It was five in the afternoon,I was walking home from my friend Parker's house when I stopped to get a malt. The radio was on. I listend to a report on the radio about how they still haven't found Hitler. "Hitler has yet to be found. Soldiers are still gung ho!" I thought "After 3 years wouldn't they have given up?" The manager said "Hey,kid. Maybe you should enlist. Help out with all this,ya know?" I nodded "Maybe." I said,glaring at my malt. he smiled and continued working. I finished my malt and left.
When I got home John was sitting on my porch. His dirty-blond hair was,as usual,Messy. He ran up to me and screamed "Ridge,You red headed fool!" I looked at him as if I didn't know him and said "Who are you talkin' to,slim?" He laughed and walked over to me. He said "What are we gonna do?" "About what?" I said. "The war! We gotta do something! He shouted,I think the whole neighboor hood heard him. I remembered what the Manager at the malt shop said,"Join the Army." I looked at him and said "We could join the Army?" He looked at me with a slight grin,then frowned. "But I can't join the Army! My parents would kill me!" I looked at him and said "You're 18. You can do what you want. Look,grab some of our pals and we'll go to the recruiter tomarrow." He nodded and went home,without even staying for dinner.
The next day Me,John,Ian,Zack.Christian,Reggie,and Adam went to a recruiting station on the other side of town. Ian looked at Reggie and said
"They ain't gonna let you in,Reggie." Reggie said violently "And why not!?" "You'r black..." He said,looking kinda nervous at this point
Chris look at Ian...His Brown eyes where filled with anger. "You fat moron,if they don't let him in I'll throw you at him!" Everyone was cracking but,Adam was laughing the hardest. "Shut up,you look like you eat alot too,you cow!" Zack said to Adam.
Adam Just laughed it off.
When we got to the recruiting station the recruiter said first thing to Reggie "Go across the street if you wanna enlist. This is a white only station here,pal. Nothing personal,Just the rules." I looked at him with disgust and almost said something till the recruiter said "Calm down,big red." I think he said "Big red" Because of my red hair. I don't know. All I wanted was to sign them papers and be out of there. Reggie went across the street to the "colored" recruiting station.
I was first to go into his office. I sat in the chair and looked at the poster on the wall behind him. He asked "Why do you wanna join the Army,son" I answered "Hitler..." He nodded. "I bet you get alot of girls with that there hair,huh?" I said,sounding pretty shocked "Less then you'd think,sir." He laughed and handed me a pen and paper. I read it carefully,and probably went threw it two times. I signed my name at the bottom and handed them back to him. I said "Thank you." I paused to read his name tag,"Mr.Jones." He looked at me and said "Sargent Jones,kid...Sargent Jones." I said "Sorry." and walked out
Everyone was done with there papers but Adam and Ian. Ian was in the office,and Adam was waiting to go in. He looked nervous but ready. He wanted in that office. Ian came out smiling. You could see the happiness in his eyes. He said to me "I'm ready to go kill me some Germans!" I smiled as he ran out of the recruiting station to dance. I'm sure he got some funny looks, But knowing Ian,he wouldn't care. He'd dance some more!
Adam went in,slapping his pockets. He asked me to fallow and I tried,but Chris pulled be back "Don't be a coward,Adam! You don't Need a baby sitter!" Adam just ignored it and when in. I turned to Chris and said "What the hell?" He said "Well he didn't." I looked at him and sat back. John and Reggie where reading a poster on the wall outside,Zack was messing with a pin,and Ian and Chris where arguing over who was a better team out of the Yankees and the Red Socks. (Red Socks all the way) I had nothing to do but Fidel my thumbs witch is what I did.
Adam burst out of the office. He looked pumped "Man,I can't wait for basic training!" We all laughed at him and walked out. He came running behind us saying "What!? What!?" We kept laughing all the way down the street until we passed a new restraint. "Hey guys,wanna grab a bite? My treat!" Chris said "Since when do you have money,you mooch?" Zack said,causing Reggie to fall on the ground laughing. Chris said with glee "Since my father finally paid me for all the work I did roofing houses!" The restraint had no sign saying "Whites only" or "Coloreds only",so we all went in. We walked in and instantly a waitress greeted us and went sat us at a table. She took our orders,and winked at me when she went to the kitchen. I don't think the others noticed,or at least I hope they didn't.
She came back with our food,Ian probably had the biggest order. She placed our food to each of us,turned to me and said "You kinda cute,what you're name?" I felt as if everyone was staring at me. In fact,I'm pretty sure they where. Girls just don't talk to me like that. I said nervously "Ridge..." She smiled and said "I'm Keisha." I smiled and said "OK." It was the only thing I could Say,in situations like that,It's the only thing I can say. She asked "So I saw ya walk in to an Army recruiting station,You join up" I said "Yeah." John started to crack up,probably because I was turning red,and Chris threw a small piece of pie at me,But I didn't get mad. Leave it to ol' Chris to though food. Zack started cussing because his long,black hair was getting in his eyes. Ian said "Don't worry,buddy,that will be coming off soon!" Zack was mad,but we was also a skinny guy,and if he hit Ian he would probably get snapped in half. Then Adam just couldn't hold it in any longer and exploded with laughter at all of it. Keisha was staring by then. She probably thought Reggie and I where the only normal ones.
When we all got done,we paid and got half way out the door be for Keisha ran up to me and said "Come here be for you ship off,Soldier boy" The guys started to laugh at me by then. I was as red as a cherry,I could feel it. Reggie,who seemed quite the whole time we ate,finally said "mMn,she was cute,huh Ridge? You need to ask her on a date." "Little ol' Ridge here couldn't ask a girl out to save is life" Ian said,with a smug look on his face. I snapped at him "You couldn't ask a girl out because she would reject ya in a heart beat. I can ask a girl out if I want to,I just won't because we're about to go to basic trainin'! And don't call me little,you may be Bigger and taller then I am but you sure as heck ain't older!" Ian was six foot two or around that,while I was five ten. John said "You'r just chicken." I was angry by then,but walked with them on the way home.
I walked in the door at about two p.m.,and we had went to the recruiter at about twelve P.m. My Mom said to me "Where did you go"
She was from Indiana,so she didn't use to much of words like "where'd" and "ain't",those where Hick words to her. I said to her,knowing what was coming "I joined the Army." Her jaw dropped and I think she wanted to slap me "You what!?" She said.
"You joined the Army!? My baby joined the Army!?" she yelled for my Dad. "Jake! Jake!" my dad came running in "What!? What"
he said. "You're son joined the Army!!" "You're son..." I thought. Was she disowning me? "He did what!?" I ran out after that.
I thought "I'm Nineteen,I'm free! I don't gotta take this!"
I went to the park,where I saw Erin and Sarah being harassed by two goons. One was big,had brown hair and look like a ritch kid. The other was small and had red hair,like mine. He looked ritch two. They where both probly high school kids. I went over to them and said "You two mind leavin' these ladies alone?" The little one looked at me and walked of,but the big one said "And why should I do that? For some little punk like you? I think not." I walked over there and said "Look pal,I don't want trouble." He smerked and said "Well you got it." and threw me on the ground. I stood up and threw him across the sidewalk into the pond. He said to me "I don't got the time for you." and walked off,soaked to the bone.