Paper Airplanes

20 years old

"You're being selfish," Will sighs as he rubs his forehead with his fingers in a stressed out manner.

"I'm not!" Alice snaps, "I'm being thoughtful, that's all,"

"This is important," Will says, hoping she'll get the point.

"As a friend, I say that it's not as important as you think it is," Alice exclaims, and she emphasizes her point by pointing at him almost accusingly with her index finger.

"You want me to stay back here while Roy and the others go to war?" Will raises a brow, "We're good friends, I know, but this is important. This isn't just about me anymore. It's about the country,"

"You don't have an obligation to the country," Alice crosses her arms across her chest.

Will smiles, "Yes, I do,"

Alice is stubborn. She has always been stubborn. Will is relishing in the fact that she's trying to get him to stay. But it's not just about him or Alice anymore. They're growing up. He's growing up. They're bound to walk on different paths sooner or later. 

"You're going to die out there, you wimp," Alice sniffs indignantly, "How can you defend the damn country if you can't even beat me in a fencing match?"

"I'll find a way," Will replies with a smile.

Alice falls silent after that. Will realizes that this is the first time he ever won in an argument against her. On the day of his departure, she stops by his apartment without knocking, as always, and helps him pack his things, and at the same time, teaching him tips and tricks on how to pin down a person bigger than him and knocking out someone with a single hit. 

Alice has grown. She's taller and her red hair is even longer. She no longer wears mud-stained clothes, but the baseball cap and the baggy shirts are still there. 

When they arrive at the airport, it is filled with dozens of boys his age wearing their own army uniforms. So many people are going to war. So many people are going to die. And he may end up as one of them.

When the speaker announces the plane's arrival, Alice pats him encouragingly at the back, "Good luck, Blondie,"

"I'll be back," He grins. 

He decides that this is a good time to tell her. But he decides that he still can't do it, so he hugs her from behind instead, just as she was about to leave. 

Will is 20 years old, and this is the first time he sees Alice crying.