"C'mon, guys!" James held his protest sign up in the air, making sure the officer saw it. "We won't be here all day!"

Charles clung to Lloyd's arm. "Should we really be doing this? We could get into so much trouble."

"And let Cola do whatever it wants? As if!"

"Ha, Cola!" James waved it around. "You good-for-nothing police! What are you gonna do, shoot us?!"

"James!!!"

"Look at Lloyd, he isn't scared!" The shortest was copying James, waving his sign up in the air.

"As long as my dad doesn't find us, I really-"

"Lloyd John Doh-Sauveterre!"

They froze as his father parked to the side, stepping out of the car. He stormed over and ripped the signs out of their hands.

"What are you doing, young man! I told you not to protest, and you disobeyed me!" He stood over the teenagers, his hands on his hips. "All of you should be ashamed of yourselves!" He turned to the smirking officer and bowed. "I apologize for my son and his friends."

James stood forward. "Sir, it was my fault. Don't be angry with Lloyd."

If looks could kill, he would already be buried. "How dare you let him do this! You're the oldest of all of them. You should've informed me of his plans!"

Lloyd was going to open his mouth, but James continued speaking. "He really tried to stop us. He wanted us to stay in class!" He crossed his fingers behind his back, the other two nodding along. "We basically had to carry him out. He kept saying you told him not to."

Beom's eyes soften ever so slightly. "Really now?" When Lloyd nodded, trying his best to look innocent, Beom pointed to the car. "Sit in the front seat. We'll talk on the way back." Once he was out of earshot, the man turned to the others. "I suggest you two follow before something happens to you."

James stayed while Charles basically ran to the car. Lloyd turned to him while Beom stayed outside to chew out James.

"He really saved my ass."

He looked outside and saw Beom walking back. "You better buy him a soda tomorrow."

When the man was driving, he spoke to Lloyd in Korean. Charles couldn't understand what he was saying, and he got dropped off by the store a mile from his house.

"I'll pick you up tomorrow for school." He winked at Lloyd before Beom sped off.

"Appa," the younger whined once he was driving again. "they aren't bad people!"

"Lloyd, they almost got you into very grave trouble. I don't think you understand how serious this is." Angered by taking a wrong turn, he groaned. "I know you're still adjusting to the new rules, but you should know by now that this isn't like France. You don't protest here." Lloyd, having nothing to say, just nodded along. "I know you did try to listen to me, and I'm not angry with you. But what if I didn't find you three?"

"How did you even find us?" When he gave him a face, he sighed. "...I would've been in big trouble?"

"Trouble so big that me nor your mother could help you get out. Don't do that ever again. If your friends try this a second time, you let me know right away." Feeling slightly guilty for being too harsh, he looked over at Lloyd. "Understood?"

"Yes, Appa."

--

"Oh, please!" Lloyd's grandfather, who passed on many years ago, scoffed when he saw the whole thing happening down below.

His wife nodded, her hands folded together. "He shouldn't have yelled at those kids."

"He shouldn't be yelling at all! He did fair worse than that!" He shook his head. "He's lucky Lloyd is nothing like him."

----

"With the uproar of the protests, gun violence, and the slaughter of innocent citizens, the country of Vagu, along with its islands in the Pacific, have decided to declare war on the country of Coia and its islands on the date of September 29th, 2014.

Every family, big or small, must have at least one male join its cause, if not, provide at least one female. However, men are top priority. If you are unable to provide either for whatever reason, you must pay a fine. $100 dollars for the elderly and those with mental or physically disabled families, and $5,000 for anyone who does not fill those qualifications.

Our recruiting sections can be found all around the country and are open 24/7 all week, including holidays and Sundays. Nobody is allowed to leave the country unless pardoned by President Bsa. If found trying to leave, you will pay a $10,000 fine or will be placed in jail.

If you are unable to pay the fine, you may sign up for financial aid. If you are still not able to pay in two months, you will be thrown in jail.

We will win against the iron fist and will be free.

May God bless us all."

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

"You're not going!"

"Dad, you don't understand!"

"What do you mean I don't understand?!"

Lloyd and his father yelled at each other, both red in the face. Marie tried to calm them down, but she didn't understand what the hell they were saying. They talk really fast when they're angry, like father like son. Only Valentino's father could actually try to calm them down, but even he didn't understand what they were saying.

"I'm not letting you go! I know what it's like! You won't make it out there!"

"You didn't even know what I'm like!"

