It had been a three months since the boys had left for basic training, it had gotten over just two weeks ago. Billy, John and D.J. were given their assignments and to Daniels delight and everyone else's dismay he was made pilot of their crew.
"Alright boys hold on we're trying something new." D.J. shouted into his microphone causing John and William to grimace and share frightened looks at each other. As the plane began to jut forward and spin their hearts started racing
"D.J. what are you doing!" Billy screamed as they fell into what appeared to be a humungous tail spin. And just when the nose of the seemed to be inches from the ground D.J. jerked the throttle and they began to climb again.
After they had landed Major Winkle was waiting very impatiently his arms crossed eyes narrow and his usually friendly face set in a stern scowl.
"Private Walker m-m-m-my office n-n-now." He barked with his trade mark stutter
"Yes sir Major Winkle sir." Daniel saluted and turned toward the officers head quarters while Billy and John finished puking.
"Private Walker I have only one thing to say you…. Where in the hell did you learn to fly like that?" Red sat in his leather chair behind a large mahogany desk and drummed his fingers
"My father and uncle Rafe taught me sir." Daniel stood erect on the other side of the desk with his arms behind his back.
"Your uncle Rafe? By god you're Danny Walker's little aren't you?"
"Yes Major."
"I went to flight school with your old man and your uncle. Hell we served at Pearl Harbor together. I'm Rafe's little girls godfather."
"You're Red Strange sir."
"Legally no to your father yes."
"Well sir since you and my father are such good pals I guess I won't be getting in trouble for that stunt I pulled then right." D.J. smiled
"Let's put it this way you're only on duty in the mess tent for two weeks instead of a month. Now get out."
When Daniel had returned to his barracks there was a letter from Amelia waiting for him on his bed. It smelled like perfume and was kissed with her soft pink lipstick. He was so happy to have received it he almost didn't noticed the look of complete melancholy on Billy's face.
"What's the matter McCawley?"
William tipped his head up a heart broken expression on his face
"Mary didn't write me again." He answered flatly. Billy missed Mary so much he could taste it and he hadn't heard from her in four weeks.
A WEEK LATER
The soldier walked down the empty halls of Shelby High he had a slight limp in his left leg from a bullet wound. He stopped in front of one of the class room and hung there until the bell rang and the door opened. The last two people out were a happy couple that were holding each other tightly. They were almost oblivious to the soldier till he cleared his throat angrily.
"Oh my god Billy." Mary's hand dropped from Ian's waist and flew to her mouth
"Glad to see you missed me." He spat like venom and pivoted to turn from her.
"Billy hold on we have to talk about this." Mary gripped his shoulder and he whipped around
"Fine he stays here."
William parked Rafe's old rusty pickup at the edge of the of Look out Point and stared out the wind shield silently.
"What happened to your knee?" Mary was the first to say anything
"D.J. shot me." He replied sullenly
"What!"
"I hold him to I wanted to come home and see you I didn't want to be there. Now I wish I stayed."
"Billy I'm so sorry I didn't want for this to happen. I missed you and I was so lonely and Ian was there. "
"Don't bother to explain my dad's first wife pulled this same shit on him, I know how it works. "
"Billy will we be okay? Is this salvageable?"
"No. Mary I'm going back and you can have Ian."
"Alright boys hold on we're trying something new." D.J. shouted into his microphone causing John and William to grimace and share frightened looks at each other. As the plane began to jut forward and spin their hearts started racing
"D.J. what are you doing!" Billy screamed as they fell into what appeared to be a humungous tail spin. And just when the nose of the seemed to be inches from the ground D.J. jerked the throttle and they began to climb again.
After they had landed Major Winkle was waiting very impatiently his arms crossed eyes narrow and his usually friendly face set in a stern scowl.
"Private Walker m-m-m-my office n-n-now." He barked with his trade mark stutter
"Yes sir Major Winkle sir." Daniel saluted and turned toward the officers head quarters while Billy and John finished puking.
"Private Walker I have only one thing to say you…. Where in the hell did you learn to fly like that?" Red sat in his leather chair behind a large mahogany desk and drummed his fingers
"My father and uncle Rafe taught me sir." Daniel stood erect on the other side of the desk with his arms behind his back.
"Your uncle Rafe? By god you're Danny Walker's little aren't you?"
"Yes Major."
"I went to flight school with your old man and your uncle. Hell we served at Pearl Harbor together. I'm Rafe's little girls godfather."
"You're Red Strange sir."
"Legally no to your father yes."
"Well sir since you and my father are such good pals I guess I won't be getting in trouble for that stunt I pulled then right." D.J. smiled
"Let's put it this way you're only on duty in the mess tent for two weeks instead of a month. Now get out."
When Daniel had returned to his barracks there was a letter from Amelia waiting for him on his bed. It smelled like perfume and was kissed with her soft pink lipstick. He was so happy to have received it he almost didn't noticed the look of complete melancholy on Billy's face.
"What's the matter McCawley?"
William tipped his head up a heart broken expression on his face
"Mary didn't write me again." He answered flatly. Billy missed Mary so much he could taste it and he hadn't heard from her in four weeks.
A WEEK LATER
The soldier walked down the empty halls of Shelby High he had a slight limp in his left leg from a bullet wound. He stopped in front of one of the class room and hung there until the bell rang and the door opened. The last two people out were a happy couple that were holding each other tightly. They were almost oblivious to the soldier till he cleared his throat angrily.
"Oh my god Billy." Mary's hand dropped from Ian's waist and flew to her mouth
"Glad to see you missed me." He spat like venom and pivoted to turn from her.
"Billy hold on we have to talk about this." Mary gripped his shoulder and he whipped around
"Fine he stays here."
William parked Rafe's old rusty pickup at the edge of the of Look out Point and stared out the wind shield silently.
"What happened to your knee?" Mary was the first to say anything
"D.J. shot me." He replied sullenly
"What!"
"I hold him to I wanted to come home and see you I didn't want to be there. Now I wish I stayed."
"Billy I'm so sorry I didn't want for this to happen. I missed you and I was so lonely and Ian was there. "
"Don't bother to explain my dad's first wife pulled this same shit on him, I know how it works. "
"Billy will we be okay? Is this salvageable?"
"No. Mary I'm going back and you can have Ian."