The 3rd Experiment

Chapter 8

|Monday, December 8, 1941|

After finishing up the tree, we all clean up and go to sleep. It was only about eight o'clock but we didn't know what else to do.

The next morning, I could hear Bucky stirring in the halls. I get up, checking the watch on my nightstand to see that it isn't even seven. I step out into the hallway and find him stressing, heading to the door.

I walk up to him, putting my hand on his shoulder and spinning him to face me.

"Hey, hey, where are you going?" I ask

"I have to go enlist, Raya, the war is in the states now," he says, a layer of regret in his voice.

My hand falls from his shoulder and I watch while he sighs, and turns back to the door. I spin him around again and hug him quickly, watching him leave.

I head back to bed in an attempt to get more rest, but I can't help think about the broadcast—the thing my dad was predicting all those years ago. I'm a senior in college, just one semester left and the country is at war. I can't even begin to understand what this means for everyone.

Eventually, each of my siblings gets up out of bed and starts getting ready for school and I head to the kitchen, standing at the counter still deep in thought.

I pull out some cereal and milk and watch as everyone comes out and pours their bowls and then heads off to school. I'm still at the counter, staring at the door, thinking about Bucky's exit, and the radio last night.

I sit there for a few more minutes when the door opens as if I willed it to. I hear grunting coming from the sidewalk and I run to the door to find a bloodied-up Steve limping in on Bucky's shoulder.

"Oh my god, Steve!" I  shout, walking out to help him to a chair.

I grab an ice pack from the freezer and hold it to his right eye.

"What happened?" I asked him, sitting down at the table across from him. He pulled out his folder from the enlistment office.

I opened it to see a stamp in the shape of an F.

"Okay..." I say, closing the folder, "But that doesn't explain the black eye."

"Someone picked a fight at the enlistment office, and I had no reason to sit and wait so..."

"Steve.." I said, sounding disappointed with his choice to fight back.

"Raya, come on, you know Steve," Bucky says, from behind him.

"You're right..." I reply and we all break out into a laugh.

Those few moments were so calming and effortless, to just sit and laugh with my friends, after years away at college and the news that has come up in the last few days.

We quiet down and sit in silence for a minute, although it felt like weeks. Eventually, I make my way back to my room and get dressed. The three of us decided to go out tonight because the Stark Expo was down the road and it was free... right up our alley.  Bucky, of course, found some girl to invite which left Steve and me to entertain each other at the Expo.

I hear a knock at my door, Bucky pushes the door slightly until he hears me welcome him in.

"Hey, Raya, there's something I need to tell you." He says, sitting down on the edge of my bed.

"What is it, Buck?" I say, sitting down next to him

"This morning, I went to enlist and..." He says, pulling a paper out of a folder. I take it from his hand to see  the letters 'IA'