Just A Dream

Clad in a navy blue uniform, he slowly walked up to the white-shuttered house. He had been doing this job for five years now. The only variable was how she would take it, they all took it differently.

Two short knocks sounded. Abby rushed to the door. Opening to an unfamiliar uniformed man, she knew it could only be about him. The boy she loved. The stranger handed a letter to her. Their fingers brushed for one moment and she looked at his worn face. Sadness seemed to be permanently placed in his eyes. Gently ripping the envelope, the parchment unfolded. She froze.

***
“You’ve gotta be kidding me? Working for this town?” Questioned Reese, “That sure is a sorry excuse for a summer. I’m fixin’ to have the best summer of my life, and I’m gonna be working in parks and cleanin’ up this city.” Little did he know, Abby was standing outside the office waiting for her appointment with the principal. Only she wasn’t there because of trouble. She wasn’t there for orchestrating to bring three pigs into the school during the last week of high school, like the boy that sat in there currently. She was there to find out when her volunteer hours would start with the one and only, Reese Walton.

Sure, the average, recently made, high school graduate wasn’t voluntarily spending their last summer in Berry, Alabama doing free labor in their town. Also, unlike her peers, Abby valued a work ethic and the importance of giving back. “Yes Reese, this may sound tragic, but hold your horses.” recanted the principal back in the office, “You will be working with Miss Abby Carter. She is an extraordinary student and young woman, just maybe, she will rub off on you.” Reese’s mind considered this, strangely he felt a happy feeling wash over him as the news sunk in. Of course Abby was beautiful, everyone in town knew it. Although he hadn’t talked to her since freshman year, when they had health together, he never forgot about her. She wasn’t easy like Shea Harper was. No, Abby would never wear the amount of makeup and showy clothing that Shea and the rest of the girls did. She had a beautiful, hidden look to her. She always wore a breaktaking smile on her lips.

Reese snapped back to real life and remembered his predicament. He took a look at the principal and stormed out of the office. He rounded the corner and at the same second, he collided with some small object. It smelled like vanilla berry and he couldn’t get enough of it. When he opened his eyes, he saw that it was the one and only, Miss Abby Carter. Even flustered, she looked stunning. All of the blood had rushed to her cheeks after the encounter, and he saw the rise and fall of her chest as he kept taking her in. She was wearing a simple white dress that fluttered as she breathed. He felt her heartbeat against him when he realized he was still holding her.

Abby couldn’t stop breathing heavily. As she felt his pressed grey shirt against her, she felt a warm feeling wash over her. But as she looked up at him, she met his eyes. They looked straight through her that made her feel so much more intimate than a boy and a girl in a hallway. They were the color of bluish steel that glinted as they moved. He smiled and all thoughts were erased. She knew then that this would be a long summer.

It was the fourth day of duty for Reese and Abby and they hadn’t said more than a few sentences to each other. Of course he had tried started conversations, he tried asking about school and college, things he thought she would be interested, but no spark. Of course she answered him, but just in a polite way. She replied in a way that mimicked how you would answer a friend of a parent that asked the same questions every time you saw them. He just couldn’t find a way to get through to her. He wanted her to let him in.

After two weeks, Abby hadn’t connected with him. She knew the looks she got when people from her high school saw her with Reese, picking up trash, sweeping library floors, or dusting shelves in the school. She knew he was the most popular boy in school and also the most good looking. She just, didn't have anything in common with him. He tried to connect with things he thought she was interested but, he didn't know her.

One day, their job was to sweep and clean the dance studio in town. As Abby dressed, she pictured dancing with a boy, but unconsciously, she pictured it with Reese. She didn't know why, but today was the first day she felt excited about working with him.

When they arrived at the studio, they got straight to work. Sweeping in the one of the abandoned studios, Reese realized Abby kept looking at herself in the wall of mirrors and seemed to be humming and moving lightly with the broom in her hand. Reese saw his chance and went with it. He strode over to Abby and caught her hand. “Dance with me?”Reese asked.
Abby smiled up at him and said back, “But theres no music?”
“Just keep humming.” They moved into a rhythm, slowly rocking back and forth with his hand lightly on the small of her back and the other hand with hers. Abby’s heartbeat rised up, mimicking a frantic butterfly. Once she gained confidence, she rested her head in the crook of his neck. It fit perfectly. She felt a warmth wash over her. She knew Reese felt it too because he pulled her just a little bit closer. They stayed like that for a while. Hand in hand, pressed up against each other, moving back and forth to rythym of Abby’s song.

