CHAPTER TWO
As Jason and Brad walked home together after school, they were both silent. Jason was thinking about all the things that happened today. Captain Marcus, the age lowering, Mrs. Kimz's reveal. Brad finally broke the silence, "I never would have guessed, Captain Marcus being her brother in all. She seemed perfectly fine in class." Jason nodded, "I guess she was keeping it in too much. I mean, she broke down after class." Brad was silent, and then asked, "Are you enlisting?" Jason looked up, "I-I'm not sure," he answered, "I mean I would have been ready at eighteen, but now? I just don't know." Jason shook his head confused. He saw his own feelings reflected in Brad's eyes.
"Look," Brad replied as they got to the corner, "You talk to my parents and I'll talk to mine. I'll bet my whole life savings that they're gonna say no, but we have to try to convince them. Otherwise it's two more years of waiting." Jason said nothing and said goodbye.
When he got home, the house was empty. His parents were still at work. He was alone for an hour, his time to think. With what Brad had just said, he was going. He was so happy that he had no homework, he then wondered if the teachers did that on purpose. Jason sighed; he didn't know what to do. He decided that he should play a round of his favorite video game, Halo, to clear his mind. He set it up in his room and started to play, but it didn't help. His head was buzzing with what happened today and half-way through a level, he just stopped, letting an alien kill him.
He shut down the Xbox and leaned back in his chair. He just sat there and didn't do anything for twenty minutes. Then his eyes lit up and he made a little nod to himself. He knew what he was going to do.
Just that moment he heard the garage door open and he hear his dad call, "Jason!" "I'm here!" he replied. His dad walked up to him and saw him sitting in the chair and asked, "You saw it, didn't you?" Jason looked up and nodded, "Yes, sir." His dad sighed and ran his hand through his hair and asked, "Well?" Jason stood up and said clearly, "I want to go."
Jason then expected his dad to tell him right, to tell him he was too young and to wait till he was eighteen, but he didn't. He just stood there and said, "I'll take you tomorrow." Jason stared at him in amazement. "I'll tell your mom when she gets home." Jason nodded and replied, "Thanks."
His dad's expression was unreadable as he left the room. Jason shut the door behind his dad and grinned, but his dad's expression erased it. Was his dad regretting what he said? Just then his phone rang and he yelled, "I got it!" He ran to pick it up, "Hello?" Immediately, Brad's voice answered, "Did they let you?" Jason smiled, he could picture Brad's eager face on the other end of the phone line, "Yes, they did." Brad's excited yell made him pull the phone away from his ear, "They let me too! But one question, can your folks take me? My parents are gonna be at work so, could you?"
Jason replied, "One second," and yelled, "Sir! Can you take Brad too?" "Yes," he heard his dad reply. "He said yes," said Jason. "Alright, we're goin together!" yelled Brad, "Gunner, do you realize what we're doin? We're joining the freakin military!" Jason laughed, but was cut off as he heard his mom walk through the front door. "Got to go, my moms home. I'll see ya tomorrow." Brad laughed, "You bet you will, I'm not chickening out and you better not." Jason laughed too, "I'll be there, see ya." And he hung up the phone and ran downstairs.
When he got to the bottom of the stairs, he paused, seeing if he could eavesdrop on his parents. But his dad caught him, "Jason, just come down here. Your mom wants to talk to you." Jason replied, "Yes, sir," cursed himself for not being quieter, and went all the way down. He saw his mom and dad standing by the door, his mom's face worried and his dad's still unreadable. "So you are going?" asked his mom. Jason nodded, "Yes, I am." His mom started to cry, "Jenna, don't cry," His dad whispered, hugging her. To Jason he said, "Go back upstairs, I need to talk to your mom," and seeing his worried expression, said, "And no, I will not go back on my decision." Jason nodded, "Yes, sir," and went to his room.
He lay on his bed. His mom wasn't taking it to well; he hated it when his mom cried. It made him feel guilty. Would if he has to move? His dad did because there were no military bases by his home. Jason looked at his clock: 9:00. He set his clock and decided to get in bed. He changed his jeans and pulled the covers down. As he crawled in bed he thought of Mrs. Kimz. Would she be getting ready to go to Capt. Marcus's funeral? He knew his dad and mom were going this weekend, and he would miss it.
He then wondered if any of his friends at school were enlisting. He hoped Leo, the person he hated most, wouldn't. He hadn't been at school today, so maybe he didn't even know. Jason looked out the window; all he could see was the tree that blocked his view. He rolled back over and closed his eyes, and fell asleep.
Author's Note: I know this was really short but the nest one will be longer, I promise. Thanks for the reviews though.
