I shifted my nametag around until Riley Hanes was facing outward. My red hair was tyed up in a green ribbon, trying to keep the curls off my face. It didn't work because tendrils would still escape and frame my face.
The clock seemed to be going backwards. I got off in twenty minutes but it felt as if twenty minutes had passed by already. There were three customers in the diner and I didn't have to wait on any of them. I sighed lightly and tried to straighten up the counter anyways. It was just something I did when I was bored. Call it OCD, call it boredom.
The bell over the door chimed and I raised my green eyes to address the new customer. He wasn't looking at me, but around the diner, as if searching for someone. He wore the standard army uniform and had a duffle bag over his shoulder. I had the same hormones as most girl so that when I saw a guy in uniform, I nearly swayed off my feet.
His hair was short but not too short. It was brown, dark. I didn't know what color eyes he had still yet to look towards me. Andrea, a girl I worked with, was nearly drooling over her customers head as she stared at him.
I put a polite smile on my lips as he finally looked up at me. He smiled back but it didn't reach his... blue... eyes. He put his duffle on the floor and sat on one of the stools at the counter. Where I was standing.
"What can I get you?" He glanced at one of our small menus and then back up at me.
"Coke, please." I nodded and turned around, filling one of our red glasses up with coke and ice. I grabbed a straw and then placed them side by side infront of him. He didn't touch the straw, just brought the glass to his lips and took a sip. I smiled brightly at him before turning around and finishing up cleaning the counters. I could probably see myself in them if I wanted to.
"See you later, Ri!" I turned around and smiled at one of our regulars as he made his way, cane and all, out the door.
"Have a good day, Charlie." He smiled and then continued to hobble away. I laughed to myself and turned around, the boredom settling again. A glance to the clock proved that I still had fourteen minutes left.
I stole glances of the soldier while I was tidying up my work space. His nametag read Emax but no first name. He looked so alone, sitting at the counter. Now, I was shy by nature, but I wasn't good at letting people look that alone and lost.
"Can I get you anything else?" So it wasn't the conversation started I had presumed I'd use, but it'd have to do now. The soldier looked up and then nodded slowly.
"Company? I'm feeling a little low." I glanced at the clock, ten minutes left.
"I get off in ten. I know the perfect place." I smiled at him and then continued to do my rounds.
And time flew by. I grabbed my bag, took off my apron, tossed Andrea a wink, and lead Emax out of the diner. We walked side by side without talking until we got to the benches nearest the beach. It was my favorite place to go and think. It had a beautiful view of the ocean. And hopefully it would raise his spirits.
"I'm Riley, by the way. Riley Hanes." He probably knew that. Our nametags were big and gaudy. How could he of missed the name on that god awful thing?
"Jace Emax." Jace. It wasn't a very common name, but it was nice. Like a character out of a novel or something.
"So Jace, why are you feeling a little low?" He shrugged a little, hunching over just the tiniest bit. The benches weren't very uncomfortable, but he looked like he was sitting on nails.
"I'm going off to fight soon. And I don't have many people that'll be waiting for me here."
My heart went out to the soldier as soon as the words were out of his mouth. But what could I do? I was just a high school senior. There wasn't much I could do.
Unless...
"When do you leave?" He shifted a bit so that he could look at me.
"In a few days." I tapped a finger against the bench and then smiled widely at him.
"Jace Emax, I am taking it upon myself to make sure your last days here are worthwhile."
I had heard that smiles were contagious. And I suppose they are. Because he started to smile as well. And just like that, the nails were gone. He was comfortable.
Jace and I were playing a card game in my living room. My parents had smiled at him when they met him, but had given me a look that clearly stated they didn't like the fact that their seventeen year old daughter was hanging out with a nineteen year old male. That she had only known since the day before. That was a soldier.
"Oh! HAH!" I laughed as I slapped my card down. Jace was horrible at cards. Or maybe I was just amazing at them.
"Okay, four in a row means you win." I laughed and then leaned back a little bit.
"Probably so. Okay, something you are good at?" He laughed and then shrugged. He was out of his uniform now, wearing jeans and a tshirt.
"I'm not good at games." I nodded and twiddled my thumbs a bit before smiling and pulling him up with me.
"Then let's go for a walk. You can tell me all about your life in Nebraska and I'll tell you all about my life here!"
I was a little over enthusiastic, I suppose. But I had meant it when I said that I was going to make his last days worthwhile. I didn't want him going off to fight and being sad.
We walked around my neighborhood talking about everything. His family, my family. His hometown, mine. His school days, my school days. During that subject, I got pouty because our three day vacation from school was over and we went back the day after he leaves.
"School isn't that bad, Riley. You're smart." I laughed and pushed his arm with mine and continued down the sidewalk.
"Intelligence has nothing to do with it, Emax. I have to wake up early." He pushed me back, gently so that I didn't shoot off into the street and oncoming traffic.
"Compare your's to mine. I won't have a set sleep schedule. I don't know how often I'll bathe. I'll be shot at. I'd rather be doing Algebra." I smiled and nodded, accepting his terms. He laughed and put an arm around my shoulder.
