There's no title for it yet, as it's just a work in progress. I actually just started writing it about 30-40 minutes ago. I was just wondering what everyone thought of it so far.
As he listened to the phone on the other end ring unceremoniously, his breathing quickened nervously. Even by the third ring, he was getting impatient, beginning to tap his foot. It rang the sixth time and he was about to give up. He didn’t even hear her pick up.
“Hello?”
He was stunned into silence, unable to speak. It had been so long since he’d talked to her; so long since he had heard her beautiful voice. The time apart didn’t lessen the feelings he felt for her, however. Too bad there was nothing he could do about them. He still couldn’t gather his wits enough to speak.
“Hello?”
She was obviously growing impatient. He thought it funny that he could find so much cuteness and sweetness in her annoyed tone. He heard her sigh and hang up.
Stupid!, he thought. Why didn’t I say anything? He waited a few moments and tried again. This time she answered after the first ring.
“Hello?”
“Hey.” he said. It wasn’t much, but at least now she knew there was someone on the other end.
“Hi…who is this?”
“It’s Jesse.” There was a long pause. Maybe she didn’t remember. “Jesse Obermann.”
“Yeah, I know, sorry.” she laughed. He missed the sound of that. “How are you?”
“I’m fine. How are you?”
“I’m pretty good. Been trying to relax before school starts.”
“Yeah? How’s that working out?”
“Eh.” She laughed again. He almost melted. “So when are you coming home?”
“Well, actually, I’m relaxing at my house right now.”
“Really? I heard you had to stay longer.”
Was it him or did she sound excited?
“Nah, I only said that to surprise my mom.”
“Oh, that was nice. Did it work?”
“Let’s just say I need a security detail so she doesn’t beat the crap out of me.”
She laughed yet again. This was driving Jesse crazy.
“That’s funny.” she said finally.
“I thought it was. So what are you allowed to do while relaxing?”
“I don’t know, why?”
“Well, I was going to ask you if you wanted to go see a movie and grab some supper. You know, catch up.”
“Sure, I’d love that. What did you have in mind?”
“Doesn’t matter to me.”
“Doesn’t matter to me either.”
“Well how about I pick you up and we go from there?”
“Okay, is Friday at 7 good enough?”
“That’s perfect.”
“Okay.” She giggled. What did that mean, he wondered.
“Hey, I gotta go. I’ll talk to you on Friday.” He excused himself from the conversation, not wanting to run the risk of boring her.
“Okay. Bye!”
“Bye.”
“Oh, hey Jesse?”
“Yeah?”
“I missed you.”
There was a long pause, and he could tell she was waiting for him to speak. He didn’t know what to say.
“I’ll see ya on Friday, Daph. Bye.”
*****
“FRAG OUT!”
“Dropping a frag!”
“Grenade!”
Muscles tensed to the snapping point in anticipation for the heart-shaking explosion. Finally, the release came, forcing a cloud of sand out of every opening in the first floor of the building. As soon as the dust settled slightly, all the Marines raced forward. Jesse was the second one in. A few feet in front of him, the lead Marine engaged an unseen target with a few rounds from his rifle, aiming down a hallway to the right. Then there was silence. They both stared down the hallway intently.
“Did you get him?” Jesse whispered.
Suddenly, an object was rolled toward the Marines from a room in the hallway.
“Frag, frag, frag! Get out, get out!”
Even more quickly than they had entered, the Marines made a 180 degree turn and bolted toward the door they had come in through. Jesse reached the door frame just as the grenade went off with a dull but ear shattering thud. The blast threw the first Marine forward, knocking over and landing on Jesse.
“Are you alright?”
Jesse wondered who said that. He didn’t recognize the voice.
“Jesse?”
When he opened his eyes, he was looking at Daphne, who was staring at him with concern. He was with her in his favorite Italian restaurant. His heart finally started to slow again when another loud, reverberating sound made him flinch violently, and his heart sped right back up. He looked outside, watching the rain against the darkening sky. He felt like a pussy when he realized that it was only the thunder of a summer rainstorm. He turned back to look into Daphne’s worried eyes. She had stopped eating.
“Are you okay?” she asked again. “You haven’t touched your food.”
“Yeah, I’m good.” Jesse replied. He sighed. She smiled. “I’m just glad to be home.”