Beom smacked his hand on the table, the fruit bowl shaking. "Young man, I'm not dumb! You are an honor roll student. You're scared of thunderstorms, I know you won't make it there!"

Now, they were starting to talk normally, still loudly. "But I'm strong! I've been through a lot! I can take it!"

"What have you possible been through?!"

This time, his brother stepped in as Lloyd turned red. "Big brother, don't go there."

"Oh, OH!" The whole room looked at Lloyd. He never raises his voice, and he never has a bitter tone with anyone. "YOU WANT TO KNOW, DON'T YOU FATHER?!"

"YOUNG MAN, DON'T YOU RAIS-"

"LET'S SEE: LEFT BY YOU!" Lloyd got closer to Beom. "LEFT TO GROW UP BY YOU! LEFT TO ROT IN FRANCE BY YOU!" By then, Lloyd was up to his waist. He couldn't reach his face. "I'VE BEEN THROUGH A LOT AND IT'S YOUR FAULT!"

His father's body shook while his eyes watered. He knew Lloyd was right. He was selfish, and he abandoned him. But he didn't know what else to do. He tried his best and knew he had failed.

"Lloyd, relax!" His mother raised her voice slightly.

However, Lloyd was quick to snap back in French, "Mom, you're not innocent either!"

Despite not knowing what was said, his father didn't like how distressed she looked. "DON'T TALK TO YOUR MOTHER LIKE THAT!"

Lloyd quickly turned back to her. "I'm sorry." Then at him. "IT'S YOUR FAULT WHAT HAPPENED TO ME! IF I CAN GO THROUGH ALL THAT, I CAN GO THROUGH A WAR! YOU HAVE NOBODY ELSE TO GO! YOU GUYS ARE TOO OLD, SUSU AND SARAH ARE AT COLLEGE, HARUKI IS IN JAPAN-" That got his uncle upset. "-AND VALENTINO CAN'T GO! WE CAN'T PAY THE FINE!"

"I'M FINE WITH GOING TO JAIL!"

"NO, DAD! I CAN GO! WHY ARE YOU SO CONTROLLING?! IS IT BECAUSE YOU MISSED OUT CONTROLLING ME FOR SO LONG?!"

He slapped Lloyd across the face. The shortest stumbled, nearly falling over. Marie gasped and started going at Beom's throat as Valentino and his father froze. The couple started arguing in their shared language, English, as Lloyd rushed up to his room.

He packed what he could bring.

Valentino started coming up the stairs. "Lloyd, let's talk about it!"

Valentino was coming close to the door.

He opened the window.

When Valentino opened the door, he saw the window open and Lloyd missing. The brown curtain blew in the breeze. Panicked, he rushed to the window and looked down upon the street. He saw Lloyd running down the street.

"Come back!" He shouted when his body was halfway out the window. When that didn't work, he darted downstairs. He swung open the door, the argument coming to an end. His father ran after him.

Lloyd, crying and with a bright pink handmark on his face, kept running, going faster when he heard Valentino coming. He saw a black car and knocked on it as fast as he could. He didn't care who was driving. He was just grateful that they allowed him to climb in the backseat and drive off just as Val was going to reach him.

Valentino stood still, staring at the speeding car. Then he fell to his knees and wept. That's the second time he didn't stop one of his brothers leaving. He heard his father coming from behind.

"Valentino, where's Lloyd?" He caught his breath, gasping for air.

All he could do was pathetically turn his head, tears streaming down his face. "...He's gone..."

In the car, Lloyd didn't have time to recover before a familiar voice started scolding him. "Let me get this straight: you run away and jump into someone's car on a school night?! What if I was a human trafficer?!"

"Just drive to the recruiting section, James!" He cried, his voice raspy and shaky.

"You're lucky I was even going there!"

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

Charles threw his suitcase on the bed and went to the closet. The maid saw him throw different clothes in, rushing to get the man of the house out of his study. As coats, socks, and shirts flew in the air, the door slammed open.

"Charles Johnson!" His father spun him by his shoulders, his glasses shiny. "Stop it this instant!"

He moved back and went to his drawer, taking out his motion-sickness and ADHD pills. "No, dad! I'm going, and you can't stop me!"

The man pushed his hand away from the suitcase, a bottle of pills landing on the blue mat underneath their feet. "If you do this, I'll...I-I'll send you back to America! You'll live with your aunt and be poor! There's no ponies or maids there!"

"I don't care!"

