The Western Front

Chapter Two...

     The next morning came around all too quickly. Recollection of yesterday's events flooded my mind too fast for me to contain the tears that streamed down my face. I looked up and saw Bonnie standing at my dresser fixing her hair. She stayed the night, against my better judgment considering her father wasn't the biggest fan of co-ed sleepovers. She turned to face me with a smile. Her half made-up face looking at me with pity. I hated pity.
"Why are you looking at me like that?" I finally spoke.
"Because I'm scared for you," she murmured. She came back to the mattress and took my face in her hand. I leaned into her palm. She kissed me and continued her morning ritual, something I have yet to witness.
"I could get used to this, you know," I said lowly in her ear.
"What?" She replied with a slight smile. She knew what I meant.
"Waking up to see you getting ready for the day, even though you're already beautiful and don't need any of this trash," I pointed to her makeup on the top of my dresser. She has the talent to be able to do most of her makeup without a mirror.
"You know lying is a sin, right?" She smiled at me wrapping her arms around my neck.
"And who said I was religious?" I quipped back, smiling. I leaned my forehead on hers and closed my eyes. I hugged her close.
     I walked over to my closet and pulled out my usual daily school outfit. Jeans, white t-shirt, and my prized leather jacket. I flipped the collar of my jacket up and flashed a smile her way. I walked to the bathroom and knocked making sure Darcy wasn't in there and stepped in. My comb and grease were sitting on the sink surface almost gleaming and I got to work. My hair was back into its quaff almost like a mask to how my heart is in pieces over my father. It's only a matter of time until we get the house call.
     I shook my head trying to clear my head of all the negative thoughts and looked in the mirror and flashed my signature smirk and walked out to see her standing there in her tea length skirt and scoop neck shirt. She is gorgeous. I don't know how I got so lucky.
"You ready?" I asked her extending my hand. She took it.
"As ready as I'll ever be," with that she smiled and pulled me down the stairs.

    We stopped in the kitchen to a full breakfast of eggs and bacon cooked by my mother. My favorite. Bonnie and I sat down and quickly scarfed down the delicious food and ran out of the house. We quickly jumped in my beautiful '41 Ford and pulled out of the driveway. The eerie silence that filled the car was deafening. I could see the thoughts fly across Bonnie's face and it pained me beyond belief because I knew exactly what she was thinking about. "Bonnie, I know what you're thinking," I started cautiously. She's thinking that I have no regard for her feelings and I am just going to go die in a war.

"No, you don't, Michael. You don't know what I'm thinking. You're not the one who is going to stay here while the one you love most goes off to war to die," She spat at me. I paused. My father was the one I loved most until Bonnie. He didn't just go off to war to die. He went to war to serve the country that he loves. He went to war to set an example for me. He wanted to show me that war and the military can do amazing things for a man. 

"Bonnie, you knew this was going to happen sooner or later. My father and I were supposed to serve together. It's not like you didn't know when you decided to go steady me that I wouldn't leave eventually," I shot back and immediately regretted my words. She was just as supportive of me going to the military as my father was. In fact, all of the men in her family have served in some way. Her father was in the Air Force. Her gradfather, the Navy. So for her, serving was a way of life.

"Stop the car," She whispered.

"Bonnie-" I started but she cut me off.

"STOP THE CAR," She yelled at me. I pulled to the side of the road slowly as if to give her time to change her mind. 

"Bonnie, you know I didn't mean it, please come back to me," I pleaded but my words fell on deaf ears. 

"I can walk the rest of the way," She slammed the door of my car shut and kept walking. I wouldn't be surprised if she left me after what I said. That was the cruelest thing one human can say to another. I slammed my hands on the steering wheel and continued on my route to school. If I was a braver man, I would stop and make Bonnie get back in my car, but I have learned from past arguments that it's best if she gets her time alone to simmer down. 

     The drive to school was probably the longest ride of my life. I knew that the Event that happened yesterday would be the topic of discussion almost all day, so I had to drive extremely slow to mentally prepare my mind for the repeating details of how my father was stolen from me. 'Okay, Michael. Do not screw this up. You have a lot riding on your reputation. Do. Not. Cry. During. School.' I told myself as I pulled up to the main parking lot of the school. Bonnie was walking up the stairs to her first class when she looked towards my car quickly and turned her head sharply and shook her head. She kept walking but added more speed to her step as if I could catch up to her if I ran fast enough.

     I gathered up my bag with my books in it, stepped out of the car and walked to the main doors. The greeting I got when I came through the door was silence and a few whispers. My father was the only one stationed at Pearl Harbor in this part of Manhattan. Everyone knew he was gone. I shot my glance to examine my destroyed Converse shoes and continued to my small locker. I twisted the lock around to open it and shoved my jacket inside. I could feel the concrete floor under my feet with the holes in my shoes, but since I don't really have the money to get a new pair I usually just wear two pairs of socks to keep out the cold.

     I continued down the hallway my eyes averting everyone's pity stares. I hate pity. I was about to turn down the hallway to my Physical Education class when a hand grabbed my shoulder and turned me around. Mason looked at me with not pity, but understanding. He spoke, "Michael, I know how you must be feeling. I can't fathom what it feels like, but I'm here for you man. Brothers for life. Remember?" He slaps the side of my neck like a brother would, and smiles at me. Mason has been my best friend since birth practically, but he's been leaving me alone since Bonnie and I became steady boyfriend and girlfriend. 

"Thanks man, it really means a lot," I replied and we continued to walk to the shower room together. Physical Education was something I always took seriously because I knew from a young age that I was going to serve my country one day, and I knew what that meant. To be a soldier for our military, you have to be in prime physical condition to be placed on the front lines. You have to be well built and well composed. You had to be the exemplary citizen because when the enemies of our great nation try to battle us in war, the soldiers are the ones they see. Not the ordinary citizens. I also take sports very seriously because it gives me an excuse to work out and not look like a fool when I lift immense amount of weight. 

     What people don't understand is that I used to be a slightly overweight boy when I was younger. I had no muscle to speak of and running was completely out of the question. It wasn't until my grandfather sat me down and told me the greatness of serving my country that I started to take my health into serious consideration. I needed to carry on the tradition that my generations long family has started from the Civil War. My family has always been the vanguard of equality and democracy. Their motto is, "It's your country. Love it, or leave it,".