Compartment #4

As Clyde's luck would have it, his mother and father's typical midmorning fight made getting to the train on time rather tight. Furthermore, had the misfortune to be sat in front of two third year girls, who, lucky for Clyde, were too busy catching up on the latest gossip to pay any attention to him.

Lovely.

Clyde casted a dejected pout in his parents' direction before pulling a book out of his carry on bag. At least he could attempt to have a painless ride.

Soundlessly, the door opened once more. A rather squat young lad dressed in a rather ostentatious white suit squeezed his way in, trunk dragging behind, and took the open seat next to Clyde without a word. He had pale, curly hair -- cherubesque, one might say-- and took up approximately twice the amount of seat as the lad next to him. He smelled faintly of ginger.

Clyde looked up from his book, down, and up again with one of his eyebrows cocked. He couldn't quite decide if he was more confused by the scent or the view. Or both? Well, in reality it was not total confusion. If anything, it was curiosity.

Clyde laid his book on his lap, leaning over towards the boy.

"So far all you've missed is apparently Mary kissed Ben but Ben is dating Charlotte, who likes David who is dating Mary."

"Int'resting," said the boy with a long nod.

"Mmm. Apparently it's big news. Controversial even." Clyde threw an increasingly less interested glance at the boy, and looked back down at his book. It looked awful lonely.

"Why bother listening?" he asked, looking over at Clyde, frowning slightly.

"You never know when it could come into play." Clyde shrugged, unconsciously tracing the spine of his book with his finger.

"Do you know them?"

"Nope."

"Why bother, then?" The boy gave Clyde a side glare. "Love isn't anybody's business but those involved."

Yet again, Clyde merely shrugged. "Try and convince Alice and Dana of that then... I didn't catch your name?"