The man called for his wife. She came in seconds later, her white flowery dress trailing behind her.

"Charlie." Her hazel eyes were big as she saw Charles open another suitcase for his clothes. "Charles, stop it!"

He spun around, tears falling from his eyes. He saw his parents standing like deers, looking on as if the world was ending. "What am I supposed to do?! My best friend is out there! My friends are out there! Am I supposed to just sit around and rot?!" He shut the case tight and held both of them in his hands. "To hell I will!"

The woman blocked the door with her body, her hand resting on the cold knob. "No! No, no, no!"

"Mother, let me go!"

They thought about Lloyd's parents. They have known them for years. They were always so jolly looking, always in a rush and being the light of the parties they invited them to. Now, with their only child being away at boot camp, it seems like someone flipped a switch in the home. When Mrs. Johnson went by this morning, Mr. Doh was lying on the sofa, as dead as a doorknob. When she tried to engage in conversation with him, he could barely speak, instead looking at the floor the whole time. Mrs. Sauveterre came home from work shortly before she left and went straight to bed without so much as a passing glance.

As his wife and son fought, the man dropped to his knees and clung to Charles.

"Please stop!" His voice shook from desperation as he grasped his leg. "Don't kill us! Don't kill us!"

He tried to step back, but the other's grasp was too strong. "...What?!"

He made Charles go down with him. He touched his soft skin, tears and snot getting in his brown mustache. "If you die out there, it'll kill us! We'll have nothing else to lose, a-and when a man has nothing to lose, he's dead! He's dead!"

His mother went to them as he spoke. "B-But what about the house?! The company, our money?!"

She grabbed his arm, tears ruining her red makeup. "None of that matters! We can't buy another baby. It took years to have you, and it'll take only a second to lose you!" She embraced him as well. "Just say you'll stay...just stay with mommy..."

He swallowed before wrapping his arms around both of them. He sobbed, his giant tears falling like raindrops in his mother's short curly hair. "I'll stay."

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

The thirty days of basic training were unbearable. It would usually take three months but they shorted it, so they only got an hour of sleep at best and a whole three minutes to have a cold shower and stale breakfast before testing, working out, and all that other wonderful stuff. James and Lloyd were separated. One was going to the Navy and the other the Air Force.

The cadets weren't nice either. Lloyd was teased for looking too white and for his accent. Once, when they were practicing public speaking, his accent made it hard to pronounce a word. For a whole week, the others spoke in shitty French accents and threw bread at him. This only stopped because someone accidentally threw bread at the biggest guy there, and let's just say nobody else wanted their ass beat.

Their commander was a character, to say the least. She would bark orders, trip soldiers if they were running too slow, and make the fat cadets eat once every two days, but she knew when to be sweet to the ones she liked. One time, she caught a cadet tripping Lloyd and calling him a cracker. As punishment, she made that cadet run around the base eating crackers for two days straight until he fainted. Afterward, she made him do Lloyd's push-ups for two more days. That cadet did over a hundred push-ups in one hour.

The worst part, however, was that they weren't allowed any letters or phonecalls home. They weren't even allowed to see their families after basic training. They were going to get shipped straight to an island in the Philippines for five months. The ones that survived would be lucky to get a glance at their mothers. This especially bothered Lloyd. The fight was still fresh in his mind every day. Although they would be able to write letters after basic, he desperately wanted to see everyone in person, except for his father.

After basic, they went to the island. Lloyd, now knowing how to fly a plane and could lift seventy pounds, was growing depressed. He didn't eat and sleep like he used to. Especially when one day, his flat stomach bumped into someone. The guy laughed and called him Tubby, which everyone started doing. He thought about it every time he ate.

He got letters from his friends and family. He didn't want to talk to anyone. However, when he got injured and had to stay in bed for a week, he had no choice but to write back. He started off easy. He read his siblings' letters first. All of them were upset with him but wished him love and support. He cried reading the three letters from Valentino. One was anger, the other misery, and the last one was love. God did he regret leaving him like that. He remembers when Haruki left, Valentino cried and cried for months, and then when he was finally letting go of it, Lloyd left him. He was the first one that he wrote back to.

Next, he read his friends' letters. He smiled when he saw Charles' sloppy handwriting. He missed him so much. He read a few more, all saying how much they missed him. Then, he was allowed a phone call. Due to his rank, he was only allowed a three minute call once every Saturday.

"Hello?"

"Hey, Val."

He heard Valentino start sobbing on the other end. His throat got tight.

