Annoying Ladies (OPEN)

[Stephen Colly]

It had been a long hard day of training for Stephen; he trooped into the pub, in his army uniform of course. For once he was on his own, it wasn’t normal for soldiers to be on there own when coming into pubs but Stephen liked being on his own instead of with the lads. Stephen wanted desperately to be at home on his parent’s farm, riding his horse all day long but he knew that he couldn’t do that, he had joined up and was now on leave but his father didn’t want to see him and his mother couldn’t stop his father so Stephen had to go back to the barracks for a couple of days.

He had got permission from an officer, and so now entered and walked straight towards the bar. The whole pub went quiet and they watched him. Two women, who looked around 20 something, came up towards him instantly. ”My, my, hello sir!” one said, they were pretty but Stephen thought they were too old for him.

”Hello…” Stephen muttered as he sat on to a stool by the bar and ordered a drink. ”What do you want?” he ran a hand through his hair, watching them closely, he wasn’t into girls of their age. He moved away from them slightly, biting his lip.

”That’s not a very nice way to talk to a lady…” the second women said, they were both wearing dresses that went just past their knees. One hooked her arm around Stephen’s but he struggled out of her grip, disgusted, ”Leave me alone.” he muttered and they stroked off, looking back at him. Stephen sighed and started to drink his drink slowly.

[Edward"Butcher"McMillan]

McMillan was sitting at the bar, Just downed his third shot of tequila when the bar went quiet. McMillan looked around and saw a familiar face Been a long time since I saw that guy. McMillan was not in his uniform, but instead was sporting some worn out blue jeans and a buttoned up black shirt, that was probably too wrinkled to wear out in public, but he didn't care.

He stood up to walk over towards the guy, but he went the same direction as well, having his back to McMillan. Two fairly attractive woman went by, talking about how rude the soldier was. As soon as McMillan passed them he rolled his eyes Women! He thought with a small smile. Colly was sitting by himself and looked like he didn't really want any company, but McMillan hadn't seen him in a while so he thought he might be an exception.

He swung around the tabled and plopped himself in the chair directly across from Colly. "Long time. Remember me?" He said with a grin, he was happy to see someone from back before this whole thing got all complicated, heck, Colly was the first person he had bonded with once he had made it over seas.

[Stephen Colly]

"Long time. Remember me?"
Stephen started as the voice came from a man in jeans and a shirt. Was it really McMillan? Stephen stared at the man in front of him for a minute and then it all came flooding back. He hadn’t seen the man in ages, McMillan had been one of his best mates before Stephen had gone to France.

”McMillan!” Stephen said brightly, his face now lighting up as the memories of the meeting and talks came flooding back. ”Blimly! I haven’t seen you in ages!”
Stephen remembered the rain on the field and how Stephen and McMillan had talked and then ran. It had been great fun but then Stephen had been deported off to France and he had had no idea where McMillan had gone and this was the first time he had spoken to anyone really.

He pulled his uniform around him as he was getting cold for some reason and gave a slight jump as someone banged the door shut, ever since he had come back from France, he had been a bit jumpy and shell shocked. He wasn’t in the stages of shaking yet but if he was sent out again he might just lose it, but for now he was ok just a bit scared of loud bangs.

[Edward"Butcher"McMillan]

Colly seemed to start glowing when he saw McMillan. Best response to his voice he had received in a long time. "Yeah it has been a while." McMillan put his hand in the air and waved over a waitress. "So where the hell have you been?" He asked, with a big grin on his face.

Colly seemed almost paranoid, McMillan looked back as the door slammed. Some drunk idiot leaving with his temper flaring for some reason. McMillan turned back "You okay? You seem a little bit on edge." The smile faded a little bit. McMillan was concerned, he didn't like it when people he cared about got messed with, mainly because it was hard for someone to gain his trust and therefore he didn't care for too many people, but he looked out for as best he could.

The waitress stopped by the table and McMillan asked for a glass of water "You want anything man?" He asked as he looked at Colly while pointing his finger that had been pointing toward the waitress.

