I ran towards the train station, I passed by a couple other shop regulars, exclaiming good mornings through their windows.

Grabbing onto the metal railing, I hopped up the stairs to the 67 Avenue Metra stop, grabbing my Mcard out of my back pocket, and holding it against the turnstile.

Slipping through the metal bars, I plugged my headphones into my phone and started playing Don't You (Forget About Me), by Simple Minds. The train station was emptier than usual, which was unusual for a Monday morning.

I glanced at my phone screen, realizing the reason was because I was later than usual. School was supposed to start in five minutes, but I was excused for this interview.

I spotted my train barreling towards the station, and clutched my laptop as I waited for it to arrive. The music blasting in my ears drowned out the thundering sound of the tracks, and I closed my eyes.

Which I shouldn't have done.

I was blind to the group of teenagers prowling around the empty station, thier eyes glued to the train, my laptop, and me. I felt a sharp blow to the head, as a pair of calloused hands grabbed onto my computer.

I let out a shriek of pain, everything happening so incredibly fast. I stumbled forward, spinning around to defend myself. One of them spat out taunting insults as they waved my stolen device in the air, and the other held me back.

I managed to stick a blow to the left side of his face, and I lunged towards the other. My phone had been ripped out of my hand as well, the headphones yanked out of my ears. My head burned with the force of impact, but I needed my computer back.

It had my whole life on it.

As my arms swung wildly through the air, I heard the train coming closer by the second.

The rumble of the metal wheels scraping against the tracks seemed unbearable at the moment, as one of the men grabbed my shoulders and pushed me off to the side.

My knees buckled underneath me, and I stumbled back, but I wasn't able to control it. The traction under my shoes gave out, and I felt my foot hit the ledge of the platform.

It all happened in slow motion.

As I fell towards the tracks, the last thing I could see were the blinding lights of the train hurtling towards me. It seemed only seconds away, and the roaring blast of the horn seemed to shake me even more than I already was. I was scared, my body paralyzed with fright.

Both my arms and legs were in the air, as I tried to grab onto anything that could save me, even if it was air itself. I saw my phone tumble onto the tracks, and I knew I would follow the same fate.

God, the train seemed so close.

Then I saw something.

A shadow hovered over me for a split second, as I felt my body propel back towards the platform. Suddenly everything started to speed up, as I fell onto the cold, hard concrete. I felt the clutch of someone's arms cover me, as we toppled to the ground.

The train seemed to strike straight through the place I would have been, the sound of my phone being crushed echoing out into the station. I was hit back with the force of air brushing past me, but I could barely feel it.

I felt weak, as I watched the metal car come to a screeching stop.

"Are you okay?"

All of a sudden, all I could see were a pair of honey-brown eyes hovering over me. They seemed glazed with trepidation, a glint from the sun reflecting off of it's dark lens.

"It's okay, you're okay."

He was inches away from my face, the exhilarating tension weighing both of us down. His voice seemed pure, it's sweetness seeping through my body as I lay there, paralyzed.

"I got you, don't worry."

The boy grabbed my hand, lifting me up onto my feet.

Suddenly reality came crashing back over my head, my senses coming back to life in a sudden burst of energy. The train doors slid open as usual, which made me question if I ever fell in the first place.

"Here's your laptop," he said, "they tried to run off with it, but I stopped them."

I finally got a good look at him. He looked young, about my age, with dark brown hair hanging over his forehead. It was messy, it's unruly waves grazing just slightly over his eyebrow. He had pale skin, but his cheeks were tinted a shade of pink, which was a result of the exhaustion emanating off of him. He let out a heavy breath, seeming overworked and tired.

"T-thank you," I stammered, the first words I had been able to say since this morning.

He pressed the computer into my hands, before glancing at the train behind me. A loud bell rang out, the doors final closing warning.

"I guess this is your ride, then," he said softly, "you don't want to miss it."

It was like my body took over for me, as I stepped into the car. I didn't know who he was, but something about what happened established an emotional connection stronger than any I've ever had. I owed my life to him.

Our eyes were locked together, as the train doors slid closed in one single movement. The thud of the pressure seal colliding seemed louder than ever, and I had ridden this train hundreds of times.

I put my hand against the metal door, still staring at the boy through the stained glass.

The train started to move, increasing it's speed away from the platform. A soft smile crept up onto the boy's lips, as he pressed his hand against the glass as well. Even though our fingers didn't touch, it felt like we were connected.

Thank you, I mouthed, watching the boy pull away.

Thank you.