Dodging the Bullet

     I pressed my forehead against the cool glass of the window. As the A/C blasted in my face, I watched the green scenery of Jacksonville, North Carolina rush past us. I turned my gaze to the side view mirror and looked past the giant purple bruise that inhabited my right eye and settled my gaze onto Troy who sat silent in his car seat with his head slightly drooping and his small snores the only noise in the car. Dad was driving and never said a word since we were in Dallas.

                It didn't take long for me to pack everything. We left the furniture and the stuff that didn't have any sentimental qualities. I packed the car with as much as I could along with Tory and we started off to Dallas. We picked dad up at the airport and headed back to Camp Lejeune.

                I didn't know what my dad was thinking right now. I've gotten into trouble before, but nothing like this. I'm pretty sure he was a little disappointed in my huge misjudge of character or the ability not to fight back. Maybe I'm just reading too much into it.

                "I'm going to need to get you a base pass until I can get you a decal," dad said quietly, finally interrupting Troy's snores. I nodded in reply, to afraid to say anything else. I lifted my gaze from Troy and finally took a good, long, hard look at myself. I was pale, minus the bruise on my eye. My hair looked fried and tattered. And most of all, I was exhausted. And it showed. Big time.

                Dad pulled into a parking lot just outside the main gate of Camp Lejeune and parked to the closest building.

                "You're going to have to come with me. They need your ID, license and registration." I opened the glove box and pulled up a long envelope and exited the car. Dad came around and took Troy out of his car seat and walked with me in silence. He held the door open and I timidly stepped inside. It was completely empty with the exception for the man behind the counter almost falling asleep. We walked through the Q line and approached the counter.

                "How many days will you need the pass for?" The man asked.

                "Seven days," dad replied, sliding his military ID across the counter.

                "I'll need her ID, insurance and registration." I passed the man the envelope. He opened it up, looked everything over and started tapping away on his computer. I looked around the building. I lived here for four years when I was a kid...right after my dad go out of college and became an officer. It's funny how things change. I remember going from base to base and never really making friends.

                "Okay, you're all set." Dad took our ID's and the envelope and we headed back to the car. It was then that I realized that in a few short minutes, we'd be seeing my mother. I cringed. She's very over protective. And I may or may not have told her about my black eye when  I told her that we were leaving. Dad got into the driver's seat after he put Troy back into his car seat.

                "Look, I know you've been through a lot these last couple of years, just know that I admire your courage." He said all of this while keeping his eyes ahead of him. I awkwardly nodded my head as a "thanks" and relaxed as he started towards the main gate to go home.

                It didn't take us long to get home. Of course, mom was standing outside with her arms crossed on her chest with a huge smile resting on her cheeks. The house hadn't changed since the last time I was here. It was still that ugly off white with the red shutters. But still, it felt like I was finally home. Dad pulled into the drive way and turned the car off. I reluctantly stepped out of the car as mom rushed over and threw her arms around me and squeezed like I was about to slip out of her fingers.

                "Oh, I'm so glad you decided to come!" Her southern accent was as prominent as ever. She then rushed over to the back seat and pulled Troy out of his car seat. "Well why don't you come on in. We can get your things later." I glanced at dad who gave a shy  smirk. I giggled and followed mom inside only to follow her straight through to the sliding glass door that leads to the back yard. She opened it up and let me go through first.

                There was a playground set standing tall in front of me. It had a green slide and a plastic rock climbing wall facing me. Troy turned to look at it sleepily. Once he realized what it was, he squirmed out of mom's arms and ran full speed to the rock climbing wall.

                "So Scott comes home tomorrow, as you know. I was hoping that you would let the job search go another day so you can come with me..." Scott, my older brother, and I were really close. He was deployed in Afghanistan and would be coming home tomorrow. Although he technically lived in the barracks, he would sleep at mom and dad's house.

                "Sure," I replied softly, watching Troy happily check out his new toy.

                "Nate did a great job on this, didn't he?" She asked., referring to the playground.

                "Nate?" I asked, taken aback and turning my gaze to mom. That was name I haven't heard in four years.

                "You know Nate...his parents live next door. He's watching over the house while his father is deployed and his mother is visiting his sister in California." My stomach dropped. Before I could say anything else, her hand reached my face and her fingers delicately traced the bruise around my eye.

                "I'm sorry this happened to you," she whispered.

///\\\

                Once I put Troy to bed, I stepped out onto the front porch and plopped down on the porch swing. I took a pack of cigarettes from my pocket and the lighter from the pack. I lit up and inhaled and felt the stress melt away for that one drag.

                It was a long day. I finally felt safe for one, but I had a lot of explaining to do with my parents and brother. I turned my head to the house next to us. That's when I saw him. I sighed and stood up and trotted down the porch steps and walked as slowly as I could to the next house. He was sitting on a lawn chair lighting a cigarette up. He turned his head in my direction and slowly stood up. I walked up his front porch steps and stood on the top step. He threw his cigarette to the floor and put it out with his boot. His eyes were trained on me. I couldn't read him at all. His eyebrows were furrowed and he looked a little angry...or concerned. Maybe a little surprised?

                "Hey," I greeted sheepishly. His eyes traveled to my bruise and never left. I felt so vulnerable.

                He didn't say anything.

                "Thanks for building that playground...it looks awesome." I waited a few seconds.

                He still didn't say anything. His hand was gripping the railing dangerously tight. His eyes still trained on my eye.

                "Scott comes home tomorrow...I don't know if you guys had planned on doing anything... My mom is making a crazy amount of food and I'm sure she'd love it if you came..." I felt like I was rambling. I weakly smiled when he still didn't say anything. "I guess I'll see you around," I said awkwardly and weakly smiled. I turned on my heel and started down the stairs.

                "Did he do that to you?" His voice finally cut through the awkward silence. Electricity ran through my body at the sound of his deep voice. I turned on my heel to face him. He was still wearing the same expression. But I couldn't help but notice how different he looked. His blonde hair was still groomed neatly and he looked pretty much the same...he just looked...exhausted. I smiled.

                "Thanks for the playground again. Troy loves it." I turned around and started down the stairs again. I could feel his eyes boring in the back of my head. I didn't dare to turn around. I walked straight up my own porch stairs and disappeared into the house. I locked the door behind me and went straight to bed.

                Four years. It seemed like an eternity.