College Weekend (2 page)

She dropped her suitcase. The train had been delayed. They were an hour late. Maybe Josh got tired of waiting and went someplace to get a cup of coffee. That made sense, but still Tina couldn't help feeling disappointed.

If I was meeting Josh, she thought, I'd stand on the platform no matter how late he arrived. I wouldn't want to miss one minute of our time together.

“So where is he?” Holly asked.

Tina shrugged. “You know Josh. He can never stand still. I'm sure he'll be right back.”

“Are you sure we're at the right station?” Holly asked.

“Of course,” Tina snapped.

The platform started to tremble as the train pulled out. The train left with a roar and the smell of diesel. The girls huddled together on the dark platform.

Holly shook her head. “I hope this isn't a sign of how the whole weekend's going to be.”

“Please,” Tina pleaded, twisting a strand of hair. “You and your signs. I'm buying you a turban and a crystal ball for your birthday. Then you can have a fortune-telling booth at the Shadyside fair next month.”

Holly forced a smile. “You can make fun if you want to, but sometimes I just get these feelings … Hey, do you think there are any good dance clubs here?” Holly asked, changing the subject. “It's going to be so cool. No parents. No curfew. I can stay out as late as I want to.”

“I can't believe my parents insisted you come with me. If they only knew how evil you really are. You're a very bad influence on me!” Tina joked.

“You love it!” Holly replied.

Tina raised her eyes to the night sky. A single star shone down, pale yellow against the gray.

The first star of evening, Tina thought. The Wishing Star.

She shut her eyes and made a silent wish.

“I wish this will be the best weekend of my life.”

A cool wind blew across the platform. Tina opened her eyes and pulled her blue jacket tight across her chest. Josh liked the jacket. But now she wished she'd picked something warmer.

“Let's go inside,” she suggested.

Tina grabbed her suitcase and pushed open the big double doors to the tiny station. Tina's suitcase felt as if it weighed a ton. I shouldn't have brought so many different outfits, she thought, dragging it inside. But Josh told her they were going to a picnic, a carnival, and the dance. She needed to be prepared.

But she wasn't prepared for spending time in this empty, grimy train station, in the middle of nowhere. How could Josh do this to me? Tina wondered.

The room smelled musty and sour. Rows of high-backed, gray leather chairs filled the room. Scraps of paper fluttered across the floor, as if pushed by ghosts.

Holly dropped her suitcase and sighed. “Josh knows we're coming, right?”

“Of course,” Tina shot back tensely.

“Maybe he forgot or something,” Holly said, glancing around the dimly lit room. “Now that he's in college, he might be different. I know I'm
going to be different when I'm in college. I'm getting my nose pierced, definitely. And maybe a tattoo.”

“I don't think Josh is off getting his nose pierced. I'm going to call him. You wait with our stuff.” Tina dug through her purse for a quarter and hurried over to the two pay phones.

She picked up the receiver on the first phone, then slammed it down. “No dial tone!” she yelled to Holly.

The other phone didn't even have a receiver. Tina strode back to her cousin.

“Let's go to the ticket counter,” Tina suggested, trying to sound cheerful. “Maybe there's a message for us.”

Their footsteps echoed on the tile floor.

A handwritten sign on the counter read
BE RIGHT BACK.
Next to the sign sat a cup of old coffee.

“Yuck,” Holly groaned. “Looks like no one has been here for days.”

Tina heard a sound behind the counter. “What's that?” she asked, grabbing Holly's arm. “Listen.”

The soft scraping sound grew louder. Tina held her breath.

“An animal,” Holly guessed, inching her way around the counter.

“Get back,” Tina ordered. “It might be a rat.”

This place is dirty enough, Tina thought. I bet dozens of rats live here. She tugged her cousin's arm.

Something hit the counter with a heavy thud. Tina spun around.

A huge black cat stared at her. The fur on its tail stood straight up. Its yellow eyes gleamed.

Tina uttered a shriek as it hissed and then hurled itself off the counter.

The cat landed beside Tina's foot and dashed across the floor.

