A/N: Another Day, Another Chapter. I ain't got much to say but, MY BIRTHDAY IS IN A FEW DAYS! WOO!

Oh yeah, I recently changed the first two chapters. Ok, so Megan effed up. I said that it was May 1943, when they were actually in Camp Mackall. Now, the story actually takes place in late November.


"What, Joe kissed you?" Marge questioned, with a defensive tone.

"NO! Dick kissed me!" I said, panting heavily.

"So Dick kissed you?"

"Yeah, well it was more a kiss on the cheek. But it was still a kiss."

"...Ok, I'm confused."

"Well, Joe got drunk and I danced with Dick instead."

"That sounds like Joe. Did he care?"

"Care about what?"

"That you danced with Dick.

"No...not exactly. I told him I had to use the bathroom, and he thought I was in there for a long time." For several moments, Marge stared at me blankly.

"In the course of one day, you were asked out for the first time, you danced with TWO boys, I'm presuming, and you successfully received your first 'kiss' from Richard, the shyest man on earth, Winters?" I stood in front of her, and clapped my hands together, still panting.

"...Yeah, I guess you could say so.."

"You son of a bitch." Marge laughed, as she threw a pillow at my face.


Several weeks had passed since that night, and all I've done so far is...avoid him. I don't know why, I guess it's just because I'm nervous or something? Like, I'll try my hardest to avoid him, but somehow he always pop's up out of nowhere. Maybe I just have bad vision or something, cause the guy's not that hard to miss in a crowd. Ever since Sobel made him Mess officer, it's been quite hard to avoid him.

He'll approach me in the mess line, and greet me nicely. My heart will stop for a few moments, then I'll give a coy "Hi" back, and quickly walk over to where the other girls would eat.

I really don't know why I avoid him, really I don't. Maybe it's because I feel so stupid. Because when he kissed me I said "Thank you". You don't say thank you, when someone kisses you. And you usually don't run away, either. For the past several weeks, I've laid awake at night, replaying that night and that one particular moment. Smiling and then feeling like a total reject.

I mean, who runs away when they get their first "kiss"? Girls like Doreen and Cindy don't.

But on this day in December, I had a lot more to worry about than this.

It was December 13th, my brothers birthday, and it was freezing outside. The ground had a light blanket of white snow, and the wool jacket, provided by the Red Cross, did nothing to protect me from the cold. I was taking a walk down to the local laundry shop to pick up my and the other girls' clothes, and George's too since he asked me nicely. I have become the runner for everything, for everyone. But the girls give me an extra 50 cents to do what ever I want with. If it were 2006, I would be pissed, since it is really freaking cold outside, and I hate walking. But since it is 1943, and you can buy almost anything with 50 cents, I'm perfectly fine with it.

I was walking down the snow covered sidewalk, and came across, what I'm guessing, the town troubadour. He was sitting against a brick building, wearing a wool jacket, black pants, and a pair of ratty old shoes that had many holes in them. But he had his trusty guitar and a hat that contained little money. He was playing his heart out on this one song. I don't know the name of it, but the lyrics were dripping with sadness and longing.

"I'll never smile again, until I smile at you. I'll never laugh again, what good would it do? For tears would fill my eyes, my heart would realize that our romance is through." The man sang, as his fingerless gloves strummed the instrument. I stood and listened for a few moments, feeling the man's pain run through me. I reached into my jacket pocket, and threw my extra 50 cents into his hat. Hey, I had no use for it anyways. The man thanked me, and I started on towards the laundry again. As I walked away, the man began to sing again.

"I'll never love again, I'm so in love with you. I'll never thrill again, to somebody new. Within my heart, I know I will never start to smile again, until I smile at you."

I reached the Laundromat, and approached the old woman who ran the place.

"Hi, I'm here to pick up laundry," I reached into my pocket again, for a piece of paper, " I need Anne Williams, George Luz, Marge Berch, Cindy Bennett, Doreen Smithson and Megan Stein." I read from the paper.

"Yes, mam." The woman responded, and she turned around to the cubby spaces behind her, where paper wrapped stacks were at. They were marked alphabetically. She reached in to the spaces, grabbing many stacks. She turned around and placed them before me.

"Here you go. Marge Berch, Cindy Bennett, George Luz, Anne Williams and Doreen Smithson." She held out her hand for her money. I reached in, and grabbed the right amount. But then I hesitated.

"Did you say, Megan Stein in there too?" I asked

"No, there were no clothes for Ms. Stein. Someone already picked up her clothes." The woman replied, still holding out her hand.

"Excuse me?" I said perplexed, "Who? Who picked up my clothes?" I asked, retreating my hand from my pocket.

"I don't remember. There are so many people who walk in and out of here." She started coldly, but when she saw my hand retreat from my pocket, she talked in a nicer tone, " But there was a note left in here for you." She quickly whipped around and handed me the note. It was scribbled quickly, and almost illegibly. It read:

"Meet me behind HQ."

