Between the Lines (7/17)
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“I’m sorry. You’re going where?”
“France,” Chad said, staring at his half-packed suitcase as he thought about what else he needed.
Michelle stared at him for a long moment. “No,” she finally said.
Chad looked up. “No?”
“No,” Michelle repeated, shaking her head. “Are you crazy?”
“I’m only going to be gone a week. What’s the big deal?”
“The big deal is if you leave, I won’t be here when you get back.”
Chad blinked once. “What?”
“You heard me.”
“Michelle, this could really tell me a lot about Kevin Walker. It’s important; it’s for my job.”
“Oh, give me a break. We both know what’s going on here.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Chad asked, growing angry.
Michelle scoffed, shaking her head. “This is how it always goes, Chad. I’m just surprised you’ve held out this long. This is not for any job, and you know it. You’re not even that good of an actor!”
Chad stepped around her, reaching into the closet for a few shirts. “There’s no need to get - ”
“You’re in this for a piece of ass, Chad! You’re going to screw the guy, and then you’re going to freak out, and you’re never going to speak to him again. You’re going to come running back to me, full of apologies and promises, until some other guy comes along and catches your eye and the whole damn cycle starts over again.”
Chad stood, facing away from her, hands on his hips. He sighed. “It’s not like that.”
“Of course it is,” Michelle said, resigned. “And I’m not going to put myself through it again. You can find some other schmucky girl to pretend with next time.”
She turned and walked out of the room. Chad considered calling out, chasing her down, swearing she was wrong. But he wasn’t sure she was. Chad stood motionless for a beat, then he continued packing his suitcase.
***
Scotty stared out across the distance, watching the flashes of light signaling far-off gunshots and exploding grenades. After a long delay, the accompanying sound could faintly be heard. Kevin cautiously walked over, holding his side as he sunk to the ground and sat down. Then he handed Scotty his tin coffee mug. Scotty held it for a moment, letting it warm up his hands before taking a sip.
“I feel guilty,” Scotty said softly.
“Hmmm?” Kevin replied.
Scotty shrugged. “There’s a battle going on over there. People are dying, and we’re just sitting here. Watching.”
Kevin nodded grimly. Then he pointed out, “Even if we left right now, there’s no way we could get there in time.”
“No,” Scotty agreed, tilting his head slightly towards Kevin. “I know that. And besides, you’re in no position to be of much help anyway.”
“Hey! I could still fight with - ” Kevin broke off his protest with a hissed groan, hunching slightly as he pressed a hand to his ribs.
“You were saying?” Scotty said wryly.
Kevin lifted his head, breathing in shakily. “If it bothers you, pretend it’s something else.”
There was a pause. “Huh?” Scotty asked.
“Use that fantastic imagination of yours,” Kevin ordered. “They’re not bullets or grenades, they’re…”
“Firecrackers?”
“Shooting stars,” Kevin said smugly.
Scotty grinned. “Even better.”
He handed the cup back to Kevin, who lifted the rim to his lips and finished off the drink.
“Ah, there’s another one,” Kevin observed when the night sky lit up again. “Make a wish, Scotty.”
Scotty glanced at Kevin, a small smile on his lips. He looked out again, at the fading ring of smoke left behind by the distant explosion. Then he closed his eyes, wishing as hard as he could, praying for the success and survival of the men miles away. Then he added a second, more personal wish as well. The two men were silent for the next half-hour, silently watching. In between the booms, Scotty could hear Kevin’s soft breathing. Finally, there was silence and darkness. It was over, one way or the other.
“We should go to sleep,” Kevin finally said.
Scotty nodded. He stood, kicking dirt and snow over the embers of the fire he had prepared earlier. Once he was sure it was out, he followed Kevin into the alcove. They had found out the first night that the warmest way to sleep was to pile their coats and shirts over them, lying close to each other and letting body heat do the rest. At least that’s what Scotty was telling himself was the best way. Scotty fell into their little cocoon, pressing up next to Kevin, who turned his face towards Scotty.
“Why were you looking at me?” Kevin murmured questioningly, after a few moments of comfortable silence.
