When I was finished singing (which included three encores), I made my way over to the bar where Bucky and Steve stood grinning from ear to ear. A couple people complemented me as I walked over, and I thanked them. When I finally made it over to them, Steve and Bucky both showed me with praises. I just grinned back at them.

 After a few minutes, the boys stopped, and I decided that it was about time that I head back. I didn't want my father to be suspicious. I went backstage, changed into my other dress, gathered the rest of my belongings, and went to find the club's owner. He was in his office. I knocked on the door, and he looked up at me. He smiled and beckoned me in.

"Miss Allen, you were fantastic! Everyone loved you! How would you feel about singing here every week on Tuesdays?" I couldn't believe my ears. My dream was coming true. I was speechless for a few moments before I gasped out that it would be perfect. He smiled and shook my hand. I floated out of his office and headed for the front door. Steve and Bucky stood waiting by the bar.

"You were amazing, Lousie!" Said Steve as I approached the two of them. I couldn't stop grinning.

"I'm so glad that both of you were here! How in the world were you able to make it in time, Stevie?" He laughed.

"I told the interviewer that, if it would be ok, I wanted the interview to be sped up a little. Well, he was fie with that since he had to be somewhere after my interview too. He seemed like a nice guy." Bucky tried to speak, but you were faster.

"How do you think it went?" You asked enthusiastically. Steve grinned.

"It went really well. The interviewer seemed to really like my work. He told me that the school could use an artist like me." I took his hands in mine.

"Oh, Steve, that's great! I am so happy for you!" Bucky smiled at us.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Hey, Louisa, can I talk to you alone for a minute?" Bucky suddenly asked while Steve and I were talking about some other aspects of the interview. I looked over at him and nodded.

"Sure, Buck." He stood up, and I followed him outside the building.

"Wadda' ya' wanna' talk about?" I said once we had stood in silence in the cold air for a few moments. He sighed and faced me.

"Louisa, we've known each other for some time now." I nodded, urging him to continue. "I really like you, Louisa. I always have. Ever since I first met you when we were young, I have always admired you." I was silent. "I know that this is a big deal, and I'm not doing very well, but,.." He kneeled down and held out a ring box. "Will you marry me, Lou? I didn't tell you or Steve yet, but I ship out next week. I'd love to have you as my reason to fight." I was speechless. My mouth gaped open. I didn't know what to say.

Then it happened, sooner than I realized, since time felt like sand through an hourglass. I shook my head before he even finished speaking. The whole thing was too overwhelming. He was speechless as he stared sadly back at me. I slowly backed away from where he kneeled there on the dirty sidewalk, his face beginning to be covered in lines of tears.

I turned away from him and went back into the building to grab my bag. Steve sat there smiling when I came back in.

"So, did he pop the question?" Steve said, smiling. I stared at him speechless. He was in on the whole thing? The room started to spin. It was all too much. My vision started to blur with tears as I fled. I ran as fast as I could back home.

When I got back, I opened the door as fast as I could and ran straight through the apartment into Wesley, Maxine, and I's room. Maxine was curled up on her bed when I entered. I flopped down on my bed, tears streaming down my face.

I couldn't stop crying. On the inside, I was trying to get myself to stop. I couldn't figure out the reason for my tears. Was it because of Bucky's face? Was it because I had blown a chance to get out of this apartment and live? Was it because I had torn the delicate veil between friendship and possible love, causing everything I had ever known of friendship to be thrown away? Whatever the cause was, I couldn't stop crying. Maxine tried to get me to calm down, but it wouldn't work. Pop walked in after I heard someone lock the door to the apartment. He came in and silently placed a hand on my shoulder as though he knew what had happened. After an hour or so, they both left me alone.

--------------------------------------------------------------

The next morning when I woke up and looked in the bathroom mirror, my face was red. The memory of the past night flooded over me, but I pushed it all away. I walked into the kitchen and saw Pop standing next to the stove. Maxine was walking over to open one of the two windows in the living room/kitchen. I silently sat down in a chair. Pop silently nodded at me. Maxine tried to get all of the information from the previous night.

"What happened last night, Louisa? Why were you so upset?" I silently stared at he plate that Pop had placed in front of me. The plate had ham and eggs on it. I silently grabbed a fork and started to shove food in my mouth as Maxine kept badgering me. Finally, Pop stepped in.

"Maxine, if Louisa doesn't want to talk now, we must be respectful of her. Your squabbling won't help the situation, and it never does. You need to learn that now before you eventually go out into the real world." Maxine instantly shut up. It was rare for our soft spoken father to speak up, but he was almost never as blunt as he was then. We both stared at him silently, then he looked at me. "You take your time, Louisa." I nodded and looked down at my plate once again.

The rest of the meal was eaten in silence before I finally got the nerve to speak up.

"I've decided that I need to get a job. I'm going to see if the automat down the street is hiring. I want to start pulling my own weight around here." Pop silently nodded. Maxine stood up and grabbed her stack of school books.

"I'm headin' out. I'll see you both later." We nodded at her as she left. Then Pop looked at me.

"What went wrong?" I was surprised. I looked up at him questioningly. He sighed. "I knew about the whole thing, Louisa. He asked for my blessing weeks ago, and based on the fact that you didn't have a ring on your finger last night and don't have one now, I assume something went wrong." I stopped eating and put down my fork.

"I don't want to marry him, Pop. I never have wanted to marry him. We were friends, that's all. I don't think that I ever gave him any impression that it was anything more than that. Bucky, Steve, and I have always been just friends. Now, after last night, I don't know anymore. The whole thing was just so surprising and unprecedented. I didn't know how to react, so I told him no. It was sincere, though, I can promise you that. I'm so confused, Pop. Has everything that he has ever done around me been hints that he was attracted to me? And Steve was in on the whole thing too. Who knows what he thinks of me now. He knows what either of them think of me now. The only positive aspect of this whole thing though is that Bucky is leaving for Europe next week, so I won't have to see him for who knows how long. Oh, Pop, I hate to think this way, but what if he dies over there? I don't want him to die. He told me that he wanted me to be his motivation to fight, but if he doesn't have motivation, what will that do to him? I just don't know!" I started sobbing again.

Pop stood up and walked over to me. He remained silent and placed his hand on my shoulder. He didn't say a word as he stood there silently. Eventually I felt better and looked up at him.  "Thank you, Pop." he nodded and smiled before opening his arms for a hug. I stood up and melted into his arms, smelling his aroma of the cigars he smoked. I smiled and stopped crying.

"Better?" He asked. I nodded.

"Much better."

----------------------------------------------------------

Wow! It has been forever since I have updated this! I hope to update this more now since my trilogy is finished. I promise, in the next few chapters, the storyline is going to get really good (in my opinion).

I LOVE YOU, SOLDIERS!!!!!!

-Peggy <3