"Cherish your school days, Ri. Soon they'll be gone and you'll want them back."
For him, I'm sure that was true.
It was Sunday. He leaves tomorrow, bright and early. I'd promised that I'd be there so I could see him off, and so that I could get used to waking up early again.
We lay on our backs, side by side, and stare at the clouds. We'd been doing this since eleven this morning. So far, we'd seen rabbits, trees, a boat, people, cars, and the like.
"Are you scared, Jace?" We hadn't really talked about it. We hadn't talked about the simple fact that Jace may be killed. It was almost a silent pact between us that we had more important things to think about.
"Sometimes I'm not. The parts of me that wanted to sign up in the first place aren't. But the rest of me and the rest of the time? I can't sleep, can't think, can't breathe. Not sure if I'm ready to die just yet."
In the silence that followed his confession, I reached over and twined my hand with his. We sat there for a while longer, watching the clouds roll over us. And the clouds grew darker and thicker.
"It's gonna rain. We better get inside." I didn't move after he spoke, just stayed still in the rain. I felt the first few drops hit my face and smiled. Jace pulled my arm lightly.
"You're gonna get sick, Riley. Come on."
I stood up with him and let him pull me towards my house for a few feet. And then as the rain really started to fall, I pulled his arm. I said I'd make his time left worthwhile, I was gonna.
"Have you ever danced in the rain, Emax?" He gave me a confused look and laughed a little as he said no.
Placing one hand on his shoulder and the other in his hand, we began waltzing in the middle of someone's lawn, laughing so hard that our tears mixed with the rain. Neither of us were terrific dancers and we kept stumbling due to the muddy grass.
"You're insane." I nodded, smiling.
"Probably. Why else would I have asked someone I didn't know to follow me to a bench near the beach?" He laughed and we continued our dance in the rain. A few cars honked at us in enthusiasm, but it didn't startle us.
I'm not sure if I even heard them until Jace pointed them out.
It was like all that was out here was us. Just us.
Jace was back in uniform, holding his duffle bag over his right shoulder. My right hand and his left hand were intwined again, applying a varied amount of pressure as the calls got closer to when he'd have to leave.
"I'm gonna have to get on the plane soon. Take off is getting near." I nodded but didn't let go right away. I was crying. Something I had told myself wouldn't happen.
I was going to be strong for Jace. Apparently not.
"Do you... would you mind writing to me? To let me know you're okay?" I pressed my address into his palm and he glanced at it.
"I'd love to. And thank you, Riley. For everything." I smiled brightly and hugged him. I smiled again, wiping the tears away with my wrist, and began walking towards the doors of the airport.
I was barely out of them when I felt him grab my wrist and twirl me around.
"I just realized something. I may very well die over there. And I've... this is embarrassing. I've never kissed anyone before." I bit my lip, my eyes screwing up in confusion.
"Are you... are you asking me to kiss you, Jace Emax?" He nodded a little, a small smile growing on his lips.
I moved forward just a tiny bit and pressed my lips to his, smiling widely as I did so. It was my first kiss as well.
He put one hand to the back of my head, the other dropped his duffle bag and grabbed my waist. Both of my hands were on his shoulders, pulling him closer to me.
We stayed like that for a few moments and then we pulled apart, adorable matching smiles on our lips. He pressed his forehead to mine and then placed a kiss to my nose.
"Come back to me, Jace."
"Wait for me, Riley." We spoke at the same time, both of us hearing the other. He kissed me quickly before rushing through the doors to get on his plane.
I walked towards my car, my right hand hooked behind my neck.
I had just reached my old red car when a plane took off, aimed to go over my head. I followed it with my eyes, bidding a farewell to Jace.
My first love.
"Riley, you got a letter in the mail." I tried to seem unshaken as I accepted it from my mother and headed up the stairs. My hands were shaking as I tore the seal and pulled the folded paper out.
Three sheets. He wrote me three pages.
It was the first letter between us. The first of many. We wrote for the first few months, back and forth. Long, long letters that told of our fears, laughter, and stories of our days apart.
He told me how his buddies often asked who he was writing to and what she looked like. I told him how my friends often asked who I was thinking about and what he looked like.
We told each other how we told our friends that the person occupying our thoughts were the most amazing people we'd ever met.
He told me about his reoccuring dreams of getting shot. I told him that I had had the same dream. We talked about the weather, but those were the shortest parts of our letters. We told each other about how our feelings were growing.
He sent me a picture of him and his buddies. I sent him one of me and mine.
We talked for the first few months like that. Back and forth, long letters that talked about everything. And then he told me that the letters would be few for a while because he'd be going to the front.
I spent every night staring out my window at the sky, praying he'd be okay. Praying I'd get a letter telling me that he was fine. That he was out of danger. I waited. And I waited for two months.
Finally a letter came in the mail, dated from a week before.
He was on his way home for a brief leave. He'd be coming home. He was coming back. He was alive.
These were the only thoughts echoing in my mind. These were the only things I could think about for a very long time.
Well, that and the fact that I loved him.