That was it. No name, no anything.

"What is 'HQ'?" The woman asked. I quickly folded the note away, and put it in my pocket.

"Head Quarters." I responded hastily. I handed her the right amount, minus my money, grabbed the clothes and walked out the door.

When I walked out the door, it started to snow again. Great, my clothes are missing and it's snowing. I hate snow.


I reached the hospital, freezing from head to toe, throwing the girls' clothes on their bed. I walked out to take George his clothes.

I walked outside, and got halfway towards George's tent before I realized, that today was a weekday. Which meant he was probably jumping today or something. But since I was already halfway there, I went to his tent anyways. I walked into the empty tent, and found George's bed, not made of course. I placed his clothes on his bed, and walked out.

I proceeded to walk back to the hospital. But when I put my hands in my pocket for warmth, I hit the note. I took it out and read it again.

I wonder who this could be? Someone playing a joke on me? No, they wouldn't pay for it, if it were a joke. Maybe it's a crazy stalker, who wants to kidnap me or something like that? Whatever, or whoever it is, I don't care. I just need my clothes back; they're the only ones I have.

I decided to walk to HQ and wait for this mystery person. I walked around from the front of the building, and headed towards the back. I looked around, to see if the mystery person was there. Nothing. I called out, to see if the person was hiding. Still nothing.

I sighed. I guess the person sent me on a wild goose chase. But, I still wanted to wait. So I sat on top of a stack of logs, and waited.

After several minutes of singing the Jack's Mannequin song catalogue, I huffed and started to get up.

"This person's not gonna show up. I'll just borrow Cindy's clothes again." I sighed.

"Waiting for someone?" A familiar voice asked. I turned around, and the snow was falling harder now.


"Lewis? wha-" I started, and I noticed the brown wrapped package in his hands, "So it was you." I said excitedly.

"Yeah, it was." he grunted, reaching for a cigarette.

"Why?" I asked

"Because I need to talk to you."

"Well, you could've just asked me to talk or something. Not by stealing my clothes."

"I didn't steal you're clothes, and it's pretty hard to ask you something when you're always running out a door or running off with the other girls."

"True..." I started quietly, "So what do you want to talk about?"

"Dick." He said immediately.

"Oh" I looked down at my feet.

"He's a mess. With this whole mess officer deal, and then you..."

"Could I just have my clothes back please?" I asked quietly

"No way, you may be able to get away from Dick, but not me." He affirmed

"Fine, then keep my clothes. The pink one will really bring out your eyes. " I commented sarcastically. I turned to walk away, but he grabbed my arm, "Let go of me." I warned

"Listen kid, you're ruining my friend." He stated firmly, "If you don't like the guy, just tell him. Don't make him suffer." he finished, in a gentler tone. He released my arm. I looked down at my feet again.

"But I do like him." I said softly

"What was that?" He asked

"I said, I do like him." I said louder, looking him right in the eye.

"Really?" He said surprised, " I mean, really."

"Yes. Dick is the nicest, realest and most genial person I've ever met." I said, getting louder with every word.

"Then why don't you tell the poor guy, before he explodes?" Nix asked excitedly

"I don't know," I cried, turning away from him, "I guess..", I turned back towards him, "I guess I'm just scared. Scared because I have no idea how to handle this kind of stuff. I'm only 16 for Christ's sake, I've had no experience with the opposite sex whatsoever."

"Don't worry, He's just as confused as you are. If not more." He reassured

"Really?" I asked, Lewis nodded, "...And he's really a mess?"

"Let's just say Shakespeare had it better."

"I really should talk to him shouldn't I?"

"Well, you should change first, you do have that huge stain on your dress."

"Where?" I said, looking down, I found nothing,

"You are so gullible, Stein." He laughed, shoving my clothes in my arms. He started to walk away.

"Wait!" I yelled, he turned around. I reached in my pocket, "Here."

"What's this?" He asked

"You paid for my clothes." I placed the money in his hand.

"I can't take this." He handed the money back to me

"Why not?"

"Cause Dick payed for 'em. He made the mistake of trusting me with his money." And he walked away.

I walked back up the side of HQ and turned to walk down the sidewalk. But I didn't get too far, since I was stopped again.

"Ms. Stein." A man's voice called out, I turned around It was Colonel Sink and another man in a black uniform.

"Yes sir?" I asked

"Ms. Stein, we need to talk." He said gently, "In my office."


UPDATES HOPEFULLY BY TOMMROW! OR MAYBE FRIDAY! I have a whole she-bang a bang for this chapter and the next one. Oh, It was so much fun to write these two. I wrote them, while sitting outside in the pouring rain. Rain is so much fun.

Oh the song is called "I'll Never Smile Again" by Tommy Dorsey.