The forgiving sun gently woke me up with its sweet rays warming up my cold, exhausted face. I have just recovered pneumonia, so my entire body was extremely sore. Ever since Milo and I joined the Northern militia, we've been catching more illnesses than we had in our childhood. Whooping cough, tuberculosis, we had it all. I fully recovered from pneumonia just after Milo, so I hoped to see him today.
I slowly stood out of my makeshift bed and slowly slipped into my military uniform: wool jacket, overcoat, and wool pants. I barely held the strength to tie my hair into a bun, and I found a cup of coffee on the floor next to me.
A note next to the small cup read:
I hope you're better, Ev. Even if you are better, you might be a little weak, so here's a nice, warm cup of coffee that will help wake you up and energize you.
Made by me,
Milo
I chuckled softly and tucked the small note into my pocket and I reached down to pick up the coffee cup, my back aching in a sore pain.
"Am I getting old, or...?" I chuckled to myself. "Nah. Just still a bit sick."
I finally left the wedge, an A-shaped tent that was held up by a few poles. It wasn't the most luxurious shelter, but it'll make do.
***
For the many weeks I spent with the Northern army, I questioned if I should keep trying. I questioned if I should keep changing my identity each morning to keep fighting in this ongoing war. Usually, the small arguments I held in my mind usually ended when I mentioned that I was doing all of this for Oliver. I wanted to fulfill his last wish.
I wanted to avenge him, and I didn't care how much blood I had to spill to do so.
Even though Captain let me, a woman, be in the same boat as the Northern troops that were going to aid Anderson's army at Fort Sumter, the Northern Union general didn't tolerate women enlisting in his army.
In order to get into the Union army, I took on the name of Evan Freebourne, which is also the name of my twin brother. I didn't necessarily care, as my name was useless once, and if, I was somehow killed.
For each and every morning, I disguised myself as Evan, or my alternate manly self, so I could remain in the army. I tied my shoulder-length hair into a curly man-bun, and I smeared colored powder on my cheeks to contour my face like a man's. I also often bound my chest tightly with a towel and I made sure to keep my tone of voice deep and low, so I could blend in.
Milo was also held a big part in helping me act more like a man.
"You gotta flex your arm like this," he said one morning. He pulled up his sleeve and flexed his fit bicep, his veins practically leaping from his skin.
I tilted my head in confusion and tried to mimic him. I pulled up my sleeve, releasing my bicep. I was extremely fit for a woman since Oliver's father and I usually travel a lot to gather information on what our next mission should be.
I flexed my toned arm to the best of my ability. "Like this?"
Milo laughed. "Gun show!"
He flexed his arm again, and I rolled my eyes. "I guess I'm a skinny guy then, huh?"
"But a strong one at that," Milo waved his finger at my face to get his point across.
***
I strolled over to Milo, who was sitting comfortably under a large tree. His legs were crossed, and once he noticed me, he patted the spot next to him.
"Sit," he ordered.
I reluctantly did as Milo told me to do, and I set next to him and crossed my legs.
"Mkay, Evan," he always emphasized my new name. "If you're going to be a man, you're going to have to act like one."
"So, I'm going to have to be the opposite of polite?" I asked with my arms crossed.
"Not quite, but yes," Milo responded, his eyes glancing toward the sky in thought. "Some men are polite-the boring ones."
"Okay," I chuckled. "So if I don't want to be boring, I just gotta be stupid and impolite."
Before Milo could respond, I opened my mouth and let out a large belch, sending Milo back in shock.
Milo's mouth remained agape as he gasped, and his golden eyes grew wide with astonishment. "How did you-"
I belched again, and then I cleared my throat to speak. "It's one of many talents I possess. I can burp on command."
"Show me! Show me!" Milo chanted like a small child.
I nodded, and I began to inhale deeply. I exhaled soon after, releasing a loud belch from the pit of my stomach. I repeated this process several times, making Milo laugh hysterically.
Milo fell backward into a fit of laughter, his bright smile radiantly shining from his face. His jet-black hair was strewn about all over his forehead, and with each laugh, those small strands bounced up and down.
After several moments of sheer laughter, Milo finally sat up, his face a rosy red. "That was amazing, Ev! Can you teach me how to do that?"
