//------------------------------//
// A Little Friendly Advice 
// Story: I Am Octavia 
// by Matthias Ramsey 
//------------------------------//

Vinyl didn't go to the house. Instead, she went straight to the train station.
"Yes? What can I get for you?" The clerk said.
"Get me a round-trip ticket to West Cider Junction."
The clerk typed something into his keypad. "Going to visit Winesap Acres?"
"Yes. I have a close friend there."
The clerk nodded and kept talking as he worked. "You seem stressed. Talking to close friends is usually a good way to get through it." He pulled the ticket off the printer. "It can also help to think about the situation from the other party's point of view." He passed the ticket through the slot.
"Oh! H-How much do I owe you?" Vinyl reached for her wallet and winced when she realized it was back at the house.
"Don't worry about it. You look stressed enough as it is. I'll cover it for you."
"Really? Thank you so much!"
"Don't mention it. Just get this problem of yours solved."
"Thank you again!" Vinyl hurried to catch her train.
The clerk continued his work with a smile. He had been a psychologist before becoming a ticket clerk, and enjoyed nothing more than helping people solve their problems. He was old, and knew he didn't have long to go. He knew that, somehow, by helping that young mare, he would be accomplishing something great.
Better than he'd done with the rest of his life.