AMA-Con: The Compilation

Battle: Chapter 1

Written by: @yoursassybella9

Prompt: Army/War Setting 

Prompt by: @wuthie16

***

July 2003

64 year old, Maine Mendoza-Castillo is sitting down on a white, distressed rocking chair on her back porch. Beside her is her grand-daughter, Celestine. Celestine is eighteen years old, and she is currently painting her grandmother's nails.

Celestine suddenly says, "Mamita, do you remember my best friend, AJ?"

Maine nodded her head and says, "Oh yes! How can I forget that charming, young boy? How is he?"

Celestine shrugs then responds, "He is doing fine, I guess. But I'm not. I'm extremely confused about everything that is going on between the two of us. Sometimes I just want to scream and cry. "

With a worried look on her face, Maine coaxes her granddaughter, "Why sweetie? What's wrong? Come on tell Mamita."

Celestine comes closer to her grandmother and begins to tell her story, "Well as you know, AJ and I have known each other since we were kids. When we were little, everyone would tease us saying that we'll eventually fall for each other. I did not think much of it. But as time passed by, things changed between us. He was my first kiss Mamita" Celestine takes a deep breath and closes her eyes, remembering.

Maine suddenly gives her grand-daughter a tight squeeze in the arm as if telling her to continue.

After a while Celestine takes a deep breath and continues, "I mean yeah the kiss was an accident because I slipped and fell on top of him, but ever since then - things started to change"

Maine glances at the field of daisies sitting right by her backyard and appears to have remembered something, smiling as she listens to her grand-daughter tell her story.

Celestine finishes painting Maine's nails and she proceeds with her story, "I started to become more conscious about my appearance every time I would see him. I make sure to put on my best dress, fix my hair the way he likes it, and put some blush on. I never did that before, Mamita!

Before, I never paid much attention to him - but now I notice the smallest things about him. I see the way he smiles when he wins in his favorite video game, the way he laughs when I tell him my silly jokes and just about everything" Celestine says while laughing effortlessly as Maine stares at her grand-daughter with a loving look.

"Oh my gosh, Mamita! He also has the most beautiful dark, brown eyes. His eyes can pierce through a soul. I slightly melt whenever he casually intertwines our hands, hugs me from behind or when he gives me a kiss good night. On the cheek, mind you. He can make my knees tremble with just his easy smile and gives me butterflies in my stomach when he sings my favorite song. I have never felt this way before and I am terrified" Celestine finishes.

Maine remarks, "Well then what are you waiting for? Tell him before it is too late!"

"But I'm scared! I'm scared that he does not feel the same way and I'm terrified to lose him. I don't know if I can risk our beautiful friendship" Celestine replies with wide eyes.

Maine gives her grand-daughter a knowing smile and says, "Sweetie, we will always have doubts and questions in the back of our heads. But what we do with those questions are completely up to us. Now ask yourself, do you want to find the answer or forever be stuck asking 'what if' questions? Life is filled with choices. Let me tell you my own story. It is a story that is both my favorite yet if I could, I'd change the ending. It's a story that haunts me every day of my life for the past forty-six years. I wish I had said something, did something. Before I was even prepared, I already ran out of time. It was already too late and there was nothing else that I could have done.