I wake up with a start. Damn. Her embrace had felt so real and warm.
The man next to me is snoring and is breathing heavily my way. From the smell I can tell he had chinese food with lots of garlic. I sigh and face the window from my seat. I don't know what the hell I'm doing but I couldn't take it anymore. I needed to see her. She was the only thing that made me feel connected with the past...my past. Everytging felt so wrong now that I was home. I felt lonely and unwanted.
My friends had died in that forsaken war. Yes, they, including myself, had been dicks and assholes but they had been my friends. I missed them and I didn't know why I wasn't just a memory, too, like them. My hand instictively goes to my forearm and I stroke it. The slightly raised skin meets my fingers as a smooth the bee tattoo that I got during the war. I try not to touch the three new fresh tattoos healing next to the old one.
The bus makes its last pit stop and I get off the bus to take a piss and grab a snack. I look around at all the people shopping around me and I almost laugh. Almost. Things just don't seem as funny anymore. But these hippies were dressing outlandish and strange. Not something I want to ever get used to.
"Baby killer!" I hear someone yell and my head whips up. I hear people snickering and I ground my teeth. I grab a beer and look at my refection in the window. My soldier uniform is the only thing that I have at the moment but I want it off as soon as possible.
"Baby killer!" I hear laughing followed by hushing and I clench the beer in my hand. I'm afraid I'm going to break the bottle and I head towards the register to pay so I can get the hell out of there. I pay and start heading towards the exit when I feel a strong hand on my shoulder. I turn around and face a large, muscular man followed by two women.
"You dont deserve to be breathing, man. Go back to Vietnam and weep for those you killed," the man spits.
"Sir, I don't want any trouble," I say, and raise my hands in the air, beer and peanuts in one hand.
He pushes me slightly and now the women behind me have worried looks on their faces. One speaks.
"Dave, he's not worth it, man. Let's just go."
"Yeah...man. Just go," I say tauntingly.
Dave inches his face closer to mine and we're almost nose to nose. He sighs and says, "You're right Donna, he's not worth it at all."
After a few seconds, he starts backing away. He smirks and starts to turn.
"Hippie," I mutter under my breath.
Dave curses and I feel his fis connect to my jaw. His blow disorients me for a couple of seconds and he raises his hand to take another shot at me but I interfer it. I grab his fist and twist it around. He automatically makes a contorted face of pain and I easily turn him around. I get close to his ear and say, "I said I don't want any trouble, sir." I let go of him, exit the store and throw away the peanuts and beer.
I get in the bus and avoid the man with the chinese food breath.
First thing I need to do when I get to San Fran is purchase new clothes for myself. Then, finally, find Rose.
