Letters To My Soldier

Letter Seven

April 2018

I could feel all of the blood rushing to my head a, hands and knees as I dribbled the ball down the court. This could be described as one of those big moments you never forget. Like the first time you lost a tooth or when you get your first kiss, or that moment your parents get you a car for your sixteenth birthday. Or maybe the first letter you sent to a soldier in service.

My soldier.

My captain.

One of my best friends.

We still sent letters to each other even though we talked on email every chance we got. I still couldn't believe it had been six months since the first letter. And I still kept them in a shoebox under my bed because they had become my most precious possessions. It felt more real whenever I got to hold that piece of parchment in my hands and read his messy scrawl.

We had learned more about each other over the months. How I insinuated his new obsession for Fresh Prince of Bellaire, I learned his short hair, no matter how short he kept it, would never go the way he wanted it to (especially in the mornings), how he sometimes dreamt of the ranch his grandparents used to own, how in every dream he was riding bareback on his favorite horse, MJ. At first he seemed embarrassed to tell me his dreams that seemed so 'childish' to him, but he couldn't talk to anyone else and I honestly wanted to know. I couldn't explain this feeling I got whenever I was talking online or when I got another letter. Everything else in the world didn't matter. Everything around me stops until his words moved me in to overdrive. He made me smile every time he said something sweet like, "I'm glad you set me straight when I was a jerk to you." He made me laugh every time he was his arrogant, big-headed, cocky self. And it made me cry every time he said there were snipers or a warning of the enemy closing in-because they were station fifteen miles form the front line and it worried me to no end.

This moment, though, I couldn't even tell what was happening around me. I kept imaginig Heath's voice-or what I imagined it would be-since we never called or talked on skype, or even sent pictures yet-saying the words he typed to me the last time we talked.

"Kick their ass!"

And we were doing just that. Kicking ass. Well, not really otherwise we'd be disqualified.

Valerie passed me the ball land suddenly I was bolting down the court in my sweaty uniform with the other State Qualifiers, the Baywood Eagles, hot on my trail.

"Dive! P, Dive!"

I looked around to see no opening to pass, so I got in position and did just that. My eyes closed of their own record and suddenly I really wished the tampon I was wearing wasn't so uncomfortable...you know, up there. Cause now I had a wedgie and this really wasn't a good time to make a trip to the bathroom.

Sometimes it really sucked to be a girl.

I dove and get the ball over the net and a thunderous chorus of cheers disturbed my weird thoughts and suddenly I was being lifted off the ground.

Opening my eyes I see the scoreboard to see the score. 24-22. I grin widely as I cheer with my team as they carry me on their sholdiers.

"You did it P!" Valerie yells to me through the screams of our fans who drove the two hour drive to State Nationals.

"Couldn't have done it without you!" I squeal when they finally put me down and Valerie and I hug and start jumping up and down. Our coach is soaked in Gatorade by some juniors and Dean and Jess come down from the stands to congratulate me.

"Okay, let's take some pictures," Jess says pulling out her new iPhone she got for Christmas and motioning for me and Valerie to scoot together.

Like a loving, dysfunctional family, we both roll our eyes in unison and wrap our arms around each other and give forced smiles.