FOLLOW

Holy Shit- R

RHODEY'S POV

"How many?"
"Four."
She looked around trying to find the other three people.
"I'm sorry sir, but in order to reserve a booth, all attendees must be here" well that agitated me. I crept closer to her so my face would be 3 inches away from hers.
"C'mon, doll face," I caressed her rosy cheeks,
"If you let me get the table, maybe I'd be able to pay you back....in anyway you want, baby" I whispered into her ear and placed a piece of her dirty blonde hair behind her ear.
She immediately started blushing, making her rosy cheeks even rosier. She giggled and moved away from my face.
"I guess it wouldn't hurt if I give a fine gentleman, like yourself, a booth" she was shy. Not my type.
"Follow me" she turned around giving me a perfect view of.....exactly nothing. I quickly rushed to my table before she thinks this is going anywhere.
"Thanks" i sat down on the rock hard booth and sighed.
"Cristina" she said as she placed the greasy menus down. Why would she give me her name? She's going too fast, I can't keep up.
"Oh,no. Ain't need it" I didn't want to see her "you just rejected me and I just want you to love me" face. I've seen too many, I'm not in the mood for more.
"But-" she was about to start an argument but then my buddy, Victor, walked in and saved the day.
"Thank you" I mouthed to him and he instantly got the message. But what I didn't get is why he brought two other ladies, I thought it was a guys night out? You know bros before hoes? Masturbate before you ask her on a date? Balls before dolls? I mean I liked women, it's just that I've had too many, I just needed some guy time.
"Dude" I questioned him when he came closer to the booth.
"What?" He put his hand behind the blonde girl's back.
"I got us dates" he said as if I needed clarification.
"I can see that. What happened to the guys night out." I angrily whispered to him as I got up to make room for the blonde girl.
"Well turns out guys night out was their last night out and they wanted to spend it with their chicks," he let the brunette girl slide in first, "and now, we're spending time with ours" this is not what I expected. I got really angry at him because it might be my last night out too. They never said when I started, they'd call when they need me. And plus, she would never be my chick. My girl would be a sweet gentle girl, maybe not so much of a makeup girl.
"Lighten up, dude. It's going to be fun night." I tried to play along with the 'lightening up" part, but I couldn't if I tried. Instead of playing along, I thought about the future Mrs.Crimson. I wondered if she had soft hair. I wondered if everytime she smiled my heart would feel like it's going to jump out of my chest. I wondered if she appreciated the little things like I do. I wondered how amazing it'd be to wake up to her beautiful face every morning. I hope that I get to meet her someday. But some things take time right? It's better to keep playing until you get the big prize? Right?
"So what do you for a living" the blonde girl was chewing bubble gum.
"Oh" I said startled.
"I'm a mechanic at Vroom" I looked up from my menu.
"So how much do you make?" She grabbed a piece of her golden locks and twirled it around her fingers.
"Enough to make you beg for me" I got close enough to smell the bubblegum (and hear the really obnoxious chewing). What made me say that, why do I do this?
"Well maybe..."she let her fingers trail down my torso.
"...I could beg for you..."she pressed her lips against my ear.
"Ahem" Victor cleared his throat, "Bridgette wanted to ask you about the war. Go ahead Bridgette." He smiled at Bridgette, the brunette.
"Well, Rhodes right?" I nodded at her,
"Do you feel overwhelmed?" She looked at me with sympathetic eyes as if she was some therapist and I was he patient. I never thought about my feelings though, but when do I think about that? I'm actually quite terrified. I don't know if I'm good enough. I don't even know when I'm getting drafted, it's just one big surprise. But, of course, I lied instead.
"Me? Overwhelmed? Please. I bet if I was there right now, the war would get called off." I scoffed at her, hiding every bit of fear inside of me.
"You must be so brave,"the blonde girl said,
"I like me a man who's brave" she went to massage my shoulders but I shrugged her off instead.
"Well, I don't think this is going to help your ego, but Claire and I will be cheering you and Vic on from Philly." She crossed her arms on the table.
"No. No. No. No . No" 'Vic' was quick to stay,
"I'm not getting drafted just sad old rhodey boy here."
"Yeah, wel-"
"Aw how come?" Bridgette ignored me.
"Yeah how come?" Claire chimed in.
"Well I'm the only boy in my family, and I want to stay back and help my mom" the girls awed at him like he was some hero.
I,on the other hand, was completely oblivious to their conversation. Was I really going to throw my life away just for a war. There is no one telling me how my different my life would be after the war. Will have PTSD? Will I pick up a disease? Will I be okay? I'd have to insane to think I'd ever be okay after a huge war. Vic and the other two girls ordered their food and were ready to go home.
"Hey man, do you want to come to the movies with us" he placed his arms on the girls shoulders as they left.
"Nah, I'm just going to go home" I was ready to go to bed.
"Okay, we'll see you later then" Vic chuckled and walked off with the girls.
"Don't do anything stupid" I shouted from the parking lot.
"I can't, you're taking all the stupid with you" he shouted back. I had a cheeky smile on my face as soon as he turned around. Man, I'm going to miss him so much. No homo tho. I love Vic, just not love love. You know what I mean? He's been my best friend since kindergarten and we're still going on strong. We've shared so many things together and there's a bond between us that'll never break, atleast I hope so. I'm just saying that it would hurt me if something bad were to happen to him. Or me.
Driving home was a woozy. I swerved so much, I felt nauseous. I could've gotten into 50 car crashes today, oh well. I pulled up to the rusty old apartment building across from the Pity Bar. I walked up the broken, concrete steps and tried not to fall. If you were to look at me from a few yards away, you'd think I was a gazelle walking on ice. After struggling up the steps, I went up to the black and beige buzzer and buzzed in.
"Hello?" Some old dude commented.
"Hey....Bernie, I-i...need to..get...in" I kept leaning back and forth.
"Are you drunk again, mister?"
"No, I'm just....just extremely tired Bernie, that's all"
"Oh..alright. Come on in boyo" he buzzed me in and I rushed up the 3 flights of stairs up to my apartment.
"307? 307?" I was looking through the halls for my apartment.
"Oh! 307" I pulled out my key and opened the door. Nothing says 'home' like books and girl posters scattered across the room. I walked past the torn up, grey couch that was facing the old, battered tv and found an envelope marked
'RHODEY CRIMSON JR ONLY'
"Huh?" I picked up the cream colored envelope and ripped the top off. Blue and light gray pieces of paper were separated by a metal necklace.
"Oh god, please don't let it be" I prayed silently as I grabbed the blue paper.

Rhodey," I began reading,
"You've been an outstanding blah blah blah blah," I skipped over the unimportant parts,
"And you've been officially chosen by our staff, John..blah blah blah" I skimmed through the rest of the paper until I saw the one sentence that changed my life forever.

"...you're due on Monday to began a new chapter in your life." I was shocked. I fell right on my butt onto the couch and saw my life flash before my eyes.

"Monday" I kept repeating over and over again.
"Am I going to regret this? Most likely yes. Is it for a good cause? I hope so" I sighed and went off to bed, or tried to.
The letter did not help me sleep at all, it just gave me an excuse to keep thinking.

Holy shit.

Ooh! Rhodey starts Monday, Jules starts Tuesday. When will Cody start? When will Steph Start? Does Sandy become Colonel Gavlak? Does she die? Does Jules die? DOES ANYONE DIE? I honestly have no idea, but read on, I guess.