Charades

Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Sam slid down the railing of the grand stairs wearing her brother's trouser. She greeted her father and pecked him on the cheek. His eyes rose from the morning paper and greeted her good morning with a warm smile. Samantha smiled in return and ran to the toast.

"Samantha, how many times do I have to tell you, no running in the kitchen. And what are you wearing?!" her mother gasped as she saw her daughter.

Samantha shrugged, "How many times do I have to tell you my name is Sam!"

Samantha's mother visibly rolled her eyes. Samantha smirked. "Not so lady-like are we now, mother?" Samantha muttered under her breath.

She smeared butter over her toast but before she took a bite her second eldest brother snatched it out of her hand. He took a satisfying bite and handed it back to her.

"Needs more butter,Sammy," he said and playfully ruffled her short, light brown hair.

"Then get your own,Johny," she teased.

"Are those my trousers?!" Samantha's third brother, Henry, asked as he walked down the stairs. He was slightly younger than Samantha. About the same size, though.

"Quick hide me!" Sam whispered to John.

"Samantha, why don't you wear your own clothes. You have plenty of nice dresses to choose from," Her father said putting aside his newspaper.

Samantha raised an eyebrow. "Dresses. Dresses dad, dresses. You know how much I hate dresses."

Samantha's father shook his head and smiled to himself. His daughter was always going to be different than other girls.And maybe that was what he loved about her. He picked up his newspaper and read aloud. "President Woodrow Wilson is recruiting men from ages 18 to 35 for the Great War. Men willing to fight for their country within this age must go to recruiting camps."

Samantha's mother looked up from the onions she was cutting. A worried look filled her eyes for her sons were going of to war.

***

"I'm going" said Samantha to Will. Will was the the oldest. He was twenty-six and married to Margaret Adler. They had been married a little over two years and were expecting a beautiful baby boy soon.

"I beg you pardon?" Margaret asked to Samantha.

"I'm going, to fight," Sam said.

"Sam, you realize girls are not allowed to fight, right?" said Will.

"So? "

"You're joking, right?" Will and Margaret said in unison

When Samantha's expression didn't change, Will knew they were in trouble.

"Im serious! I think I can actually do it!" Samantha told her brother.

"If you promise you won't get hurt. Mom would kill me if she found out," said Will.

"Don't worry, I'll just say I'm going to visit James for a while, which isn't a lie because James is a general," Samantha assured. James and Samantha had been the best of friends since they were very little. "Now, can you cut my hair so it's like Will's?" Samantha asked Margaret.

"I...I guess. Are you sure about this?" Margaret asked.

"Yeah. I can ask James to help me. Don't worry."

***

The next day William drove Samantha to the recruiting tent. Margaret had cut Samantha's hair like a boy's. Samantha wore her brothers old military uniform which fit nearly perfectly. Her heavy clothes hid her from being recognized as a boys.

"Name?" an old man asked Samantha when she entered the tent.

"Sam," Samantha said in her regular voice but quickly corrected herself with a more "manly" tone.

"Age?"

"Twenty."

The man finally looked up from his clipboard. He suspiciously raised an eyebrow but still handed her a piece of paper with the information she gave him.

"Ok, Sam, give this to the man in the other room when it's your turn."

When it was finally her turn Sam entered the room. There was a tall burly man with a bushy mustache holding a measuring tape. Samantha's eyes widened when she realized what he was going to do.

"Remove your uniform so I can measure accurately," the man ordered.

"Can...can I talk to the general? Tell him it's really, really important," Samantha pleaded.

The man reluctantly agreed and left the tent to find the general. A moment later the man returned with a handsome young man. He was slightly older than Samantha. He had dark blue eyes and brown hair that was shaved into a buzz cut.

"Sir, this boy wanted to talk to you," the man informed the general.

The general's eyes widened at the sight of Samantha. "Can you please leave this room?" the general asked the man.

The man nodded and left them alone.

"What are you doing here?!" James whispered.

"Nice to see you too!"

"You could get caught!"

"I have no choice!"

"You won't pass any of the tests without them realizing you're a girl!" James said anxiously.

"You can help me."