Paper Airplanes

23 years old

Alice taps her feet impatiently against the glossy tiles of the airport arrival area. She keeps on glancing at her black wristwatch from time to time. Dozens of young men in army uniforms stream out of the glass doors. A few more seconds pass and there's still no sign of Will.

Just as Alice was about to barge in the arrival area, national security be damned, she catches a glimpse of a pale boy, thinner than she remembers him to be, with the same stunning blond hair and cerulean eyes. 

She rushes up to him, but doesn't hug him or kiss him like the other girls are doing. Instead, she stops a few yards away from him and grins. She holds out a hand, "Welcome home, blondie,"

He doesn't take her hand. He doesn't even look at her. He keeps his head down, and his hand that is holding the metal railing is shaking slightly.

"Something wrong, blondie?" Alice questions, baffled by his behaviour. She drops her hand to her side.

He doesn't reply.

Alice sneers, "Fine! Be that way!"

Will stays silent. His eyes are still focused on the tiles. Alice's eyebrows furrow down and she stomps away furiously, leaving the blond behind. 

They don't see each other for the next two weeks.

When Roy invites her to his house for a welcome home bash for himself and the rest of the boys in their circle of friends who came home from the war, she decides to go. She dresses in her usual baggy clothes, but this time, ties her long red hair for a change. When she arrives, she sees Will sitting at the living room. She passes by in front of him but he doesn't say anything.

Alice places her hands on her waist and says, "What is your problem?!"

He doesn't say anything.

"Hey, blondie, did something happen when you were away? Cause you know, you can talk to me about it and--"

"Leave me alone,"

Alice stops talking. She stares at him like she's been punched on the nose. She curls her left hand into a fist and punches him as hard as she could. 

He doesn't do anything to evade her blow. Instead, he gets hit full force on the face, and a thin stream of blond trickles down from the corner of his mouth.

Alice turns away angrily, leaving behind a still silent Will and a room full of surprised guests.

The party starts with an awkward air. Will is still sitting on the sofa. He hasn't left that spot since the party started. Meanwhile, Alice is fuming, sipping on a cup of electric blue vodka. 

"I can't believe him," She says angrily, "I actually skipped a damn conference meeting just to meet him at the airport and he gives me this shit? And he won't even look at me! What, did I suddenly become ugly or something?"

During the 2 and a half years that he was away, they have been sending each other letters, because electronic devices are banned in the military base for fear of being traced by the enemy. During the last few months of that year, Will suddenly stopped writing. Alice didn't question him, thinking that he was simply busy with matters of war. 

Roy stares at her, almost pitifully, "There's something wrong with him,"

"I know! He's suddenly acting like a total dickhead," Alice says.

"No," Roy shakes his head, "There's something wrong with him,"

Alice raises a brow, "What?"

"Think about it," Roy tells her, "I promised him I wouldn't tell you, so I'll just let you figure it out. He stopped writing letters for you. He never once looked at your face since he arrived. He didn't evade your punch although we all know his reflexes are superb. What could that mean, Alice?"

Alice stops to think. She has never been good at guessing games. But this time, the answer hits her immediately. 

She rushes to the living room and sees Will. He's staring at his pale hands.

"Will," she says.

"I told you to leave me alone," He replies.

"I'll leave you alone if you answer a little question,"

"Go ahead," He replies.

"What is the color of the shirt I'm wearing?" She asks.

He stays still. Deathly still. Then his hands began to shake. 

"Will," Alice's voice is quivering. She's fighting back her tears. "Are you blind?"

He doesn't answer verbally. He does it by reaching out blindly until he finally catches her hands, then he holds them tightly. She doesn't say anything. She just stands still and holds his hands as well. They stay like that for a while. 

Will is 23 years old, and he realizes that he'll never see Alice's face turn as red as her hair whenever he compliments her again.