Status: Active; some quick updates and some slow.
So Long, Marianne.
Love is All, Love is You.
December 8th, 1941
“I ask that the Congress declare that since the unprovoked and dastardly attack by Japan on Sunday, December 7th, 1941, a state of war has existed between the United States and the Japanese empire.”
Will straightened up after the somber voice faded away. I laid my head across my arms, eyes watering a little. I didn’t know what to say and apparently neither did Will.
“Wow,” Will said after awhile, “heavy stuff.”
‘Heavy’ didn’t seem like an appropriate enough word. A better word would have been ‘crazy,’ ‘insane,’ or ‘unbelievable.’ Over 20,000 men AND women killed? Joining the World War was obvious in these times, but it seemed so far off the horizon. Now we were in it. Will reached over and turned off the radio; Will. He would be drafted. Will, my best friend and my brother, out in God knows where, fighting angry men who were willing to kill themselves and anyone else for their country. I bit down hard on my lip, chewing on it as the news of what happened and these new thoughts flew around in my head.
Will wanted to be drafted, that was something everyone knew. It seemed that recently he was finally coming around and growing out of the idea even though he had already signed up. Now he had a reason for joining, for fighting, for being angry. I know (and understand) his “American Pride,” but couldn’t he show it another way? I sighed heavily and laid my arm across the clear table. Will pulled me up, wrapping his arm around my shoulder and rubbing it softly.
“It’ll be ok, I promise.” He said in a reassuring tone, but the huge titles from the paper and FDR’s voice resounded in my head. “Come on, I’ll take you out for lunch. We can go to Shakers if you want.”
I smiled a little at that; he always knew how to make me feel better. I loved Will a lot, really. He got up and winked at me, then held out his hand to help me up. He pulled me up and I fixed myself and wiped my eyes. He offered his arm to me and I took it, both of us walking at my front door.
Shakers was one of my favorite places in the entire world. It was a “”””hip diner”””” with an outside patio and a dance hall. They held dancing contests over the summer, and held barbeques and parties. It was really great, especially then. It became more ‘family-oriented’ once winter rolled around and it was too cold for dancing and parties outside. It opened in the ‘20s and was owned by a bunch of flappers. My parents had come here when they were going out; cute.
I thought of the black and white pictures of them while we were walking in. It was familiar and warm and nice inside. A few people were already drowning themselves in Cokes at the counter. Will found an empty booth and we slid in. It didn’t have its usual fun and happy feel to it, and I frowned. Will waved to some guys he knew. One of the waitresses, Sandy, came over, flipped open her notepad and stared at us.
“The usual?” She asked, snapping her gum. We both nodded.
Sandy left, poking the back of her hair with her pen and swinging her hips on the way to the next costumer. I was still feeling shaken up from the news this morning, and I really needed to talk to Will. Or talk him out. I tried to form a coherent argument of all my thoughts and worries, but nothing was making sense; rather, nothing that would be convincing for Will. I started to pick at my lip.
“Hey,” Will pulled my hand off my lip, “don’t do that! You’ll ruin your pretty lips.”
I stuck my tongue out at him. “Shut up William Daniel Jones! You’re starting to sound like my mother! Like you would know about my lips anyway.” I retorted, crossing my arms in a prissy manner.
“Oh Marianne, you can be so immature!” He said in a perfect impersonation of my mother. I snorted and pulled myself closer to the table. He smiled at me being closer, and his eyes lingered longer than normal. Sandy’s hand pushing a bottle of Coke in my face ruined the moment. I took my drink and sourly stared into it. Our food came shortly after and we ate in an awkward silence.
I took off my shoes as we were walking home. I almost always did that. Even though I liked to keep up with the fashions, heeled shoes hurt my feet like a mother. The sun was setting behind Will and I. He grabbed my hand and swung our intertwined fingers. We reached my back porch and I stepped up; Will was still holding my hand.
“Will,” I pulled my hand out of his grip and sat down on one of the wicker chairs, dropping my shoes. He sat down next to me. “Will don’t go.” My eyes were teary.
“Oh Annie, please don’t.” He wrapped me up again. “Don’t do this please. I’m already scheduled to leave. I was going to tell you this morning but with the news…” I held onto the collar of his jacket so hard, like he would slip away if I loosened my grip.
“Will you write me?” My voice was meek.
“Will I – what do you mean ‘will I’? Who else would I write to?!”
I couldn’t laugh. “I just – I don’t want you to die! You’re my best friend, hell, more than a best friend! You’re the only person who doesn’t treat me like a stupid porcelain doll and I couldn’t stand losing somebody like that! You’re so different, Will, so so so so different from everyone else and it’s amazing.” I took a shaky breath and looked up at him.
He stood up and paced; finally he stopped, holding out a hand. I took it and stood up.
“I have a confession,” Will said slowly. I nodded to egg him on. “I – I’m in love with you, Marianne.”
“W-what?” I was shocked, rooted to the spot.
“I love you,” He pulled my face close to his, our lips crashing together in a hard close mouthed kiss.
He pulled away for air and I touched my tingly lips. I could still feel the pressure of his soft lips on mine and smiled. I wrapped one hand in his hair and the other on his chest and pulled him down for another kiss. After what seemed like a long time and too short, he pulled away again.
“I’m sorry Annie, but I’ve gotta get home.”
I nodded, still in a daze. This couldn’t be real! “Ok,” He kissed me quickly and ran down the steps. I smiled and touched my lips again.
“Hey Will!” I called to him. He spun around, walking backwards.
“What?”
“I love you too!”
