Genesis: the Beginning and the End | Band of Brothers

【Ｃｈａｐｔｅｒ ２８ － １８】

Chapter 28 - 18

"I've never seen you so antsy."

"Well it's not everyday you turn 18 for the second time."

Margaret was in the bathroom, in front of the slightly dirty mirror, with the door open so she could still talk. She'd been in there for ages, trying to make her hair look a little more feminine.

"And you've only known me for two months!" There was laughter from the kitchen, and she couldn't help but smile. "Should've seen me in the run up to D-Day, was practically eating my fingers I'd bitten so far down my nails," she mumbled. It was true, her fingers hurt for a long time afterwards, and her nails kept catching and ripping.

"You should probably come with, so that you actually get to eat tonight, feel free to leave after eating though."

She came out of the bathroom, with a look of well? on her face. Luz tutted and made grabby hands at the comb.

"And miss out on you getting piss drunk for the first time? No thank you. What if I miss out on something I could blackmail you with later?"

Margaret reluctantly handed it over, after hesitating in front of him, turning away from him to face Martin and Bull. They were smirking at her, clearly sharing the same sentiments as the man combing her hair.

"Hey Margaret, look at me an' listen t'my voice. Ok?"

Bull had picked up on it before she could even begin to panic and she could've cried right there. And he just talked at her, telling her that he'd make sure Luz didn't use anything against her.

"Unless it's too hilarious not to share."

She tossed a playful glare at Martin.

And just as quick as he'd started, Luz was done.

She hadn't even had time to panic. Had hardly felt the comb.

Thanking him, Margaret shuffled into the bathroom to have a look.

"How the hell did you manage to do that?!"

"Six sisters," he replied whilst shrugging.

She looked even more like her mother with her hair all smooth and parted like that. Margaret was genuinely baffled at how Luz had managed to do what she'd been trying to for an hour in about a minute.

*

Margaret wasn't sure what she was expecting but an almost full pub was not it. There were a lot of people she didn't recognize, so she mostly stuck beside Noah and Jacob, looking back towards the paratroopers every so often. Their presence reassured her more than she cared to admit.

As Noh and Jacob paraded her around, people congratulated her, but she didn't recognize any of them and names rattled around in her brain before escaping again.

This wasn't fun.

And though the buzz alcohol was giving her was pleasant, the taste wasn't as nice.

But then the singing started and she'd had more to drink and suddenly it was very fun. She didn't recognise all the songs, but was having a nice enough time.

Then a song her dad used to sing or hum started. Mother hated it, probably because it was good fun.

Noah started it by getting up on a table.

"As I was going to Derby all on a market day,
I met the biggest ram, me boys
That ever was fed on hay.”

Margaret had forgotten the words, but needn’t have worried because everyone else knew them and she soon picked them up.