[Stephen Colly]

Stephen’s eyes were still on the door when he heard McMillan speak, he looked back. ”I’ve been everywhere in bloody France!” he said, his smile coming back briefly but then it faded, ”I’m fine.” he rubbed his arms together and looked towards the waitress.
He looked towards his empty glass and then back to McMillan.

”If you are sure, can I have another water please?” the waitress nodded and walked off with the orders.
Stephen did like McMillan a lot, he was such a kind bloke, one of his best mates in the army, one of his only best mates that treated him like a normal human being for once.

There was something behind Stephen’s eyes that hadn’t been there how ever many months ago when they had first met, something odd, he had a look like a frightened rabbit in the headlamps half the time, like he was waiting for a shell or bomb to go off any moment. His body tensed and he looked around the room again, as he heard someone enter and slam the door behind them. His lip started to tremble and he gripped his glass of water to stop himself from becoming a nervous wreck.

[Edward"Butcher"McMillan]

McMillan knew it might be a sensitive subject but he wanted to know Everywhere huh, dang. Any news on your horse? Joey wasn't it?" He hoped he didn't upset the guy anymore, he already looked pretty bad.

The door did it's routine again and Colly just about lost it. "Fine my ass!" McMillan stood up, "Excuse me miss..." McMillan called out to the waitress. "...don't worry about that order." She rolled her eyes, that was fine with her, it's not like water cost anything anyway, how would she have gotten a tip worth much on a free order anyway.

In a low voice McMillan turned to Colly "Come on, let's just go to the store and grab something to drink and maybe something to eat and get outta here, I don't much like the atmosphere." McMillan said it with kind eyes, he was really worried about the guy. Didn't know how his pride was but he figured if he made it seem like he was the one that wanted to leave, it wouldn't take a hit.

[Stephen Colly]

Stephen spoke up about Joey, ”No, I thought I saw him out there in France but it must have been my imagination.” Strange dreams had haunted Stephen for weeks, dreams of Joey and of his mates…
Stephen glanced up suddenly at McMillan as he stood up, ”What are you – “ Stephen trailed off as he watched McMillan cancel the order.

Stephen stood up too and the pub went silently once again, they were making a scene of this just trying to get out of the ruddy place. Stephen glanced towards the older army soldier and backed towards the door as he watched the faces, he didn’t care if this dented his pride, he just wanted to get away to somewhere less crowded and spectator worthy.

”I think that is a good idea, getting out of here.” Stephen muttered and reached for the door knob of the door with a shaky hand.

[Edward"Butcher"McMillan]

McMillan looked around as everyone went quiet ans starred at the pair "What, have you never seen a soldier before?!?!" McMillan was almost pissed, making people feel uneasy more than they should, they should have been ashamed of themselves. He turned to Colly. "You haven't done anything to make them act this way have you?" He said it in a joking manner to keep the mood light but was in all actuality serious.

He grabbed the door as Colly opened it and followed him out into the street. It was pretty cold and the wind wasn't helping either. "You got a coat or something? You look awful cold man." He was stating the obvious but might as well, it didn't really look like Colly was enjoying himself.

McMillan pulled out a cigarette and lit it up. "Do you smoke?" McMillan couldn't picture Colly smoking but he figure he would ask, just in case.

[Stephen Colly]

Stephen opened the door as quickly as possible and closed it behind as the chatter started again, and the laugher started up as usual. It was indeed rather cold, Stephen shook his head, ”I didn’t know I was going to be this late…or I forgot…” it was hard for Stephen, he had been forgetting most things lately.

McMillan then asked if he smoked and Stephen nodded glumly, it wasn’t his usually past time but he had leant to smoke a lot now. He took a cigarette from McMillan and lit it, watching the smoke go into the air, his hand shook less now.

”I don’t act like one of the normal soldiers, like I don’t get drunk…that’s why they stare.” Stephen looked back at the pub. ”Where have you been all this time?” he asked suddenly and sat down on a nearby bench, taking a puff from the cigarette.

[Edward"Butcher"McMillan]

McMillan watched as Colly lit one up as if he was born with a pack and a zippo. McMillan's eyebrows tried to jump off his face. Then Colly sat on the bench just down the street a bit.