*****
Well...?
As he listened to the phone on the other end ring unceremoniously, his breathing quickened nervously. Even by the third ring, he was getting impatient, beginning to tap his foot. It rang the sixth time and he was about to give up. He didn’t even hear her pick up.
“Hello?”
He was stunned into silence, unable to speak. It had been so long since he’d talked to her; so long since he had heard her beautiful voice. The time apart didn’t lessen the feelings he felt for her, however. Too bad there was nothing he could do about them. He still couldn’t gather his wits enough to speak.
“Hello?”
She was obviously growing impatient. He thought it funny that he could find so much cuteness and sweetness in her annoyed tone. He heard her sigh and hang up.
Stupid!, he thought. Why didn’t I say anything? He waited a few moments and tried again. This time she answered after the first ring.
“Hello?”
“Hey.” he said. It wasn’t much, but at least now she knew there was someone on the other end.
“Hi…who is this?”
“It’s Jesse.” There was a long pause. Maybe she didn’t remember. “Jesse Obermann.”
“Yeah, I know, sorry.” she laughed. He missed the sound of that. “How are you?”
“I’m fine. How are you?”
“I’m pretty good. Been trying to relax before school starts.”
“Yeah? How’s that working out?”
“Eh.” She laughed again. He almost melted. “So when are you coming home?”
“Well, actually, I’m relaxing at my house right now.”
“Really? I heard you had to stay longer.”
Was it him or did she sound excited?
“Nah, I only said that to surprise my mom.”
“Oh, that was nice. Did it work?”
“Let’s just say I need a security detail so she doesn’t beat the crap out of me.”
She laughed yet again. This was driving Jesse crazy.
“That’s funny.” she said finally.
“I thought it was. So what are you allowed to do while relaxing?”
“I don’t know, why?”
“Well, I was going to ask you if you wanted to go see a movie and grab some supper. You know, catch up.”
“Sure, I’d love that. What did you have in mind?”
“Doesn’t matter to me.”
“Doesn’t matter to me either.”
“Well how about I pick you up and we go from there?”
“Okay, is Friday at 7 good enough?”
“That’s perfect.”
“Okay.” She giggled. What did that mean, he wondered.
“Hey, I gotta go. I’ll talk to you on Friday.” He excused himself from the conversation, not wanting to run the risk of boring her.
“Okay. Bye!”
“Bye.”
“Oh, hey Jesse?”
“Yeah?”
“I missed you.”
There was a long pause, and he could tell she was waiting for him to speak. He didn’t know what to say.
“I’ll see ya on Friday, Daph. Bye.”
*****
“FRAG OUT!”
“Dropping a frag!”
“Grenade!”
Muscles tensed to the snapping point in anticipation for the heart-shaking explosion. Finally, the release came, forcing a cloud of sand out of every opening in the first floor of the building. As soon as the dust settled slightly, all the Marines raced forward. Jesse was the second one in. A few feet in front of him, the lead Marine engaged an unseen target with a few rounds from his rifle, aiming down a hallway to the right. Then there was silence. They both stared down the hallway intently.
“Did you get him?” Jesse whispered.
Suddenly, an object was rolled toward the Marines from a room in the hallway.
“Frag, frag, frag! Get out, get out!”
Even more quickly than they had entered, the Marines made a 180 degree turn and bolted toward the door they had come in through. Jesse reached the door frame just as the grenade went off with a dull but ear shattering thud. The blast threw the first Marine forward, knocking over and landing on Jesse.
“Are you alright?”
Jesse wondered who said that. He didn’t recognize the voice.
“Jesse?”
When he opened his eyes, he was looking at Daphne, who was staring at him with concern. He was with her in his favorite Italian restaurant. His heart finally started to slow again when another loud, reverberating sound made him flinch violently, and his heart sped right back up. He looked outside, watching the rain against the darkening sky. He felt like a pussy when he realized that it was only the thunder of a summer rainstorm. He turned back to look into Daphne’s worried eyes. She had stopped eating.
“Are you okay?” she asked again. “You haven’t touched your food.”
“Yeah, I’m good.” Jesse replied. He sighed. She smiled. “I’m just glad to be home.”
*****
Well...?
Last edited:
