bed and having to waste a day watching little kids fall over their bikes. “Yeah, I’m getting up now.”
“We’re ready to go so I’ll see you up there. There’s muffins on the counter for you, and I packed a picnic for you and Troy. Bye, honey.”
“Okay, bye,” she said, groaning as she kicked off her deep purple comforter. She sighed, rubbing her face before standing up. At least she’d be able to have lunch with Troy. One thing to look forward to , she thought.
F ifteen minutes later, Aire walked back into her room clad only in a towel. Melissa was sprawled on her bed reading a motocross magazine. She’d thrown the comforter back on the bed and replaced the throw pillows. She’d even put the books on Aire’s nightstand back to their p l aces on the shelf, and tossed the dirty laundry that covered her floor into the basket in the closet.
“What are you doing here?”
Melissa motioned towards the window. “The boys are outside.”
Aire glanced at the open window and jumped sideways into her closet. “Why?”
“I figured you would be naked since you have the house to yourself. I saw your family leave.”
“No, I mean why are you at my house? I thought we were meeting up at the track?”
Melissa put the magazine down and sat up, her brown eyes somber as they looked up at her.
“I wanted to be the first to tell you.”
“Tell me what?”
“Well, you were really worried about Dustin last night, so I wanted to be the first to let you know.”
“Let me know what?”
Melissa began tracing the yellow pattern of butterflies frolicking about the comforter with her finger.
“Let me know what? ” Aire repeated.
“Well, Dustin was…Dustin was recruited last night.”
A shiver ran down her spine. They only come at night.
“What?” Aire shook her head. “What do you mean recruited?”
“Recruited means that the Army-“
“I know what recruiting means,” Aire snapped. “I mean, how could they possibly do it last night? It was so late when that happened. It’s not like they just show up at your door at midnight and take you away.”
“Yes they do,” Melissa said. “That is exactly what happened. Raymond Butcher told me he saw it from his house across the street.”
“But they can’t do that. Dustin was only fourteen. They can’t take minors into the Army.”
“Yes they can. They’re the government. They can do whatever they want.”
“That’s ridiculous. They can’t just take kids. Older people, maybe. But kids?”
“They took my brother.”
“What?” she said, her breath catching in her lungs. Forgetting her modesty, Aire sat down on the bed next to her. “They took your brother?”
Melissa nodded. “His name was Sam. He was eight years older than me. I was really little when it happened and don’t remember much. All I do remember is him acting funny just before it happened, an d then one night after dinner the Army came and took him away.”
“Oh , Melissa, I’m so sorry. I didn’t know. Why didn’t you tell me before?”
“It’s okay,” she smiled. “The Army is a good thing. It keeps us safe and free. We should all be happy to make those sacrifices. It’s not a big deal. That’s why I never mentioned it.”
“Yeah but, that meant he was still a boy. He was like what, eleven? Twelve when that happened? What could the Army want with a little boy?”
“Hey! Are you ready yet?” Gary called from the street below.
“No,” Aire shouted back. She turned back to Melissa. “Did they say why they needed him?”
Melissa shook her head. “No, they never do. But the Army is a good thing. It keeps us safe and free and we should all be happy to make those sacrifices.”
“Hey, ladies, come on,” Troy shouted. “We’re going to miss my little brother’s Pip Squeak race.”
“He’s right, we should get going,” Melissa said. “And you’re going to miss Mitch’s race too.”
“Oh crud, I forgot about him,” Aire groaned as she slapped her
“We’re ready to go so I’ll see you up there. There’s muffins on the counter for you, and I packed a picnic for you and Troy. Bye, honey.”
“Okay, bye,” she said, groaning as she kicked off her deep purple comforter. She sighed, rubbing her face before standing up. At least she’d be able to have lunch with Troy. One thing to look forward to , she thought.
F ifteen minutes later, Aire walked back into her room clad only in a towel. Melissa was sprawled on her bed reading a motocross magazine. She’d thrown the comforter back on the bed and replaced the throw pillows. She’d even put the books on Aire’s nightstand back to their p l aces on the shelf, and tossed the dirty laundry that covered her floor into the basket in the closet.
“What are you doing here?”
Melissa motioned towards the window. “The boys are outside.”
Aire glanced at the open window and jumped sideways into her closet. “Why?”
“I figured you would be naked since you have the house to yourself. I saw your family leave.”
“No, I mean why are you at my house? I thought we were meeting up at the track?”
Melissa put the magazine down and sat up, her brown eyes somber as they looked up at her.
“I wanted to be the first to tell you.”
“Tell me what?”
“Well, you were really worried about Dustin last night, so I wanted to be the first to let you know.”
“Let me know what?”
Melissa began tracing the yellow pattern of butterflies frolicking about the comforter with her finger.
“Let me know what? ” Aire repeated.
“Well, Dustin was…Dustin was recruited last night.”
A shiver ran down her spine. They only come at night.
“What?” Aire shook her head. “What do you mean recruited?”
“Recruited means that the Army-“
“I know what recruiting means,” Aire snapped. “I mean, how could they possibly do it last night? It was so late when that happened. It’s not like they just show up at your door at midnight and take you away.”
“Yes they do,” Melissa said. “That is exactly what happened. Raymond Butcher told me he saw it from his house across the street.”
“But they can’t do that. Dustin was only fourteen. They can’t take minors into the Army.”
“Yes they can. They’re the government. They can do whatever they want.”
“That’s ridiculous. They can’t just take kids. Older people, maybe. But kids?”
“They took my brother.”
“What?” she said, her breath catching in her lungs. Forgetting her modesty, Aire sat down on the bed next to her. “They took your brother?”
Melissa nodded. “His name was Sam. He was eight years older than me. I was really little when it happened and don’t remember much. All I do remember is him acting funny just before it happened, an d then one night after dinner the Army came and took him away.”
“Oh , Melissa, I’m so sorry. I didn’t know. Why didn’t you tell me before?”
“It’s okay,” she smiled. “The Army is a good thing. It keeps us safe and free. We should all be happy to make those sacrifices. It’s not a big deal. That’s why I never mentioned it.”
“Yeah but, that meant he was still a boy. He was like what, eleven? Twelve when that happened? What could the Army want with a little boy?”
“Hey! Are you ready yet?” Gary called from the street below.
“No,” Aire shouted back. She turned back to Melissa. “Did they say why they needed him?”
Melissa shook her head. “No, they never do. But the Army is a good thing. It keeps us safe and free and we should all be happy to make those sacrifices.”
“Hey, ladies, come on,” Troy shouted. “We’re going to miss my little brother’s Pip Squeak race.”
“He’s right, we should get going,” Melissa said. “And you’re going to miss Mitch’s race too.”
“Oh crud, I forgot about him,” Aire groaned as she slapped her
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