War of the Heart

A/N: This is y very first period story. It is set in the midst of World War II and centers around two teenage boys, Randy Orton and John Cena- who are drafted in their last year of high school. Randy makes a promise to John, and when his worst fear comes true, he must follow through with the promise involving John's girlfriend Maria. Enjoy!

March 5th, 1943

Attention American men ages 17-45, This is your President Franklin D. Roosevelt. The situations in the War have become tighter and I must inform you with a heavy heart, that there will be another draft. Starting tomorrow morning, you must get to the closest registration office to get your number. Thank you for your service and your cooperation.

Randy abruptly stopped chopping wood, and stared at the radio. Had he really just heard that message? A draft. He didn't want to go, men were dieing daily, and Randy Orton was not ready to die, certainly not at age seventeen. He paused for another moment before going back to chopping the wood.

Randy Orton was a small town boy with small town dreams. His life was simple, he went to school, worked at his father's lumber yard, and spent his free time swooning city girls with his small town charm. He never expected much to come from himself, he was born a lumber yard worker and he would die a lumber yard worker, and he was okay with that. But, that plan was shot now; Randy knew he was exactly what they were looking for. He was young, in shape, and he was sane. He chopped the wood with anger as he thought about it. Life had just begun to look up again after the depression ended a couple years ago. Randy worried about his family. His little sister Becky would be entering high school next year and he wouldn't be there to watch over her. His younger brother Nathan was just ten years old, who is he to look up to if Randy isn't there? Not to mention the things he'll miss. He'll miss prom, he was supposed to be taking Jillian Hall, the butcher's daughter, and now he would have to cancel on the poor girl. He would miss graduation; he wouldn't get to have that accomplished feeling of holding his diploma. He had always imagined that magic moment when his father would pat him on the shoulder and say "I'm proud of you son." He had been waiting for that moment for his whole life, and it was going to fly right by him, if he doesn't get killed first. On top of that, he would never get to tell the girl of his dreams how he really feels about her. Who is this girl you ask? Well, we'll save that for later.

X-X-X

John Cena sat in a place called the Sunbeam Diner. He was sharing a milkshake and a banana split with his girlfriend of eight months, Maria. He had promised her something sweet at the end of the week, and banana splits were her favorite. Maria was a junior, just sixteen years old, but already amazingly beautiful, the thing John loved most about Maria were her eyes, she had beautiful light green eyes that held, happiness, strength, and most importantly, innocence. John knew he loved her, and that she was the one. While his best friend Randy was out fooling around with the city girls, John decided to wait until marriage. He loved what he had with Maria and didn't want to do anything to compromise that. He had the dream of taking her to Paris one day. John had big dreams for himself, he knew college wasn't in his grasp, but he knew there was another way to get out of that small town. When that radio broadcast came on about the draft, he knew he had found it. A silence hung in between the two at the table after the draft had been announced. While John was excited to see the world, Maria didn't want him to go. John noticed her smile fall as she stared at the table top. He reached across the table for her hand.

"Are you alright Maria?" He asked.

"I'm fine John." She told him as she put a smile back on.

"I know you Maria. What's wrong?" John asked. Maria closed her eyes and took a deep breath before speaking.

"I am already worried about Matthew and Jeffery coming home safely. I do not need to worry about you too." She told him as a tear trickled down her cheek. John reached across the table and brought her chin up to look at him.

"Your brothers are going to come back fine, if I go, I'll come back fine. I promise you. It's my dream Maria, I'm going to see the world." He told her.

"The world is in shambles John." Maria said sternly. "Can you take me home? I need to start dinner." She said quietly as she looked out the window. John let out a deep sigh.

"Alright," He stood up and paid, and then the two left the Sunbeam and headed out to the more rural part of town where the Layfield farm was. John pulled the truck to a stop in front of the house; Maria leaned across the seat and kissed him on the cheek before getting out of the car. John was about to pull off when he heard Maria call his name.

"John," He looked at her through the open window. "I love you," She gave him a small smile before going inside the house. Maria walked into the house and was greeted by tiny voices coming from Patricia's room. Her older brother Jeff had a wife, Patricia. She moved in with the Layfield family two years ago when Jeff went off to war because she had been pregnant and needed help with their three children. Her oldest nephew Bobby walked into the kitchen. Bobby was ten years old, but seemed so much older, his father going off to war had forced him to grow up too quickly. He looked at the pile of mail in Maria's hand.