I rolled my eyes. "Fine, but it takes a bit of time to perfect it."
"I don't care, I still want to learn," Milo protested, leaving no other choice than teaching him my bizarre talent.
"Mkay, so you inhale deeply, but you, like, swallow the air," I said awkwardly, my mind searching for the right words.
Milo tried doing as I was told, and he held his breath.
"What's next?" I tried to mumble through a closed mouth.
I scratched my head in thought. "Well, you'd probably burp after that. Maybe try pushing the air into your lungs, if you know what I mean." I rubbed my neck awkwardly, and I felt bad for not saying the right words to Milo.
After what seemed like hours of Milo attempting to belch to no avail, I finally heard a loud burp erupt on my right side.
I whipped my head toward the origin of the loud sound, and I saw Milo laughing again on the grass.
"I did it!" He laughed through a series of giggles.
***
Even though I thought that many soldiers can see through my tacky disguise, my identity as Evan seemed to become more believable with each passing day. I quickly earned my way through the ranks. I became extremely proud when I rose to the rank of Regimental Quartermaster Sergeant of Cavalry which was the second highest position in Cavalry.
I believed that I rightfully earned the position because I achieved such a high rank in what I'm best at-fighting and shooting on horseback. I'm especially good at firing a bow and arrow in particular. If I had to choose a weapon to fight the war with, I would honestly choose the traditional bow and arrow.
The general of the Union army even let me use my own horse, Rosa. She was the fastest horse I owned, and she'd be perfect for battle.
Also, the general of the Union army often praised me whenever I excelled at my drills, which didn't surprise me since I was good at it. A small portion of me was also astonished that the general would never compliment a woman in such a way. Compliment a woman on how good she is at fighting on a horse? I haven't heard anyone say that before in my life.
I proudly boasted the yellow stripe on my shoulder once it was sewn into my uniform, and I felt like I earned it. I'm the first woman to achieve such a high rank, let alone even be in the army. Milo, on the other hand, received a less fortunate status in the army: Company Quartermaster Sergeant.
"I guess you're going to have to be my little assistant," I smirked as I walked up to Milo after he received his new rank.
Milo rolled his eyes. "I'm just going to basically be serving under you, you weirdo. Just like everyone else whose status is below yours."
"Don't roll your eyes at me, mister!" I snapped jokingly. "You should respect me because I'm at a higher status than you. I thought you had some common sense, Milo."
"Well," Milo began, "It's not like I don't respect you already; I always have respected you ever since I found out you were going to aid in the bombardment of Fort Sumter."
"Good," I replied, at a loss for words.
Milo crossed his arms, a little bit annoyed. "That's all I get? 'Good'?"
"I guess," I shrugged.
Milo rolled his eyes, still annoyed at my response. "I tried really hard at that response, y'know."
***
On one particular day, the Northern Lieutenant General decided to extend our drills by three hours, since we all had nothing better to do, which made us have to get up three hours early. It made zero sense to the troops, but as always, no one protested.
In our small tent, Milo and I woke up to the sound of the horn, but we both crashed back into DreamLand. We didn't realize that we were waking up late when a private woke us up himself.
"You're going to be late!" he shouted before quickly leaving to join the rest of the army.
My eyes sprung open and I scrambled out of what I called my bed. Milo leaped out of his blanket, and we both hurried to get on our uniforms.
"I'll get us some food for breakfast, just in case!" Milo shouted, his voice fading the further he ran toward the buffet table.
Milo quickly grabbed two cups of coffee both of us, so we'd be energized for the day. As he sped back toward the tent, I was just exiting. Milo then suddenly crashed into me, sending us both to the ground. Both coffee cups fell and spilled onto the grass, and Milo and I landed on the grass with a soft thud.
As we fell, our lips crashed together, turning into an accidental kiss. My eyes widened in surprise, and Milo quickly pulled away, his face turning a deep red.
"I-I'm sorry," He stumbled. "I, uh, totally didn't mean to do that."
He totally meant to do that.
"It's okay, it was just an accident," Half of my statement was true, the other was false.
With an extremely awkward silence hanging over us, Milo and I headed for the army gathered in the center of the large field where we camped.