Tina let out a tense laugh. “I—I thought it was the world's biggest rat!”

“A black cat,” Holly murmured. “You know what that means.”

“It means Josh better get here soon. And that's all it means,” Tina declared. “No more signs, okay? I'm not in the mood.”

“Let's sit down,” Holly suggested.

“Good idea. My knees feel as if they're made of cottage cheese.”

“That's because you eat so much of it,” Holly teased.

Tina followed her cousin to the stiff-backed chairs. “What time is it now?” she asked.

“Nine,” Holly told her. “Josh knows it's tonight he's supposed to pick us up, right?”

“Yes, Holly. Yes, he knows it's tonight. Yes, he knows it's this station. Okay?”

“Okay, okay. Sorry,” Holly apologized.

Moonlight streamed through the windows, casting long shadows on the walls.

Tina kept her eyes on the entrance. Please, Josh. Get here soon.

Her mind rushed over a million possibilities.

Maybe she
did
tell Josh the wrong time.

Maybe she
did
get the date wrong.

Maybe …

Stop, she ordered herself.

Tina couldn't sit still. She stood up and started to pace around the room. After making a complete circle, she noticed a shadow move outside the window at once end of the station.

“There he is!” Tina cried.

She picked up her bag and hurried to the door. “Josh!” Tina shouted, waving her arm. “Here we are.”

“Where'd he go?” Holly asked. “I don't see anyone.”

The long platform stood empty.

“Josh!” Tina cried out again.

No one there.

A knot formed in the pit of Tina's stomach. Something wasn't right. “Let's go back inside,” she whispered to Holly.

Too late.

A man jumped out from the shadows beside the station.

“Hey—what's up?” he rasped.

“W-we're leaving,” Tina stammered.

The man moved in on her. “No, you're not,” he said in a low, cold voice. “You're not going anywhere.”

“
I
need money,” he growled at Tina. “Whatever you got.”

Okay, she thought. Okay. He wants money. He can have everything. The whole fifty dollars Dad gave me. Tina fumbled for her purse.

The man jerked his face closer. His hair fell in dirty clumps onto his forehead. His breath smelled of alcohol. His eyes were glassy.

Tina backed against the wall. Her whole body shook.

“My … my money's in my …” Tina stammered.

But she never finished her sentence.

“Hey—leave her alone!” a deep voice ordered. “Get out of here!”

Josh! Tina thought. Finally!

The man let out a startled cry and lurched away.

Tina covered her face with her hands, ordering her body to stop trembling.

“Are you okay?” her rescuer asked.

That's not Josh's voice, Tina realized.

She raised her eyes to see a stranger with piercing green eyes and dark hair tied in a short ponytail.

“I'm okay—now,” Tina told him. “Holly? Holly?”

Holly stood huddled against the station wall, her arms wrapped around herself. Tina rushed to her side. “You okay?”

Holly nodded. “How about you? Did he hurt you?”

“No. He just scared me to death,” Tina replied. “I'm going to kill Josh for being late.”

Holly turned to the stranger. “Thanks for chasing that guy away.”

Tina felt the boy staring at her. His gaze traveled from her face to her legs and then back to her face.

“You must be Tina,” he said. “I'm Chris Roberts. Josh's roommate.”

“Oh, yeah,” Tina replied. “Josh told me about you.”

Josh had told her that Chris had tons of money. But Josh had never told her how handsome Chris was.

“Where
is
Josh?” she asked, forcing her eyes away from Chris and around the station. “How come he's not here?”

“He went upstate yesterday on a geology camping trip with our friend Steve,” Chris answered.

“Huh? He went camping?” Tina cried. “But he knew I was coming!”

“They were supposed to be back today,” Chris explained. “But they called this afternoon from a garage. They had car trouble. They have to wait to get the transmission fixed.”

“When will they be back?” Holly asked.

“Later tonight.”

“Oh,” Tina murmured, disappointed. One whole night knocked off her perfect weekend. But at least now she knew why Josh wasn't here.

“Josh asked me to come get you. Sorry I'm so late,” Chris apologized.