"Anything from my dad?" He asked excitedly. Maria frowned a little and shook her head.

"Not today Bobby, I'm sorry." Maria said to him softly. "I'm sure his letter will come soon, the last one said he wouldn't be able to write for some time." Bobby's shoulders slumped. Maria put a hand on his shoulder. "You know what? There is one piece of cherry pie in that old ice box just for you." Maria smiled at him. Bobby's face brightened up.

"Thanks Aunt Maria, you really do make the best pie in the whole state of Illinois." He told her.

"How would you know that? You haven't tasted all the cherry pie that Illinois has to offer." Bobby shrugged his shoulders.

"I don't need to, none of them could possibly be as sweet as yours." He smiled one last time before walking into the kitchen.

"Maria, come here baby!" Her mother called from her bedroom in the back of the house. Maria walked down the hall and into the bedroom where her mother sat by the window, mending a pair of pants that Bobby ripped.

"Yes mama, did you need something?" Maria asked with a smile. Maria's mother Rena Layfield was a former Vaudeville dancer and singer, under the stage name Sable. But, she gave it all up when she met Maria's father one night when he came to her show, the two fell in love instantly and were married a week later. Even now, Maria thought her mother was one of the most beautiful women she had ever seen.

"Maria, be an angel and fluff your mama's pillow." Rena said before coughing. Maria took the pillow from behind her mother's head and fluffed it before placing it back behind her.

"How's that cold coming along mama?" Maria asked.

"It's getting better sweetheart." She said to her daughter. Rena looked in her daughter's green eyes, something was troubling her. Rena pulled Maria down onto the bed.

"What is the matter with my angel, hmm?" Rena asked as her daughter frowned. Maria shook her head.

"Nothing mama, I'm fine." Maria told her.

"Are you sure?" She asked, Maria's lip began to tremble and she began to sob.

"He's…he's going to war mama!" Maria sobbed. Rena furrowed her eyebrows at her daughter.

"Who is?" She asked.

"John," Was all Maria stifled out as she launched into more tears. Rena held her only daughter to her chest and rubbed her back as she cried.

"There, there, don't you fret none baby. John is strong, and he'll make a good husband to you one day." Rena said soothingly. Maria calmed down at her mother's soothing voice.

"But I don't want him to go mama, I love him." Maria sniffled.

"I know sweetheart, but you have got to let him go." Rena said as she soothingly ran her fingers through Maria's auburn hair.

"How did you handle it mama?" Maria asked in between sniffles. "You know, daddy going to the first war?" Maria asked. Rena sighed heavily.

"I was worried sick about your daddy, but I busied my self with Jeffery, he was so tiny then. And let me tell you something, he kept me busy all day." Rena and Maria began to laugh together. "If John goes to war, he will come back to you a new man, and you will wonder why you were worried in the first place." Rena continued to stroke her daughter's hair.

"You promise?" Maria asked. Rena knew she couldn't promise that for sure, but the number one priority at the moment was her daughter.

"I promise," She sighed.

X-X-X

Randy walked into the Chicago club, he wore a pair of black slacks, a white shirt, and a black jacket over it. People nodded to him as he walked in the door. He sat down on the bar stool and the bartender came right over to him.

"What'll it be today Randy?" He asked.

"Whiskey on the rocks." He nodded to the bartender, Paul. Paul brought the drink back over and set it down in front of Randy.

"What's got you down today kid?" He asked. Randy shook his head and then slowly took a sip of the whiskey, letting it burn on its way down.

"Nothin'" Was his only response. Paul studied the young man in front of him for a moment.

"Don't let that damned draft get you down." He told him before going to tend to another customer.

Randy heard the light tapping of high heels, and smelled the sweet perfume before the woman even appeared in front of him. "Hello Candice," He greeted the raven haired beauty as she came to lean on the bar next to him.

"You amaze me Randy Orton," She said with a slight laugh as she seductively put her fingers through her hair.

"I'm sorry Candice, I am just not in the mood today." He told her.

Candice leaned in and kissed him passionately on the lips. "How about you let me take you upstairs to change that." She breathed seductively.

Randy stood up from the barstool and straightened out his pants. It would take his mind off of the draft for a bit, and Candice would do whatever she needed to fulfill his "needs".

So what do you guys think? This is my first period piece, and I'm doing a lot of research for it. Anyways, I really need your feedback on this one. I know the first chapter was a bit slow paced, but it quickens up very soon.

Xoxo-Leila