Soldier Boy

Chapter 6- One Night

As you apply the powdery makeup to your face you feel a wave of sadness, this dinner should be with Elvis not Danny. You look at your reflection, remembering his sultry voice, the way his legs would shake as he sang, the cuddles he would give you that made you feel less alone. You long for his touch, just for a second.

"Are you ready yet?" Your mother says, bursting into your room, you roll your eyes,

"Five minutes!" You scoff, she sighs and starts to dust and make your bed. "I really wish you took pride in your damn room, look at this pig sty!"

"Can you just leave my room alone? I promise I'll clean it after I do my makeup!"

"Yeah right." Your mother says as she slams the door behind her. Why was she acting so shitty? You ask yourself.

After you finish applying brown eyeshadow to your eyelids, you start to make your bed, fluffing your pillows and neatly putting your teddy bear on top of your bed sheets.

Suddenly you hear a stone bang against your window, you think nothing of it, it was probably just the wind, you tell yourself.

As you sit down again at your vanity slowly brushing your hair you hear the sound again. Again you think nothing of it, when you hear it again you walk over to your window and look down, there was nothing there. Just the rose bushes your mother planted last year, you sigh and close your window. You trace your fingers along the floral wallpaper as you walk down the wooden stairs. You walk over to the kitchen and watch your mother bake the apple crumble,

"Hi, I'm bored."

"Go away, play piano or somethin. Don't bother me." She dismisses you. You grown loudly just to annoy her, "why do we have to have this stupid dinner. Can't I just date a guy without my parents being involved?"

"I know honey, but this could be such a big opportunity for you, I mean that boy is from a rich family. They own oil in the South, could be a real meal ticket for you. Plus he's a handsome all American boy! What's not to like?"

You roll your eyes, you didn't want an all American boy, you walk off to the living room and start to play random keys on the glossy black piano.

"Stop that racket! Either play an actual piece or go back to your goddamn room!" Your mother yells from the kitchen, muttering to herself. You jump up off the piano and stomp upstairs, and go straight to your parents room, remembering the book under their mattress. You snatch it from the bed frame and rush to your room, reading every single sentence, soaking in every word. Eventually you hear the front door open and close. You panic and shove the book in your underwear drawer. You jump up as you hear his footsteps reaching for your room, you slam the drawer shut and smile at him. Your father looks at you with a confused look, "you all ready for our dinner tonight?"  

"Yes, I am." You say, praying to the Lord he won't ask you what you were doing.

"Okay, he'll be here in thirty minutes. So just... be ready." He says looking you up and down. You laugh awkwardly as he walks away. When he's out of sight you sigh loudly. You walk back downstairs and set the table, you look at the pictures of your perfect siblings. You envy them, they didn't have to endure this foolish display, they could be their own person, they had their own lives in the States. You start to ponder, maybe I should marry him, then we can go to the States and I can divorce him.

You laugh at yourself and sigh, knowing it could never be that easy.

Suddenly, you hear a knock at the door, you open it slowly and see Danny smiling with a bouquet of orange day lilies.

"Hello hot stuff." He says quietly, you look him up and down.

"Yeah, hi." You turn away and call for your mother and father, your dad comes rushing down smiling at the soldier, "Hello Daniel! Nice to see you again, son!"