"I think you look fabulous in that dress." I glared at Andrea and laughed as she tried to fix her own black and red gown. We had to wear dresses for Choir while we sang the National Anthem for the football game.
It was the Championship game. We were going against our school rivals.
And, it didn't hurt that Jace would be coming home in a few days.
After the letter that said he'd be coming home, we hadn't written to each other. That had been about two weeks ago.
I hated waiting but I would have to deal with it.
We patted our knee length dresses and then headed onto the field with the rest of the Choir. Our teacher gave us a beat to start and we began.
Ever since I met Jace, anything patriotic meant a whole lot more to me than before. I sang the Anthem with passion I didn't know I had.
Andrea addressed this as we headed back up towards the stands.
"I've never heard you that... passionate before." I nodded and explained to her my reasoning. That if I was patriotic, god wouldn't take Jace from me.
"Ri, that's absurd. He isn't going to get hurt. And anyways, don't you think you're being a little... I don't know. Fast? You barely know the guy and you think you love him?" I sighed but didn't say anything. She wouldn't understand. She couldn't.
Our principle walked out onto the field with a microphone.
"Good evening ladies and gentlemen. I would like to thank the Choir for singing the Anthem. That was quite beautiful. In a war torn time like this, we need beauty and patriotism. And now if everyone will bow their heads while I read out a list of fallen local soldiers."
The list began with a name we all knew. Kevin Anderson had been a mechanic around here. It was a shock to hear that he was dead.
A handful of names after that were familiar. Lee Dekker was a boy that graduated to years ago. Patrick Dets was a boy who was supposed to be in our grade but lied about his age to enlist.
And then a name I had been hoping not to hear.
"Jace Emax." My heart began pounding loudly and I shook my head, hoping I hadn't heard. Andrea's eyes were huge and a hand covered her mouth. I began crying, tears dripping down my face with barely any recognition. My hands were shaking. I stood up, mumbling a quick 'excuse me' as I rushed past everyone and down the stands.
Once I was where no one could see me, I slumped to the ground and began crying harder. My hands kept pulling up grass as I tried to get a hold of myself.
And with a loud cheer from the crowd, the home team scored a touchdown.
For the first few days, I didn't believe it. And then I did. I don't know when it actually hit me, but I knew that it did.
And even though I knew he was gone, I still saw him everywhere. I saw him at the counter in the diner, I saw him on the bench at the beach, I saw him on the sidewalk, I saw him in my living room, I saw him in the field, I saw him in my dreams, I saw him in the clouds, I saw him in the rain.
But I never saw him in real life. It was images. Nothing tangible.
I was able to work myself out of my daze. I went to school, got the grades, went to work, got the pay, went home, got the pity stares. My parents tried to get me to talk about it but I wouldn't.
I hated being heartbroken. I hated it more than anything.
I had never even got the chance to tell him I loved him.
"I'm going to work." My mom and dad nodded to me, both sending me encouraging smiles. I didn't feel encouraged. The drive to work was quickly over.
I pulled the apron over my head and began my duties. Charlie, a regular, ordered a cup of coffee which I brought him. Along with a spoon, to stir with.
"Sorry you had to wait. The coffee maker was acting up." He shook his head and smiled up at me. I felt the urge to smile back and did, hoping it looked real.
"Didn't feel like a wait. Not your fault in any matter. No need to apologize." I nodded and then walked back behind the counter.
I glanced at the clock later on in the day and sighed. Twenty minutes left. I hated waiting for the end of my shift.
I saw Jace again at the counter, staring down into his coke glass. I closed my eyes and opened them up again. He was sitting in a booth, grinning over to me. I screwed my eyes shut and kept them there. I heard Andrea drop a tray and the dishes shattered, the noise echoing over everything. A car could of blown up and I don't think I would of heard it over the clattering.
When I opened my eyes again, I must of done it too quickly. I waited for a second for my vision to clear up and then wanted to scream. I saw his image again, at the door. I wanted to scream and throw something at him. But that'd make me look insane.
"Riley?" I glanced over at Andrea. She was staring at... at Jace?
"Jace?" I whispered the name, staring at the image before me.
"I told you I'd come back." None of the images I had seen since his death ever talked. And Andrea could see him. Oh, god. It was him!
I hopped over the counter and threw myself into Jace's arms. We stood like that for a few minutes, him soothing my sobbing self.
"They said you were dead. They announced it at the game." He nodded, still trying to calm me down.
"My bus to the airstation was attacked. I had been knocked out. A couple of friendly locals patched me up and I was able to get back to where I had been. It took forever though. They figured I had died in the attack, with the other two guys."
I pressed my face against his neck and sighed lightly.
"I love you." We spoke at the same time and I laughed a little bit, still sniffling.
"I've been waiting for this moment for what seems like forever."
I nodded, smiling widely, and pressed my lips to his quickly.
"Thank god I'm not the only one waiting anymore."
A/N: Like I said in the summary, based on Traveling Soldier by Dixie Chicks (originally by someone else, I think) but with my own spin. I don't know if this is for the Iraq war or just a made up war. You decide?
I've had this on my mind for a while now. Hope you enoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it.
Review and let me know what you think!