“Hmmm?” Scotty asked, opening his eyes.
“At the dance hall. You were staring at me. Why?”
Scotty paused for a long time, reminding himself that people had to be careful what they wished for.
“You know why,” he finally answered.
“I want to hear you say it,” Kevin replied, and Scotty could hear the grin in his voice.
“Go to sleep, Kevin,” Scotty ordered, feeling a blush rising up his neck.
Kevin chuckled softly. Then he shifted into a more comfortable position and, after a quiet sigh, was silent. Just when Scotty was sure he was asleep - and about to fall asleep himself - Kevin spoke again.
“You have to be careful,” he warned. “You need to learn to be more discreet. Not everyone would appreciate the attention as much as I did.”
“Do you think I’m an idiot?”
“Just promise me,” Kevin said. “I don’t want to see you hurt.”
Scotty sighed. “I promise.”
“Thank you.”
“You too,” Scotty said.
Kevin laughed. “I’ve gotten very good at figuring out when it's safe to look and when it's not. And it was obvious from the start that you wouldn't object.”
“Kevin, I’m being serious.”
“OK,” Kevin said obligingly. “I promise. Besides, I doubt it will be much of an issue in the future, anyway. I can’t imagine too many men will really measure up.”
“Measure up to what?”
“You know what.”
“I want to hear you say it,” Scotty said, grinning as he repeated Kevin’s words from earlier.
“Go to sleep,” Kevin shot back.
Photograph (1950)
The ink is starting to fade -
But the black and white never captured
The color of your eyes or
The texture of your hair,
Anyway.
The edges are rough and worn, folded over,
Creased with a thousand caresses
I wish I could have given you
Instead.
I recognize that smile on your lips,
And I can hear the echo of the laugh
That must have come just
Before.
I know that look in your eyes,
The feelings you’re confessing even now,
Long after you left me
Behind.
I think sometimes the memories are fading too.
I question whether our short time together was real.
And in those moments of doubt,
I find this image of you, and I
Remember.
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“I’m sorry. You’re going where?”
“France,” Chad said, staring at his half-packed suitcase as he thought about what else he needed.
Michelle stared at him for a long moment. “No,” she finally said.
Chad looked up. “No?”
“No,” Michelle repeated, shaking her head. “Are you crazy?”
“I’m only going to be gone a week. What’s the big deal?”
“The big deal is if you leave, I won’t be here when you get back.”
Chad blinked once. “What?”
“You heard me.”
“Michelle, this could really tell me a lot about Kevin Walker. It’s important; it’s for my job.”
“Oh, give me a break. We both know what’s going on here.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Chad asked, growing angry.
Michelle scoffed, shaking her head. “This is how it always goes, Chad. I’m just surprised you’ve held out this long. This is not for any job, and you know it. You’re not even that good of an actor!”
Chad stepped around her, reaching into the closet for a few shirts. “There’s no need to get - ”
“You’re in this for a piece of ass, Chad! You’re going to screw the guy, and then you’re going to freak out, and you’re never going to speak to him again. You’re going to come running back to me, full of apologies and promises, until some other guy comes along and catches your eye and the whole damn cycle starts over again.”
Chad stood, facing away from her, hands on his hips. He sighed. “It’s not like that.”
“Of course it is,” Michelle said, resigned. “And I’m not going to put myself through it again. You can find some other schmucky girl to pretend with next time.”
She turned and walked out of the room. Chad considered calling out, chasing her down, swearing she was wrong. But he wasn’t sure she was. Chad stood motionless for a beat, then he continued packing his suitcase.
***
Scotty stared out across the distance, watching the flashes of light signaling far-off gunshots and exploding grenades. After a long delay, the accompanying sound could faintly be heard. Kevin cautiously walked over, holding his side as he sunk to the ground and sat down. Then he handed Scotty his tin coffee mug. Scotty held it for a moment, letting it warm up his hands before taking a sip.
“I feel guilty,” Scotty said softly.
“Hmmm?” Kevin replied.