"Ple-please come back! I really miss-miss you!" Valentino's voice shook.

Lloyd's voice was beginning to shake as well. "I can't, I'm already in the Philippines.."

"But everyt-everything's shit! Dad's up-upset and your parents-parents fight all the time! Sarah called me and-and she was c-crying! Haruki is r-really sad-sad! Su-Susu was c-crying!"

He rubbed his head. "I'm sorry...I-I wasn't thinking!"

Valentino spent the call blubbering and begging Lloyd to come back. He cried more when he was told the call time was up.

He laid in bed, staring at the ceiling as someone took the phone for their phone call. God, it was his fault. All his fault.

He looked over at his side. His sword was crying out to him.

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

Later that night, with his under arms sore and eyes red, read the letter from Mulligan.

"Lloyd, why?

YWhy did you go? I haven't been able to hear from you in quite a while and I'm so worried. When I heard that you left, I went to your house. Your mom and Valentino were crying a lot. Your dad was really quiet. Everyone is asking about you. Are you safe? Are you eating?

Please come back to me once this is all over, I'll wait for you. Just please, write back to us. Your uncle thinks you're dead or something. Please don't die, I need you so much. I sent you a care package. Did you get it yet? I put one of my hoodies in there, and I made sure it was your favorite one.

I pray you every night, I even tried a Jewish prayer. My mom says she hopes you're okay. She sends your mom cookies every day. One time, your mom looked at them and just started crying because you love cookies. I started crying, too. I don't eat cookies or go to our diner anymore. I won't do it until you're back.

Please write back once you read this. I know the war is busy, but I need to know you're alright. Everyone needs to know.

With all the love in my heart.
Mulligan."

With tears and a skipping heart, he instantly wrote back and sent all the other fifty-five letters to be sent. He then looked under his cot and took out the package he's been saving for ages. He just didn't have the time to open it. He laughed when he saw the red football hoodie. Mulligan always got on him for taking it. Now it's all his. There were also some more things. Lipboom, lotion, gum, jewelry, and a comb. He was in desperate need of all of that.

He put on Mulligan's hoodie and turned over to go to sleep. He hugged it, feeling like he was hugging his boyfriend. He went to sleep quickly for once. He had a flashback dream, one he had many times.

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

"Mulligan, are you sure your father isn't coming home soon?"

"Yeah, don't worry about it."

They were both sitting on the couch, kissing and doing cringe teen shit. Then, there was a shout.

"SO YOU ARE A FAG!"

They both shot their heads back and saw Mulligan's father with a hunter's grin. He was a big guy in both ways, and very angry all the time. Mulligan's little brother, Aaron, wobbled and clung to Lloyd's leg. Lloyd picked him up and hugged him, they both had a reason to be afraid.

"Dad, it's not what you think-"

"I know exactly what it is! You're a fag and your dating some other fag! Oh, God, where did I go wrong?!" Mulligan had tears in his eyes as his father kept yelling at him. "You need to go to church more, God can fix this! Jesus wouldn't want this!"

Sarah came in with his two trailing sisters. "You better shut the fuck up!"

His father turned to her. "This is your fault! It's your job to take care of them properly, not turn them into fags!"

"Daddy's angry!" Aaron cried as Lloyd stood up next to Mulligan.

"Hell yeah daddy's angry! And I'll be angry at you too if you don't stop all that damn crying, you're not a girl!" The three-year old sucked his thumb and clung to his bear as Lloyd rubbed his back.

"Don't talk to my son like that! You're no man! What kind of man hits his family? What kind of man drinks all night?!"

Her husband grabbed her wrist and yelled in her face. She started crying and tried to wiggle away. Lloyd passed Aaron to the frozen Mulligan and ran in. He pushed Sarah away from him and stood face-to-face with this beast of a man. He almost threw up when he stared at him, murder in his eyes. His rotten coffee breath didn't help either.

"Sir, please! There's no need for all that!" Lloyd had to stand on his toes. This man towered over him and looked like he could chew and spit him out.

The man got in his face. "You're just a French faggot! Why don't you take your ass back to where you came from and stop corrupting my son?!"

"You're no father. No father hits his children, no father grabs his wife like that, no father puts the bible before his family! The bible doesn't say to hurt your wife! The bible doesn't say to scare your children!" Lloyd looked him in his eyes, his fists shaking. "You're just a sorry excuse for a parent and husband. You're a disgusting excuse for a Christian, no Christian uses God's name to try to justify being such a pathetic and small person. I hope you'll rot in hell where you belong."