“I ask that the Congress declare that since the unprovoked and dastardly attack by Japan on Sunday, December 7th, 1941, a state of war has existed between the United States and the Japanese empire.”
Will straightened up after the somber voice faded away. I laid my head across my arms, eyes watering a little. I didn’t know what to say and apparently neither did Will.
“Wow,” Will said after awhile, “heavy stuff.”
‘Heavy’ didn’t seem like an appropriate enough word. A better word would have been ‘crazy,’ ‘insane,’ or ‘unbelievable.’ Over 20,000 men AND women killed? Joining the World War was obvious in these times, but it seemed so far off the horizon. Now we were in it. Will reached over and turned off the radio; Will. He would be drafted. Will, my best friend and my brother, out in God knows where, fighting angry men who were willing to kill themselves and anyone else for their country. I bit down hard on my lip, chewing on it as the news of what happened and these new thoughts flew around in my head.
Will wanted to be drafted, that was something everyone knew. It seemed that recently he was finally coming around and growing out of the idea even though he had already signed up. Now he had a reason for joining, for fighting, for being angry. I know (and understand) his “American Pride,” but couldn’t he show it another way? I sighed heavily and laid my arm across the clear table. Will pulled me up, wrapping his arm around my shoulder and rubbing it softly.
“It’ll be ok, I promise.” He said in a reassuring tone, but the huge titles from the paper and FDR’s voice resounded in my head. “Come on, I’ll take you out for lunch. We can go to Shakers if you want.”
I smiled a little at that; he always knew how to make me feel better. I loved Will a lot, really. He got up and winked at me, then held out his hand to help me up. He pulled me up and I fixed myself and wiped my eyes. He offered his arm to me and I took it, both of us walking at my front door.
Shakers was one of my favorite places in the entire world. It was a “”””hip diner”””” with an outside patio and a dance hall. They held dancing contests over the summer, and held barbeques and parties. It was really great, especially then. It became more ‘family-oriented’ once winter rolled around and it was too cold for dancing and parties outside. It opened in the ‘20s and was owned by a bunch of flappers. My parents had come here when they were going out; cute.
I thought of the black and white pictures of them while we were walking in. It was familiar and warm and nice inside. A few people were already drowning themselves in Cokes at the counter. Will found an empty booth and we slid in. It didn’t have its usual fun and happy feel to it, and I frowned. Will waved to some guys he knew. One of the waitresses, Sandy, came over, flipped open her notepad and stared at us.
“The usual?” She asked, snapping her gum. We both nodded.
Sandy left, poking the back of her hair with her pen and swinging her hips on the way to the next costumer. I was still feeling shaken up from the news this morning, and I really needed to talk to Will. Or talk him out. I tried to form a coherent argument of all my thoughts and worries, but nothing was making sense; rather, nothing that would be convincing for Will. I started to pick at my lip.
“Hey,” Will pulled my hand off my lip, “don’t do that! You’ll ruin your pretty lips.”
I stuck my tongue out at him. “Shut up William Daniel Jones! You’re starting to sound like my mother! Like you would know about my lips anyway.” I retorted, crossing my arms in a prissy manner.
“Oh Marianne, you can be so immature!” He said in a perfect impersonation of my mother. I snorted and pulled myself closer to the table. He smiled at me being closer, and his eyes lingered longer than normal. Sandy’s hand pushing a bottle of Coke in my face ruined the moment. I took my drink and sourly stared into it. Our food came shortly after and we ate in an awkward silence.
I took off my shoes as we were walking home. I almost always did that. Even though I liked to keep up with the fashions, heeled shoes hurt my feet like a mother. The sun was setting behind Will and I. He grabbed my hand and swung our intertwined fingers. We reached my back porch and I stepped up; Will was still holding my hand.
“Will,” I pulled my hand out of his grip and sat down on one of the wicker chairs, dropping my shoes. He sat down next to me. “Will don’t go.” My eyes were teary.
“Oh Annie, please don’t.” He wrapped me up again. “Don’t do this please. I’m already scheduled to leave. I was going to tell you this morning but with the news…” I held onto the collar of his jacket so hard, like he would slip away if I loosened my grip.
“Will you write me?” My voice was meek.
“Will I – what do you mean ‘will I’? Who else would I write to?!”
I couldn’t laugh. “I just – I don’t want you to die! You’re my best friend, hell, more than a best friend! You’re the only person who doesn’t treat me like a stupid porcelain doll and I couldn’t stand losing somebody like that! You’re so different, Will, so so so so different from everyone else and it’s amazing.” I took a shaky breath and looked up at him.
He stood up and paced; finally he stopped, holding out a hand. I took it and stood up.
“I have a confession,” Will said slowly. I nodded to egg him on. “I – I’m in love with you, Marianne.”
“W-what?” I was shocked, rooted to the spot.
“I love you,” He pulled my face close to his, our lips crashing together in a hard close mouthed kiss.
He pulled away for air and I touched my tingly lips. I could still feel the pressure of his soft lips on mine and smiled. I wrapped one hand in his hair and the other on his chest and pulled him down for another kiss. After what seemed like a long time and too short, he pulled away again.
“I’m sorry Annie, but I’ve gotta get home.”
I nodded, still in a daze. This couldn’t be real! “Ok,” He kissed me quickly and ran down the steps. I smiled and touched my lips again.
“Hey Will!” I called to him. He spun around, walking backwards.
“What?”
“I love you too!”
♠ ♠ ♠
I'm really proud of this. It's the first thing I've written in a long time, and the first thing I've posted since I've been back. dscmsd. Tell me what you think?