Chapter 9: The Letter
"Dearest Meg," Meg said reading her letter. She knew for sure this was from Jimmy. He always started out his letters to her with that.
"Yeah, yeah, yeah," jabbered Roxanne interrupting Meg. "You've read that already. Get to the good stuff." She then crossed her legs, rested her elbow on her leg which propped up her chin and leaned forward intently ready to listen to all of the juicy details Meg was about to read.
Meg smiled and her eyes lit up. She looks like a little kid ready for a bedtime story. "Well if people would stop interrupting me I'd already have this read through five times," Meg teased waving the letter in her hand.
"Whatever, READ!" Roxanne stressed growing impatient.
Giving in, Meg began reading. "Dearest Meg," she repeated for the umpteenth time and then stopping to look up and study Roxanne's reaction which turned out to be a roll of the eyes.
"I hope this letter finds you well. We've been having problems getting and sending our mail."
"See? You worried about nothing!" exclaimed Roxanne throwing her hands up in the air.
"Rox!" Meg said through clenched teeth.
"Sorry!" Roxanne said sinking back.
Meg breathed out heavily and continued. "But enough about that.
"I've been thinking about you so much. I miss you. I miss seeing those gorgeous, sparkling blue eyes. I miss that smile that always made my stomach flutter and my heart skip a beat. I miss the shiver that ran through my body with the touch of your hand. I miss the way you felt when I held you in my arms while dancing to a slow song. I miss the smell of your soft, golden hair when I rested my jaw against your head while dancing, and the way it fit just perfect. Goodness, Meg, I just miss you. Everything about you.
"I know I'm digging myself in really deep here, but I can't help it. I, well, I just miss you.
"Along with thinking about you and picturing you in my mind, I've thought a lot about our times together. Remember when we first met? On Bandstand? I thought you were going to pee your panties the way you looked when I asked you to dance! And then I knew you were for sure nervous when you rambled out your name, Meg Pryor from East Catholic. I loved teasing you with that afterwards. A little nickname for you shared just between us.
"Remember our first date? To be honest, I didn't want to go with you. I was only doing it because Michael Brooks told me he wanted you to be my dance partner. But when I saw you that night when I picked you up at your house and how excited you were, I knew I was getting myself into something. And boy did I ever! I got myself right into your arm! I honestly have to say that will always be my most memorable date, ever. I was so angry at you! I wanted payback. So I think I was a little awful to you when I let you know about why I'd asked you on a date. I'm sorry, I was so sore about that. But how could I stay mad at you? I definitely grew out of that. It took a little time, but I, well I got over it.
"Then our first official dance as a couple. Why they picked 'Rhythm of the Falling Rain' I'll never know. Sure it's got a great sound to slow dance to, don't get me wrong. It's just it talks about lost love. What a downer! I guess in some strange way it put a curse on us. You know, that we would never in reality be together. We'll only be together in the dream world of Bandstand couples.
"Anyways, then do you remember our first kiss? Again, on Bandstand. We danced. Then under the mistletoe we shared our first kiss. That's when I realized I, well I wanted to do everything I could to be with Meg. My feelings had been growing for you and I wanted to make you my girl, for real. I wanted to really kiss you after that. To take you into my arms and give you a deep, romantic, felt to the tips of your toes kind of kiss. But I couldn't. Your heart was with Clark Kent. I'm embarrassed to say that I loved watching him cringe in jealousy at the record store seeing you with me.
"I almost had myself believing you and I could become a true couple. But the way you looked at him, I could never break that. I tried, good golly, I tried. I asked you to the drive-in. I told you how I felt about you. It was all true Meg. I even tried kissing you, but even that didn't work. I felt that kiss to the tips of my toes. But I could tell you didn't. That kiss was one-sided and there was nothing I could do about it.
"My last day on Bandstand all I wanted to do was dance with you. To hold you in my arms one last time. To be able to think about what could be. Meg that dance gave me hope about us. It wasn't on television in the dream world we had lived in together. It was after the show. Just you and me. Instead of hearing the curse from The Cascades on the speakers, I heard 'Baby It's You' by The Shirelles giving me hope.
"Meg I've rambled on and on in this letter when I've only had one thing on my mind to say. I love you Meg. I love you! I really do. I love you. I know you're with Luke. Wow I said his name. I know you're with Luke, but I ask you Meg if there's any chance for me to be your guy wait for me.
"I'll be waiting for you. That's all I can hold onto. The hope of us being together will be the only thing to get me through this hell hole I've gotten myself into by joining the Marines. I'm sorry for cursing Meg, but it's the truth. I didn't know what I was doing when I joined. I'm going. I'm going to Vietnam. I'm going to war.
"I need to have the hope of holding you in my arms again dancing with you to keep me going. And when I get back who knows? We might be dancing in the movies. But if I could dance with you without a camera watching our every move, that would make me just as happy. Because I love you Meg, I'd be happy just being with you.
"Wait for me Meg. Save a piece of your heart for me. When I get back I may get lucky to get all of it. Please, wait for me. I love you, Jimmy."
Meg sat stunned gawking at the letter seized in her hand.
"Wow," stated Roxanne causing a shocked Meg to look up and meet her friend's equally shocked stare.