Soldier
Mood:
sharp
Now Playing: Miss Independent - Kelly Clarkson
As he turned and walked away, she paused, waited a moment, then stepped forward, torn between quiet and speaking.
“Wait!” She cried. He stopped, half-turned, looking over his shoulder. From his combat boots to name tag he looked like the soldier he was. She sighed, looked down. He continued on his way. She changed her mind and took off after him. She caught up and tugged on his hand.
“Please…oh please,” she pleaded, “don’t go. Don’t leave, I need you.” Both had stopped walking at this point. “The way you are now. If you go, you’ll change. Things will be so different…things will have changed.
He shook her off him. “You’re crazy. Everything will be fine, and you? You’ll be just fine.”
He wandered through the auto show, looking for the spruced up Cougar he knew would be parked somewhere near the back. After looking through every car at the show he wondered if he’d been led astray. The slightly worn fatigues had been drawing looks the entire time he’d been at the show. He was on his way out when a slender woman dressed in all black with slim black glasses caught his attention She was seated on the hood of a midnight-black Skyline. With smoked headlight covers and dark black tint, it was a startling contrast to the flame-red Cobalt parked next to it. Blue ground effects glowed underneath the Skyline, and “SKYLINE” was decaled across the windshield in blue.
“Hey soldier, you look lost,” her voice sounded slightly familiar but it had a slightly musical edge. Her tone had a closed finality to it. She slid off the car’s hood and walked toward the soldier gracefully. Her dark red hair had thick slashes of back through it and blue highlights to match the car slid though the black. She reached him and paused. “You really lost or are you just looking for someone?” She queried softly.
“Looking for someone. Seen any Cougars around here? Maybe with a real cocky driver? Then again, she may be depressed, I never know which.”
The woman looked over her glasses at him, blue-green eyes icy. “Didn’t the military teach you respect, soldier?” Her tone gave away nothing.
“Yes ma’am.” He replied automatically.
“I think you’ve found her. Welcome home, soldier.” She held out her hand and he took it. The handshake was firm, brief. She turned and got a few steps away before he spoke once again.
“That’s all? Nothing more?” he was slightly confused.
The woman paused and looked over her shoulder, hair whirling and settling gently on her shoulders. “I tried to warn you that you would lose me.”
“You were always stubborn, I figured you’d be fine.”
“Remember what I said?”
“Which part?” He couldn’t forget.
“Things have changed.” She turned her back and continued walking toward the car.
As the engine started and revved, the soldier shook his head. “Things have changed…”