“Don't be sorry,” Holly said. “If you ask me, you got here just in time.” She pushed her curly brown hair away from her face and smiled.

“How did you know it was me?” Tina asked.

“Josh has pictures of you all over our room,” Chris explained, staring at her. “All the guys notice them.” He grinned playfully.

Tina felt him checking her out again.

“I thought you were coming by yourself,” he said, his smile fading.

“I planned to,” Tina lied. She didn't want a cool guy like Chris to know her parents didn't let her travel alone. “But Holly wanted to check out the drama department at Patterson. So she came, too.”

“Ahem.” Holly coughed theatrically.

“Oh, I'm sorry,” Tina said. “I didn't introduce you. This is Holly Phillips, my cousin.”

“Hi,” Chris said without really looking at Holly. “Let's get going.” Chris picked up Tina's suitcase. “My Jeep is out front.”

Tina followed Chris around the station and over to his car. In a few more hours she'd be with Josh.

Chris shoved the bags in the back of his Jeep Cherokee. Then Holly and Tina climbed in.

As they pulled out of the parking lot, Tina studied the interior of the Jeep. She noted an expensive CD player and even a car phone. Chris must be really rich, she decided.

She rested her head on the plush leather headrest. This is much better than the stiff train seat, she thought.

“So how far to the campus?” Holly asked, poking her head between them from the backseat. “I can't wait to see it. Anything fun going on tonight? Last week I visited Blaine College. They have some great music clubs. But I didn't really like their drama department. Too serious.”

Tina shared an amused glance with Chris.

“And last month I went to Munroe College,” Holly rambled on. “Can you believe they only put on two plays a year? Plus, the nightlife there was dead.”

“Look to your left, Holly,” Chris said. “There's the Little Town Playhouse.” He pointed to a small brick building set back from the street. “The college drama department performs there sometimes.”

“Cute building,” Holly said.

Chris leaned over and slid in a CD. A second later a familiar song began playing. “I love this CD,” he said, smiling at Tina.

Bizarre! She loved this CD, too. No one she knew, including Josh, had ever heard of the Psycho Surfers, and Chris had their CD.

“You know this group?” Tina asked.

“Sure,” Chris answered. “I've played this song so much Josh will only let me listen to it in the car.”

“Does this town ever get any concerts?” Holly asked. “Anybody good ever play here?”

“Not too often,” Chris replied, turning the Jeep onto a narrow cobblestone street.

“Too bad,” Holly answered, slumping back in the seat.

“Holly, check that out,” Tina said, pointing to a line of kids outside a club. “There's a place for you.”

“That's Club Cobalt. I don't go there much anymore,” Chris said. “But it's pretty popular.”

Tina noticed a catch in his voice. Why didn't he go there anymore? she wondered.

Holly sighed. “We need more clubs back home, don't we, Tina?”

Tina shrugged. She didn't go out to clubs very often. Without Josh, why bother?

“Tina,” Chris said, “Josh told me you want to be a model.”

“I do. Ever since I won a modeling contest in the fifth grade,” Tina replied.

“Then I'm sure you've heard of my uncle—Rob Roberts, the photographer?” Chris asked.

Rob Roberts! Everyone knew him. Fashion magazines used his model photos on their covers all the time.

“He's your uncle? Wow!” Tina exclaimed, surprised that Josh had never mentioned it to her.

Chris nodded. “I want to work with him after
graduation. He promised he'd help me get started in the business.”

“That's great,” Tina said.

“If you have time while you're here, I'll do some fashion shots of you,” Chris offered. “I need some more stuff for my portfolio.”

“That would be a lot of fun, but I don't know if there will be enough time.” Actually, Tina hoped there wouldn't be
any
time. She really wanted to spend every minute with Josh.

“I'd love to try some head shots at least,” Chris said. And then added: “If there's time.”

They rode through the small town. Tina thought about Josh. Holly commented on the stores and restaurants.

“Are you two hungry?” Chris asked, turning onto a one-way street.

“No,” Holly replied. “We ate sandwiches on the train.”

“Too bad,” Chris replied. “There's an awesome Mexican restaurant over there.”