Why Aren't You Humming Hallelujah?

Pete’s POV

“I just don’t understand.”

“You haven’t found the one yet and that’s okay. I didn’t find your father until I was 27.”

I sighed. My mother just wouldn’t understand; love life is different nowadays. “Mom, I’ll talk to you tomorrow okay? I just want to get some rest.” With that we said our goodbyes and hung up our phones. I didn’t really want to rest. It was actually the last thing I wanted to do at the moment. I wanted to get out and do something, but not just anything. I wanted to do something really daring and spontaneous.

I reached over and grabbed my laptop from the coffee table and put it on my lap. I went to Google (that site really is amazing) and stared at the blank search box for about ten minutes. Then, it hit me. I started jamming on the keyboard and pressed the ENTER button especially hard.

-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-

Patrick’s POV

“Goodbye, Mom.” She was hugging me really tightly with tears in her eyes. “Mom! I have to go!”

“Oh I’m sorry honey. I’m just going to miss you so much. You were my only company!”

“I’ll still keep in touch. Maybe you should try getting out more.”

“Okay honey. I’ll do that for you.”

“Don’t do it for me. Do it for yourself.” With one last quick peck on the cheek I left to go through security and then board the train.

“I love you!” I rolled my eyes and said it back to my mom. She was clearly in tears, and she looked so lonely standing all by herself. I felt bad, but this was something I really wanted to do.

I was shown to my private room. It wasn’t big at all, but I wasn’t expecting much. I saw that my equipment was already set in the room. After checking that all my baggage was there, I sat down on the small cot and fell asleep.

-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-

Pete’s POV

I was scrolling down the page when I saw it. “Train Trips For Cheap!” I clicked on the link and examined what came up. I put in my information and ordered a one-way trip out of this place. I completed the order and closed my laptop. Now I just have to wait for my tickets to come in through the mail and I am out of here.

As I was thinking about what I was going to do on my “vacation,” the phone rang. I reached over and picked up. “Hello?” I said in my annoyed voice.

It was an auto-programmed voice. “Hello. We would like to thank you for your purchase to Los Angeles, California. If you have any questions please press one. If—“. I hung up the phone and grabbed my hoodie of the edge of the couch. I needed to tell Lauren that I was leaving. She would want to know. Plus, I had some business to attend to.

-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-
Patrick’s POV

“Whoa!” I yelled as I fell out of my bed. I looked up from the train floor and wondered momentarily where I was. “Oh yea, I’m on a train.” I looked around to make sure no one saw I was talking to myself. I have got to stop doing that. I grabbed my wallet from my jacket wallet and walked out of my bunk. I walked to the back of the train and ordered a soda.

There was a little dining car behind the snack car so I decided to sit in their instead of sitting in my bunk alone. There were only 8 tables and all of them were filled with families except for one table in the corner where a guy was sitting along on his laptop. I’m usually not so social but I was bored and I needed to make a friend soon or this was going to be a very boring two days.

I walked up to his table and said, “Hi. Do you mind if I sit with you? All the other tables are full.”

He looked up from his laptop and gave me a once over. Eventually he looked back at my face and said, “Sure. You look like you could use some company.”

“Ha. Thanks.” I gave his a shy smile and sat down nervously across from him. He finished whatever he was doing and closed his laptop.

“So what are you doing on this train?”

“Uh…” I was trying to think of a good answer, but I was soon distracted by his extremely handsome features. He had crystal blue eyes and brown curly hair. He was probably my age or maybe a little bit older. He was smiling while he waited for my answer and I couldn’t help but notice how beautiful his smile was. It was so bright and made you just want to smile with him.

“What are you smiling about?”

“Oh haha, I was just… thinking about something.” I stopped smiling and looked down at the table.

“So you never answered my question.” He said while giggling. I felt embarrassed.

“Uh, I’m just trying to get away for a little bit and try to get started in the music business.” I stopped a moment to push up my glasses. “I play the drums.” I mumbled the part about me playing the drums and then a coughed a little.

“Oh that’s cool. I just finished my first year in college and I realized that college isn’t really the thing for me. Maybe someday,” he looked out the window, “but now I just want to try to do something else with my life. I want to try something different. I want to do something that my parents didn’t plan for me.”

“I understand.” As I said this he turned to look back at me. It almost hurt to look directly into his eyes; they were so outstanding. I looked towards the center isle and saw a cute couple holding hands and just staring into each other’s eyes.

“I never got your name.”

“Um, Patrick.”

“Are you sure?”

“Of course I am.

“Oh you just sounded unsure.”

“No I’m just thinking.” I said this while still looking at the couple sitting on the other side of the train.

He must have followed my gaze because next he said, “True love is so amazing to watch from the outside.” I would’ve asked him what he meant, but I didn’t feel like having to look in his eyes again.

But I did say, “So what’s yours?”

“My what?” He said this a little defensively and it startled me a little. I wasn’t expecting that.

“Your name?”

“Oh.” He had seemed to calm down. “Eric.”

“Nice to meet you, Eric.”

“Nice to meet you, too, Patrick.” He extended his hand I took it in my own we shook for a moment and he seemed to hang on a little too long. I took my hand back and tucked it under my leg. Eric was pretty quiet for the rest of the time I sat there. Soon after I left and went back to my bunk.