Genesis: the Beginning and the End | Band of Brothers

【Ｃｈａｐｔｅｒ ４５ － Ｈａｙｓｅｅｄ （Ｒａｉｎｂｏｗｓ ｉｎ ｔｈｅ Ｒａｉｎ）】

Chapter 45 - Hayseed (Rainbows in the Rain)

For some absurd reason, Easy Company began going out on school nights. No. Really. They went out during the week. It baffled Margaret completely. Did they really have the control to not drink themselves drunk and to avoid hangovers the following morning? And what if they had night manoeuvres. It didn't seem to bother them.

It meant many of Margaret's evenings were spent on her own, knitting.

And, oh, they tried to get her to come out. They really did.

She went home at the weekend, not going out with them at all, but she came back with a dress. No one knew about that. But she figured that, when the next person asked and she said yes, she might as well have something nice to wear.

But she wouldn't say yes right away.

Luz begged and begged her on the Tuesday, but she wouldn't budge.

"1900, tomorrow, be there or so help me, I'll drag you there myself!"

Margaret couldn't help the laugh that bubbled at his last resort. His face lit up as she agreed through her laughs. And she also couldn't stop the aww at his smile.

Realising what she'd done, she gasped and clapped a hand over her mouth, well actually two.

And then the teasing began.

It was an attack from all sides.

Relentless.

All about how she really had a heart, about whether or not she had a thing for George Luz.

"Well of course she's got a thing for me, I mean look at me!"

"Shut up, Luz!" she groaned, feeling her face start to warm up. Normally she could fend the teasing off, even get in a few quips of her own. But not this. God, this was so awkward. Everything was heating up, her whole body. It felt horrible, and she just wanted to curl up and sink into her bed, disappear.

She knew Luz was joking, and she could see the way his face changed when the teasing turned to who she did fancy. She didn't fancy anyone. Luz knew that. He knew why.

"Guys," she whined, "stop!"

Everyone laughed, she even added her own nervous chuckle, but eventually it died down. They were good guys really. Yeah.

Easy Company stayed in that night.

The low hum of chatter was pleasant. A few card games, mainly poker, were being played throughout the barn. Bull took a handful of scarves from Margaret's footlocker, the steady distribution of them hadn't reached his squad yet. It made her task of distributing them so much easier, she could focus on making the last ones if the others were just raiding her locker to give them out themselves. It was alright though. Most people knew who made them, as they'd seen her with her needles one time or another. There were even scarves for the officers.

She was proud of them.

That evening, a Tuesday, she finished one more scarf. Somehow, by some miracle, she'd made enough scarfs for everyone, minus three. Margaret had already planned to duck out. Cobb didn't deserve one because he was a huge twat. She didn't really want anyone else to miss out, so she'd have to get one more ball of wool. But it could wait, right?

Wednesday came, and the day passed into evening, with the soldiers of E Company going out. Margaret still thought it was stupid. But it would also be fun.

Luz threatened her once more, and then again as he left. Margaret promised and promised again that she would be along in good time, telling him to leave so she could finally change! Eventually the final few men filtered out.