Her father cleared his throat, and I shook myself from my speechless stupor.
"I'll see you later, Daddy," Laura said, never taking her eyes from mine.
"Mmhmm," he grumbled from inside the car.
"I'll take care of her, sir," I promised, leaning down to meet his eye again. "You have my word."
"Max, the crazy thing is, I believe you."
He offered a half-hearted smile, and I understood what that sad glint in his eyes was sooner than I would've liked.
It was the pain of not wanting to let go, but knowing that you had to, that you didn’t have a choice, and that time would force your hand whether you liked it or not.
And I wished my parents cared enough to look at me that way.
I wished my parents cared at all.
***
I didn’t know how to dance, but it didn’t matter.
I didn’t know how to go on a proper date, but it didn’t matter.
None of it mattered, except for the smile that never left Laura’s face. Not ever. Not once. Not when I stepped on her feet, not when I backed her into Ricky and Molly. She just kept on smiling, and so did I.
Our little group drank punch and ate hors d’oeuvres. We popped in and out of the throng of dancing students and took up residence at a table in a dark corner, away from the crowd. We chatted when we could hear each other above the music, and when we couldn’t, we just enjoyed the time.
This is the best night of my life, I kept thinking every time Laura’s hand was in mine and my hand was pressed to the small of her back and her head was against my shoulder.
Tonight makes me wish I weren’t leaving.
None of them know.
I swept my eyes over the table. Pausing at the laughing smile of my best friend as he slung his arm around his girlfriend’s shoulders. The small hands wrapped around mine and that beautiful, bright smile that seemed to have found a permanent place on Laura’s face.
I felt like a liar, sitting there, tangled up in their friendship and company. I felt like I didn’t deserve it when they didn’t know the truth of what my summer would look like once graduation was behind me.
So, when there was a rare lull in the music, I abruptly announced, “I joined the Army.”
Ricky’s head swiveled so fast on his neck as he turned to stare at me. “You what?”
Molly leaned forward to see me beyond Ricky. “The Army? Why?”
Laura’s hand went limp in my grasp, and I glanced at her as I said, “I, um … I just wanted to get away from here, and—"
“You didn’t tell us,” Laura whispered.
“I know. I—"
She wrenched her hand away as she stood. “We all care about you, about what’s going on at your house with your dad, but you don’t give a shit about us.”
She wasn’t smiling anymore, and she turned to run from the table and out the door.
I stared, dumbfounded. “What just happened?” I asked as the music began to play.
Ricky’s shoulder bumped against mine as he said, “I think you just broke her heart. And I can’t say I blame her.”
I looked at him, brow furrowed. “What?”