As McMillan walked over he started gabbing away. "Well I got transfered into a bloody British Unit of all things, got caught by surprise while in a medical convoy, almost knocked out a sergeant for a past disagreement, and almost tore a private in half for dropping his weapon." McMillan looked up a bit and kind of shook his head. He had a lot of memories that took place in the time that Colly was gone. He didn't know he had done so much until he thought about it.

He took a long drag and held it for a moment, then blew it out with a comforting smile and sat back. "How about you, what new stories have you got?" McMillan placed his arms along the back of the bench to relax. "Wait, aren't you cold?"

[Stephen Colly]

Stephen sat there on the bench, taking a long puff at the cigarette and shrugged, ”No, I’m not.” but you could see that he was, he was bloody freezing but Stephen would not let himself be like this, he didn’t want to seem weak to McMillan as he looked up to the older soldier.

”Oh, went to France, got stuck in a stale patch, loads of bombings and shells and dieing…escaped…went round the whole of bloody France nearly getting killed half the time and was found somewhere near Paris…” he shrugged, a car door shut and Stephen jumped, the slightest sound made him jump, ”I want to go home…but my father doesn’t want to see me and my mother can’t stop him…” Stephen was what…18 and he sounded, to him…he sounded like a 6 year old whining but to McMillan he hoped he didn’t.

He shivered and was longing to curl up next to McMillan but that would be silly as McMillan was older and he might not want that. Stephen sat there, just smoking on the cigarette staring out at the sky.

[Edward"Butcher"McMillan]

McMillan looked around as Colly spoke of his adventures. Wow, sounds pretty nerve racking. The only explosion I was near was a grenade, and I threw the dang thing." It seemed as if it weighed on the guy pretty hard, McMillan almost felt sorry for him, but the last hing he needed was pity, and McMillan wasn't good with emotions.

"Ah yes, your dad. I remember talking about him..." He took another drag before asking "...Don't I still owe you a stamp so you can mail them a letter?" He looked over and leaned his head forward, almost in a scalding manner. "Ive said it before and I'll say it again, they deserve to know if they don't already. You know they do, no matter how bad it gets." McMillan finished off his cigarette and flicked it across the road, looked like a small firework as it streamed across and landed with some sparks.

[Stephen Colly]

”I think there’ve guessed already.” Stephen muttered and threw the half smoked cigarette onto the cold pavement where it sizzled up and died out. ”I don’t care what anyone says, I don’t want to talk to him because he sold Joey.” Stephen stared out into the night, thinking.


”Why do I shake? Like why do my hands shake and I jump when bangs go off? People have looked at me strangely because of it, I’ve never been told…” Stephen thought that McMillan could help him with his problem but he doubted it slightly as they would be off to France again in a couple of weeks.

Stephen was dreading the journey back across the Channel, he didn’t want to go back and face the death and bombs of war torn France but he guessed he might have to as he was in the army and you had to do what you were told.

[Edward"Butcher"McMillan]

McMillan sat and stared in to the darkness. "Hmmm...well suit yourself, I wish I would have talked to my parents more while I had the chance, but I guess everyone lives with some regrets." He shifted his eyes over to Colly as he said it, wondering what his reaction might be.

He wasn't exactly trying to get into the lad's head but he knew that Colly would regret it if he lost the chance, and you can't talk to dead people. He just didn't want to see Colly go through the same hurt that he had to endure. McMillan stood up and rubbed his arms a little, the cold starting to set in. "Well you wanna get outta here?"

[Stephen Colly]

Stephen listened, he understood McMillan’s words, he would have to think about it and then say something to his dad. He stood up quickly as McMillan did the same and clasped his arms around himself as the cold was starting to settle in.

”Yeah, we should get out of here, shall we go back to the Barracks or just wonder around here for a bit?” Stephen didn’t mind where to go, he didn’t really want to go back to the Barracks as he would be most likely shouted at by some unknown officer for being out late. He stamped his feet, trying to stop them from going numb. Two people came out of the pub behind them and stared at the two of them for a moment and then walked on their way.