Fighting For You

THIRTY - ONE

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Harlow | Phoenix | Other people

3 Months Later

"Did you just fall asleep on me mid sentence?"

"I'm sorry. I'm really tired."

"Babe, we can get off the phone. It's . . . two in the afternoon. Set your alarm and wake up around five for dinner."

"It's two o'clock there. Here, it's already five so I can't take a nap or I'll be up at three in the morning alert and awake."

" . . . . "

"Just talk to me until I fall asleep and then hang up."

"I'm ninety percent sure that you're sleep now."

"Make it ninety-eight."

"I'm hanging up."

"No don't hang up. I really missed you today."

"Baby, you're not even looking at the camera. As much as I like your hair, I'd rather see your face."

"I have bags under my eyes now. School is kicking my ass."

"But you're doing great though. You have a B and higher in every class. You should be proud of that."

"Oh I'm proud. I'm proudly wearing my high grades under my eyes. People see me and think I'm poor. . .  Brianna suggested that I take a week off."

"And you said no I'm guessing."

"Of course I did! I need all my money. Every last penny."

" . . . . "

" . . . . "

"What about a three day weekend?"

"Fridays and Saturdays are our busiest days."

"I don't know what to do to help babe. You have to find something to balance youself before Timara or your parents find you passed out on the floor."

" . . . . "

"Harlow?"

" . . . . "

"Harlow!"

"Don't . . . don't worry about me. I'll have myself together soon enough. We may have to spend a few hours apart or in silence so I can study when you come home."

" . . . . "

" . . . . "

"About that."

"No."

"Harlow -"

"No no no no no."

"Baby -"

"I don't even want to hear it . . . You're not coming and I don't want to . . . Why are they making you stay? I haven't kissed you in three months."

"I know. Trust me, I know but I have stuff to do here. As a matter of fact, a lot of us can't go home. We're going to Arizona for the next two months for training."

"Hm."

" . . . . "

"I guess you'll be closer to me then you are now."

"So close and yet so far."

"This sucks."

"It does but there was something that I wanted to ask you and I'd rather not ask your puff. If you could just look up at me for a second . . . Thank you . . . Hello beautiful."

"Hi baby."

"I wish I could kiss you right now."

"Me too."

"Don't be jealous Prichett, your time will come . . . Maybe you two should talk things over . . .You do that. Stop talking to me, I'm trying to be sweet with my girl . . . Yeah, real cheesy couple stuff . . . No, she doesn't want to say hi to you, she's not even talking to me . . . She's asleep. Harlow!"

"You're the one not talking to me and I'm not sleep . . . I'm looking at my eyelids."

"One question and then you can go to sleep after confessing your love to me."

"What's the question?"

"Will you go to the ball with me?"

"Are you serious?"

"I wouldn't have asked if I wasn't babe."

"What ball?"

"The Marine Corps. ball. It's in November . . . So, will you be my date?"

"Of course I'll be your date. That's so sweet of you to ask me."

"Anything for my Halo."

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Scrolling through Google I read another article about what all happens during the Marine Corps ball. It was a formal event meaning I needed to raid my closet for something appropriate. Just a half an hour ago I read an article about the dos and don'ts of the ball. There were several pictures of women wearing low cut dresses, dresses that were see through, dresses that had missing pieces, dresses that had slits starting at the hip bone.

Aside from what not to wear the pictures were cute. Couples of all races and rank were smiling and having fun. I even watched a few videos that showed them dancing. Which I'm guessing is afterwards.

Pausing on the last picture of page twenty-six my mind drifted off to what Phoenix would look like in his dress blues. The ball would be my chance to see him in the panty dropping uniform, according to him. I needed to find something that made him drool as much as he says his uniform would make me.

There were so many questions I wanted to ask now that I was awake. Only an hour after getting off Skype with Phoenix I got a burst of energy sending me into a searching spree of what the military ball would be like.

Would we get a hotel to stay the night in? The weekend in? Would we get a king size bed or sleep in two seperate queen size beds? Would we go out after? Would we be alone? Would Corey ask Timara?

Should I ask my best friend for help when the guy she liked possibly hadn't asked her yet . . . this was too much thinking for one night.

Rubbing my temples I closed the tab going back to my university's website logging back into to get some more studying done. A few months ago I took a large step forward deciding to further my education online and in a few years I will have my degree in childhood education.

Everyone was proud of me including myself. I forgot how draining it was almost making me want to call quits only a couple months in. My life went from work and home to work, home, then school. I spent a lot less time with Timara and even less time awake and trying to engage in conversation with Phoenix but they both understood and I was grateful for the support.

After a few hours of studying I went back to formal dress shopping clicking and scrolling through dresses that would fit me until I came down to my top three choices. Waiting to pick the right one I changed my thoughts from dresses to the hotels we could stay at if we were staying at one. Imaging being alone in a bed with Phoenix after we showered the day away. Our scents mixing in with one another's. . .

I wasn't sure if I could last another four months.

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A/N: Picture above is not from a USMC Ball so don't get confused about the man's uniform