It happened so fast. The man grabbed him by his shirt and slammed his head on the table, knocking him out cold. He doesn't know what happened afterwards. He woke up to Mulligan wailing as his sisters were rubbing water on his feet. Sarah was crying as she took care of him, she was a nurse after all.

"I'm so sorry. You shouldn't have been hurt."

"I-is you alright?"

"Yes, Lloyd. He can't hurt you anymore, I threw him out."

Mullgian hugged him, crying so hard he couldn't breathe. By now, everyone was there. The four little ones were too afraid to be close to the kitchen, the blood and the sight of everything going on made them cling to each other. His two other brothers were outside being their dad up. They were waiting so long to do this. Finally, the two big sisters were crying and trying to care for his aching head.

Everything else was a blur. He remembers his dad and mom coming over thirty minutes later and beating Mulligan's father half to death before he felt his father carrying his dizzy ass to the car. He remembers how safe and warm he felt in his father's arms. Nothing could hurt him there. Sarah hugged Beom and Marie and apologized over and over again. Mulligan came out to kiss him and praise him over his brave deed.

The next time he came over, there was a new table, a happier family, and fresh cookies waiting for him.

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

In the morning, three to be exact, Lloyd woke up and immediately opened the letters from his parents and uncle. His uncle only sent one. He has a form of autism that makes it hard for him to express his feelings. His letter was very supportive, even though he said that if he doesn't write back in a week then he's dead. That made him giggle, his uncle must've had a coffin laying about just for him in the house.

His parents sent him over twenty letters, mostly from his mother. He read hers first. It made him sigh when he saw tear stains and shaking French handwriting in all of them. Anger at first, then sadness and regret. She apologized for his childhood, for leaving him, for not being the best she could be. He put his head in his hands as he remembered the way he spoke to her the last time he saw her. The way he turned to her and shouted to her in such a hurtful tone. He grabbed his sword again.

After a few minutes, he shakily opened his father's letter. There was only one, but it felt heavy in his hands. He opened it. The letter was long enough to fall from the blanket to the floor.

"Lloyd, I'm so sorry. This is all my fault.

I'm sorry I yelled at you. I'm sorry I hit you. I didn't even know I hit you until I saw you staggering back from me and looking at me like an injured animal. I wanted to pick you up and just hug you so tight. I'm so sorry.

I never want to hurt you. I love you so much. I was being a jerk, I know, but it was from a place of concern. I don't ever want you upset or hurt, yet I did both. War is scary. It kills people. I've seen it. I saw a man blow his brains because he was so miserable. For a second, I imagined you doing that. I don't ever want you to do something like that. I was trying to protect you, and I pushed you into the Air Force. I'm so sorry.

I apologize for what I said. You went through a lot in France, and I know you're going through so much right now. You went through a lot with your uncle, Martha, and the absence of me and your mother. I think the heavens for your aunt. She did so much more than I ever did. You're so much stronger than me. You still have a smile and such a wonderful personality despite everything that happened. You are my light.

Please don't give up. I love you so much. I know that you're still angry with me, and that's fine. I only ask you to write to your mother, she doesn't sleep well these days. She stays in your room all day. She cries in your bed when she misses you. I've been angry at myself, and I'm not kind to her, I'm sorry that I keep hurting the people I love.

I love you so much. Please be safe."

Lloyd stared at the letter, a warm sadness in his stomach. He started to ugly cry, snort and blood getting all over his hands. He wrote back to him, crying so hard that he was writing a few words in French and English. The screaming, the disrespect, he was the worst son in the world.

"I want to go home!" He whispered in Korean. "I want to go home! I want to go home!"

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

A few weeks later, he got a letter back from everyone, a hundred of them. He started with his uncle.

He read quietly to himself in Korean. "Dear Lloyd-"

"You speak Korean?!"

He looked over and saw a tall man sitting next to him. He was scary looking, but whatever, new friends are awesome.

"Of course!"

"Good, everyone here speaks Chinese or something! Now I could finally talk to someone!"

They talked for a while, both relieved that someone understood them. The man's name was Kim Byung-ho Choi. He was from South Korea, and he seemed to like everything Lloyd liked.

Lloyd smiled at him. "Kim, I think we're going to be really good friends."

"Me too, Lloyd. Me too."

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

AFTER THE BATH
Joseph Lorusso