Scotty shrugged. “There’s a battle going on over there. People are dying, and we’re just sitting here. Watching.”
Kevin nodded grimly. Then he pointed out, “Even if we left right now, there’s no way we could get there in time.”
“No,” Scotty agreed, tilting his head slightly towards Kevin. “I know that. And besides, you’re in no position to be of much help anyway.”
“Hey! I could still fight with - ” Kevin broke off his protest with a hissed groan, hunching slightly as he pressed a hand to his ribs.
“You were saying?” Scotty said wryly.
Kevin lifted his head, breathing in shakily. “If it bothers you, pretend it’s something else.”
There was a pause. “Huh?” Scotty asked.
“Use that fantastic imagination of yours,” Kevin ordered. “They’re not bullets or grenades, they’re…”
“Firecrackers?”
“Shooting stars,” Kevin said smugly.
Scotty grinned. “Even better.”
He handed the cup back to Kevin, who lifted the rim to his lips and finished off the drink.
“Ah, there’s another one,” Kevin observed when the night sky lit up again. “Make a wish, Scotty.”
Scotty glanced at Kevin, a small smile on his lips. He looked out again, at the fading ring of smoke left behind by the distant explosion. Then he closed his eyes, wishing as hard as he could, praying for the success and survival of the men miles away. Then he added a second, more personal wish as well. The two men were silent for the next half-hour, silently watching. In between the booms, Scotty could hear Kevin’s soft breathing. Finally, there was silence and darkness. It was over, one way or the other.
“We should go to sleep,” Kevin finally said.
Scotty nodded. He stood, kicking dirt and snow over the embers of the fire he had prepared earlier. Once he was sure it was out, he followed Kevin into the alcove. They had found out the first night that the warmest way to sleep was to pile their coats and shirts over them, lying close to each other and letting body heat do the rest. At least that’s what Scotty was telling himself was the best way. Scotty fell into their little cocoon, pressing up next to Kevin, who turned his face towards Scotty.
“Why were you looking at me?” Kevin murmured questioningly, after a few moments of comfortable silence.
“Hmmm?” Scotty asked, opening his eyes.
“At the dance hall. You were staring at me. Why?”
Scotty paused for a long time, reminding himself that people had to be careful what they wished for.
“You know why,” he finally answered.
“I want to hear you say it,” Kevin replied, and Scotty could hear the grin in his voice.
“Go to sleep, Kevin,” Scotty ordered, feeling a blush rising up his neck.
Kevin chuckled softly. Then he shifted into a more comfortable position and, after a quiet sigh, was silent. Just when Scotty was sure he was asleep - and about to fall asleep himself - Kevin spoke again.
“You have to be careful,” he warned. “You need to learn to be more discreet. Not everyone would appreciate the attention as much as I did.”
“Do you think I’m an idiot?”
“Just promise me,” Kevin said. “I don’t want to see you hurt.”
Scotty sighed. “I promise.”
“Thank you.”
“You too,” Scotty said.
Kevin laughed. “I’ve gotten very good at figuring out when it's safe to look and when it's not. And it was obvious from the start that you wouldn't object.”
“Kevin, I’m being serious.”
“OK,” Kevin said obligingly. “I promise. Besides, I doubt it will be much of an issue in the future, anyway. I can’t imagine too many men will really measure up.”
“Measure up to what?”
“You know what.”
“I want to hear you say it,” Scotty said, grinning as he repeated Kevin’s words from earlier.
“Go to sleep,” Kevin shot back.
Photograph (1950)
The ink is starting to fade -
But the black and white never captured
The color of your eyes or
The texture of your hair,
Anyway.
The edges are rough and worn, folded over,
Creased with a thousand caresses
I wish I could have given you
Instead.
I recognize that smile on your lips,
And I can hear the echo of the laugh
That must have come just
Before.
I know that look in your eyes,
The feelings you’re confessing even now,
Long after you left me
Behind.
I think sometimes the memories are fading too.
I question whether our short time together was real.
And in those moments of doubt,
I find this image of you, and I
Remember.
Next Chapter
Main Page