Reese felt her soft blonde hair tickling his neck, knowing that---
“What are you two doing?” scolded a mysterious voice. They both were away from each other within a second but their eyes were still locked. They tore their eyes away from each other and looked to see the studio owner. “Y’all best get back to work.” she commented again. Abby realized a cold and lonely feeling overcame her when she parted with Reese. It was as if someone had just slapped her and left. Reese and Abby resumed and acted like the previous moments had not even occurred.
Reese couldn’t stop thinking about their moment and wishing so much for it to be back as they broomed in silence. The clock striked 5 and they knew their time was up for the day. Abby scurried out quickly and the bell on the door chimed. Instead of Reese just leaving her alone, he couldn’t help but run after her. Although it was a summer night, it was still chilled. As Reese ran to catch up with her, he realized she was rubbing her arms as she started to walk home down the town square’s sidewalk. “Abby!” he called. “Abby, wait up!” She slowly turned around to face him as she heard his insists. She had a look of pure confusion and it would have been so easy just to forget about it and go his separate ways. But his heart wasn’t listening.
As Reese jogged up to her. He smiled and took her breath away. “Let me walk you home.” he stated.
“You say that as a statement more than a question, Reese.” It came out of her mouth before she could stop herself. He laughed at her abruptness.
“I guess that’s a no then.” Reese said as he turned on his heel.
“Wait, Reese. Sorry, I would love for you to walk me home,” Abby said with a smile. Reese smiled and they started walking home. Reese dug his hands into his pockets, a nervous habit that he hadn’t done since freshman year. His friends had told him that it made him look weak, but for some reason, when he walked with Abby, he didn’t care what others thought.
For a block, they walked in silence, but it wasn’t awkward. They were perfectly content with each other. “If you could travel anywhere tomorrow, where would you go?” said Reese finally.
Abby smiled and responded, “Paris, France. Why?”
Reese ignored her question and said “What would you do when you got there?”
“I’d explore the city. I haven’t seen much of it, but from what I’ve seen from the foreign war films, I’ve fallen in love with it. You know its the city of love?” Abby said, then paused. “Where would you go?”

“Wherever you went.” Abby blushed. She couldn’t help smiling like crazy. She felt her walls starting to crack. She wanted to go far away with this boy.
“Meet me at Rosie’s Ice Cream Shoppe on Saturday night” spoke Abby.

Going out on Saturday nights was usual for Reese. His Saturdays usually consisted of either going on double dates or going out with his friends, driving around the little town. But this night was different, he was going out with Abby. She was no regular girl. He wanted to be perfect for her. Reese hadn’t mentioned his date with any of friends, which was new to him, because he liked when people knew about them.

Going out on Saturday nights was not normal for Abby. Her Saturdays usually consisted of going over homework to make sure it was perfect or going out with her small group of friends. But tonight was different, she was going out with Reese. She thought about him the entire time she got ready for her date.

Usually Reese would show up 20 minutes late for outing because he never wanted to come of as trying too hard. But he couldn’t help get there early. They had agreed to meet at 7:00. He arrived at the parlor and found a spot quickly. He checked the clock on the wall and it read 6:20. He drummed his fingers on the table and sat back and waited for his girl.

She strolled into the parlor at 6:30 she too, couldn’t wait. She glanced around the parlor to look for Reese. She didn’t think she would see him because she was so early, but there he was. There he was sitting happily drumming his fingers on a table. She was walking toward him when she caught his eyes. Her heart flipped when she was him.
Reese will never forget the way he felt when Abby walked in. She was wearing a navy blue dress that made his heart hurt. Something stirred in him that he had never felt before and he couldn’t believe his luck.
After the perfect night, Reese and Abby started home. Although Abby insisted it was unnessasary, Reese still argued that he would still walk her home. They walked hand in hand until they reached Abby’s white shuttered house. They strolled to the door, knowing their time for the night was ending soon. Once they reached the door, they stopped and looked at each other. “I had a real great time, Reese.”
“Sure thing, Abby. I did too.” replied Reese. He felt his palms start to get sweaty and he knew it wasn’t just the southern air. He had kissed lots of girls before. Why was this one different? Reese knew why. Abby was perfect. She was sweet, caring, funny, and beautiful. She never tried to be someone she wasn’t and he never wanted her to.
Abby looked into Reese’s eyes. He was so perfect it made her chest ache. She knew what her friends warned her about him. She had heard about the rumors about him. Those rumors clearly screamed stay away from this guy, but he was different with her. She knew he wasn’t the selfish, egotistical guy that her friends made him out to be. She didn’t care about what other people thought. She really liked the Reese she had gotten to know and was ready to take the two of them to another level.

She leaned in left, at the same moment he leaned right and they connected. It was so much better than what Reese had imagined. When they broke away, both of them were in a daze. They smiled at eachother for a while until Abby snuck into her house. Reese felt a euphoria as he walked down the porch.
As soon as Abby shut her door. She slid down it, smiling ear to ear. She knew she loved this boy at that moment.
That summer was the best summer of bother of their lives. Instead of breaking away after their daily duties, they spent every night together. Some were spent laying on the beach looking at the stars. Some were spent driving around the town hand in hand with Abby in the passenger seat, resting her head on his muscled shoulder. Some were spent sitting at dinner with each other’s families. On those nights, they sat politely next to each other for their families, but underneath the table, Reese’s hand was placed on Abby’s knee. Some were spent talking about their future together on Abby’s porch because they knew that they both couldn’t picture a future without each other.
And the night when Reese told her that he was joining the army, they held each other for hours, Abby crying and Reese comforting. And the night when Reese told her that he was being sent to France to fight, Abby couldn’t catch her breath because of the sobs. Their world had shattered because they knew there was a chance that they would never spend their future lives together.
***
Abby’s head was spinning 500 miles an hour with the flood of memories she had with Reese. Her world had just come to a halt. He wasn’t coming home. He would never hold her close. She would never rest her head in the perfect crook of his neck. Everything was supposed to work out. Soldiers were supposed to come home to their families. She crumbled to the ground and she felt her heart shatter in her chest. It had to be just a dream. It had to.