The Uniform

Part 1

     It was two weeks before graduation, Adeline had it all planned out. She would attend college at University in Tuscaloosa, Alabama and Blake Carter, her long time boyfriend would attend University with her.

--

That was until Blake decided to ruin it on Monday night, two weeks before graduation, "Addie, Blake is here!"

I was running around my room trying to find my other brown ankle boot to match my outfit, but I couldn't find it anywhere. "Addie? What are you doing?" Blake asked walking into my room. I was not only upside down, but I had my head in a weird position and everything.

"I'm looking for my other boot." I told him sticking my foot in the air so he could see. He nodded showing me he understood then picked up what seemed to be my shoe, "This one?"

My face dropped and he grinned like the idiot he was, "Idiot." I told him snatching it from his hands.

"Hey, be nice I found it. If it wasn't for me you'd be changing clothes right now." He knows me so well. I laughed at him latching the button on the boot I walked over to him and hugged him.

"Thank you." I said then walked out of my room. "Let's go!"

"I'm coming!" he said grabbing my hand to take the lead. He opens his truck door and waits for me to get in.

-

"Addie, I have something to tell you, but I don't want you to get upset before I finish." He said slowly grabbing my hand that rested on my tea glass.

I gave him a worried look and waited for him to continue, "I've enlisted to join the Marines." I looked at him with wide eyes and slowly nodded, "Do you remember the two months I left to go on the road trip with Jack visiting colleges around the states?" I nodded carefully, "We didn't really go visit colleges, we went to basic training in Parris Island, South Carolina."

My face dropped hearing this "Why didn't you tell me?" I asked looking him in the eye.

"I thought you'd be mad and I didn't want to leave with us on bad terms. It was a last minute decision." He said looking down.

"Blake, after six years of dating you'd think I'd be mad at this? I've told you over and over again, I love any man in uniform." I grabbed his hand and held it tight.

"I know, but I didn't think that included ones you love." He said staring at me.

"I will go with you where ever you go and I'll be on your side with whatever you decide to do." I smiled at him.

"Baby, I leave the night after graduation." He leaned towards me.

"Wh- Okay. Well where are we going?" I ask trying my hardest to hold back tears.

"No, I'm going to Africa to fight. You, my sweet lady are staying here and you're going to college." He said, his brown eyes followed the tear that slid down my cheek.

"Blake, I don't want to stay here. I want to go with you, I want to be with you. I can live on base and start college online and take my classes that way." Blake shook his head and looked away.

"Adeline, you're not understanding, I'm going to Africa. The base is in Florida. Our family is here, it'll be fine." I watched his mouth move but his words didn't comprehend.

I couldn't take it anymore. I got up and ran out of the diner, "Adeline!" Blake yelled for me but I ran to a corner and stopped. He caught up to me and blocked me in. "Adeline, I told you this because I didn't want to just disappear from you -

"You told me this because you didn't want to disappear? What you thought about leaving and not saying goodbye? You weren't even going to tell me?" My curly blond hair was beginning to frizz and I knew it was going to look a mess. Was he really just going to leave?

"Blake, I love you. I really, really do. I don't know what has made you think I wouldn't support you through this, but I would support you through anything, for sure you serving for our country. Here you are trying to kick me out! You're trying to make me leave." I yelled at him, hot tears streaming down my face.

He wiped them all off until I was finished, "Addie, I'm not trying to make you leave, I'm trying to do the right thing. I love you, so much that I couldn't leave you here just guessing if I'd come back to you -" He paused, giving me a weak smile a single tear rolling down his face meeting his lip.

"I want you to be happy, happy without me. I don't want you to be here depressed without me. I can't stand the thought of you sad and crying because I'm not here. The thought of some other guy wiping your tears from your eyes pisses me off, but I don't want you waiting forever." He reached to my head and brushed my blonde curls behind my ear and examined my face.

He pulled me back to his car and took off to take me home, "I can send you boxes, letters, anything and everything while you're overseas."

Blake shook his head and pulled up to my house. We got out and walked to my door, "Blake, I love you."

"Baby, Sweetness, Apple Pie, Love Bunny, Ace, I love you so much. Never forget that." He kissed my face all over, "But, Baby I want you, to move on. To forget about me. I know it'll be hard as hell, but you need to. Okay?" His once tan, happy face was now pale and lonely.

I shook my head frantically, "No, I won't." He nodded his head and kissed my lips once, "Blake, stop. You're not doing this. It's not going to happen."

He pulled me to him, his fingers locked in the curls that hung along my back. "Shit, Ace I love you and I always will. I'm doing this because you deserve better, someone who is here with you to go through everything with you. Someone to protect you while you're sleeping and to cook dinner with you. Someone that can be there with you. Please forgive me, Ace. I gotta go." He placed a soft kiss on my forehead and ran his hand over my hair one last time. His eyes locked with mine, tears were rolling down his cheeks.

"Blake, please don't do this. I need you. This is not what I deserve, I deserve you! I don't want anything else!"

He continued to shake his head and walk down the walk way, breaking my heart every step he took.

-

We all graduated. Everyone in my graduating class, including Blake Carter. We looked each other dead in the eyes that day, we talked like we always did, but our lives were different ever since that night.

His eyes may hold all the emotion he has and it may be covered up with the wall he has built with steal that only one girl could break. He hides his emotions for her in a box buried deep within his heart.

Her eyes may be bright and big, her smile may be big and white, but on the inside she's dead, black as night.

Adeline goes to college in Tuscaloosa, AL like she planned. Everyone said it would get easier for her. It was only a High School relationship after all.

Whoever the hell told them that, lied. It hasn't gotten easier. It's only gotten worse.

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I honestly haven't been on here in FOREVER. I was going through this thinking I should delete it, but then I read it and was like dang.. I actually like it a little bit. I'm just uploading it because I liked it. There probably won't be another upload of it. I'm not sure yet.

Thanks for reading❤️