The Soldier's Girl

Summer of 1945

My eyes squinted tightly in my comforting sleep. My lucid dreams slowly fading away, until not even a memory of what had happened in them remained.
I let out a mix of a sigh and a groan as I rapidly blinked my eyes open while sitting up to allow my pupils time to adjust to the warm sun that flowed through my curtains.

I sighed once more as I moved my long blonde hair from my eyes and rubbed my sore neck, from craning it too far in my sleep. After my eyes had adjusted I stared around my room.

It was small, but I wasn't ungrateful. The memories the four walls held was better than any treasure on the earth. I unwrapped myself from my white blankets before going over to my window and opening the matching white linen curtains.
I gazed outside at the warm sun of the early morning. Birds could be heard chirping and children were already playing outside in their shorts and hats.

I smiled fondly as I think about what my two best friends and I will get up to today.

My two best friends were James and Steve. But James went mostly by Bucky. We had been best friends since childhood. Our mothers were friends since high school so naturally we all got along. I never really fit in, not that I minded. I had the two best boys in town by my side.

I went over to my wooden set of draws and pulled out some brown pants, and a cream shirt. I was frowned upon for wearing trousers as a young girl. My mum always scolded me for being too much of a boy. I didn't mind though. Dresses and skirts were hard to move in. I preferred pants. They were more suitable to wear with whatever mischief I got up to.

I brushed through my blonde locks and decided to leave them down for a change. My hair was blonde but as I was getting older it was going into more of a brunette colour. It also fell into loose curls sometimes looking more like waves.

I straightened out my clothes before putting my dark brown combat boots on and heading downstairs to make my breakfast. It was just my mum and I in the house. My dad was a soldier and unfortunately died when I was only five. My mum was pregnant at the time with my future sibling but due to the stress and trauma we lost the baby.

My mum truly never got over either death. However, she was the strongest woman in the United States as far as anyone who knew her. She moved on, as she had me to take care of.

I made myself some eggs and toast for breakfast before tidying up a bit. My mind wandered to my future. I had always wanted to travel and see the world. My mind worked differently to everyone else's. I finished high school at the age of fifteen and had been scouted out by some prestigious colleges. But I turned them down. I wanted adventure, my adrenaline always seemed to be on a high. I guess that's why I loved Steve and Bucky so much. They were the same. Together we got into all sorts of mischief.

Our mother's called us the three musketeers.

I sighed shaking my head and ridding my head of wandering thoughts. However, I did need to think about my future. I had just turned twenty one and it was time to get my act together. Bucky had enlisted into the military this summer and would start his training soon. I was going to miss him. Not a day goes by without my thoughts wandering to what could happen to him out there. But he was strong and I knew that. He could face anything.

I realised my mum must have had an early morning too and left to go shopping, so I left her a quick note in the kitchen to say I would be out with Bucky and Steve before leaving in the hot summer sun.

I walked along the streets. For only being past eight in the morning the streets were semi-full with a flurry of colour dancing upon the pavements. I made my way to a familiar neighbourhood and didn't even bother to knock on the door before entering my second home. Steve's mum Sarah was already awake and she smiled fondly at me as I sat down at their kitchen table waiting for Steve to come down.

"He's still not awake yet. You would be doing me a favour if you went upstairs and rolled him out of bed." She spoke while washing the dishes. She didn't have to turn around for me to see the smirk dancing upon her red lips. I stopped fiddling with my fingers and let out a small laugh before getting up and going into Steve's room.

His small body was under a mass of blankets. I saw his blonde hair splayed out on his pillow. I smiled fondly as I sat down on his bed and stroked some out of his eyes. I stroked down his cheek before patting it making him stir.

I giggled as he groaned and tried to lean away from me.
"Stevie." I whispered leaving down to his face.
"What do you want Ali." He groaned making me laugh lightly again.
"It's time to get up." I sang again having too much fun with this.
"It's summer Ali. I can lie in."
I huffed and led over his bed and on him making him moan and try to throw me off.
"But I'm bored." I dragged on.
"Well go be bored somewhere else."

I sat back up and looked at him.
"Your really not a morning person are you?"
"It's taken you twenty years to realise that. Your lucky Buck and I didn't throw you out of our shared cot when we were little." He spoke making me laugh out loud.

He sighed and finally got up staring at me with amusement in his eyes. I stared back into his blue ones. I loved Steve's eyes. They were the brightest blue I had ever come across. My eyes were dark brown. Nothing too special.

He sighed again and smiled.
"I can never say no to you."
I smiled again and watched him get up. Steve was very small for an adult male. He had a long list of hereditary illnesses. He was 4'10 and just over 90 pounds.
I was 5'4 and weighed just over 150. I wasn't big, especially next to Bucky who towered over the two of us at six foot. But I had a very womanly figure. I had curves, mainly being my big chest. I didn't mind though. As I said, I didn't think of myself as anything special.

My thoughts continued to wander as Steve came out of his bathroom fully dressed.
"Penny for your thoughts?" He asked me brushing his hair.
"I'm just thinking about the future." I spoke quietly not meeting his eye.
"You've been thinking about your future all summer now Ali. You still don't know what you want to do?"
"I know what I want to do. But I don't think it's in the cards for me."

Steve sighed knowing what I was talking about. He stood in front of me making me gaze up at him.
"Your smart Ali. You have a bright future ahead of you. Don't let any of us here hold you back."

Steve knew me better than anyone. Even Bucky. He wanted just as much as me. Adventure. We would follow each other to the ends of the earth and back if we could. However, he wanted me to go to college, become some science genius and live out my grand life. He didn't want Bucky and himself to hold me back from my potential but I didn't want to follow that life. It wasn't for me.

He sighed as I didn't reply and grabbed both my hands in his and pulled me up. I smiled at him.
"Should we go get Buck?" I asked with a bright smile.
"Sure Al." He smiled before he followed me down the stairs. We said a quick goodbye to his mum before pottering a little further down the lane to Bucky's house.

He must of seen us coming because before we made it up his drive he came rushing out the door and over to us.
"Ali! Steve!" He spoke loudly making me giggle but Steve wince.
"Hey Bucky." I smiled giving him a hug.
"Really Buck, it's early in the morning no shouting." Steve spoke.
"Oh come on Steve. Woke up on the wrong side of the bed?" He asked ruffling the blonde's hair.
"More like someone woke me up." Steve replied glaring at me.

Bucky and I laughed before Bucky squeezed into the middle of us and linked our arms as we continued down the road.
"What we doing today?" I asked.
"How about an adventure?" Bucky glanced over to me smiling brightly.
"Lead the way Sergeant." Steve smirked.

That was it.
I didn't know it yet, but that was the last moment I was ever going to get as a normal human being. With my best friends in the summer of 1945. Everything was about to change.