The best part of sitting in the back corner of the class is that you can read on your laptop the entire time and make it look like you're reading the assignment the teacher told you to read. I know, I know what you're all thinking (probably) "RJ, you should be doing your work so you can get into college," but I wrote the story that's going to follow this so be happy with me. We were talking about WWII during history today and then this happened after The Ghost of You came up in my iPod shuffle.... funny thing is, this was the actual assignment we were supposed to do, but oh well. here you go:
Never Coming Home
By Hadley Strainge
Period 1 High Section History, year 10
Neither of them really knew what they were getting themselves into when they enlisted. The Way brothers, Gerard and Michael, were polar opposites, and yet, best friends. Where Gerard was outgoing, talkative, and athletic, Michael, the younger of the two, was quieter, happy to follow his brother, a bit paranoid at times, and more centered on academics rather than sports. Gerard could talk his way out of any situation, no matter what happened, using descriptions and excuses that rarely fit together or made sense, but be it by his charisma, his charm or his intelligence, he would usually get out of what he was in trouble for. He had an almost magnetic quality about him that Michael didn’t, and he envied Gerard for it. So, to try and get away from his brother, do something for himself for once, Michael enlisted in the Second World War. Once Gerard heard about his decision, he was livid, but only someone who knew him well could pick up on his anger. His mouth was set in a hard line for a few days afterwards, giving away nothing. Then, he dropped his own bomb: he would be going to the war too. Both of them figured they would return home fine, be considered heroes, held in respect a notch above the rest of their small New Jersey hometown.
This couldn’t be further from the truth.
***
It was more than they ever expected. None of their training, it seemed, could’ve prepared them for the horrors they’d have to face, the crimes against humanity they’d have to witness. Gerard half expected Michael to desert because he couldn’t handle the guilt of what they were doing, but looking at his brother’s stoic poker face on the boat to some beach in some country somewhere in Europe, he realized how strong his kid brother really was. Normally, he was an emotional kid, harboring extreme guilt for almost everything, but right now, he looked the level- headed and calm one… on the outside.
On the inside, Michael, or Mikey as he’d been nicknamed, was terrified. This was their biggest skirmish yet, against the Germans of all people, and he knew Gerard was going to try and steal his thunder. Once they landed, he took orders from his brother, who was directing everyone into their positions in trenches guarded by barbed wire and large steel spikes. Michael figured Gerard was going to be the hero, Gerard would be the first to fire, he would lead their regiment to victory, and Michael wasn’t going to have any of it. He wanted his moment of glory, and in a snap decision, started running directly towards the enemy lines.
There was a lot of movement on the beach, men running everywhere, bullets whizzing past, men falling, mines going off, but the one thing that had Gerard’s full attention was a familiar lanky frame running towards the other side. He knew exactly what Michael was doing, and he tried to stop him.
“MIKEY! Someone get him!”
There was a pang, he saw his brother fall, time stood still. He screamed his brother’s name again, but the two men beside him held him back as he tried to get up.
His brother was never coming home.
