"How old are you?" Alice asked as she walked with Jasper out to the end of the pier.

"Eighteen." He answered, shoving his hands in his pockets.

"Really? Well, I'm only fifteen, but I'll be sixteen at the end of October." She informed him, then began to skip. He stood still, halfway to the end of the long pier, and watched her, awed. He'd never met a girl like her before. She turned to look at him, also stopping, a few feet away.

"Well, come on!" she called back to him, then started skipping again.

Aw, what the hell. He thought, then followed her, laughing as he skipped. They sat down, side by side, their feet dangling off the end of the pier.

"So, are you from around here? I don't think I've ever seen you before." Alice asked, looking out over the water, swinging her legs back and forth.

"Yes. Well, not exactly. I live on the other side of town, really. It's no wonder we haven't bumped into each other before." he said. His voice was deep and he spoke in a soft manner. Unlike Alice, he didn't really say a whole lot. She nodded in response. They made small talk for awhile after that, asking each other more about their daily lives, their families, their hobbies, and so on.

Jasper glanced down at his watch and sighed.

"It's almost time for me to go." He said sadly. Alice was sure she heard a tiny bit of fear slip into his words too. She let her own shoulders slump. She'd liked talking with him, just being with him, really. She couldn't explain it, but she liked this boy. It's not fair. She thought, frowning to herself. We just met, and he's about to leave for war...Then, Jasper turned to look at her, his face suddenly determined.

"I bet you've got a boyfriend...but, I don't care." he said. She's such a pretty girl. Surely someone other fellow's noticed it. He thought.

"Actually, I don't..." she interrupted him, suddenly looking a little lonely herself.

"Well, I'm surprised. All those boys must be blind not to see what a pretty girl you are." He said, smiling and, feeling daring, reaching out and taking her hand. He still marveled at how tiny and soft it was, but loved the way it felt in his. He couldn't help but be a little glad that she wasn't taken already, in spite of himself. She smiled brightly, looking down at her lap to hide the faint blush on her cheeks.

"Thank you." She said softly. Taking a risk herself, she laced her small fingers through his. For a moment, he lost his train of thought as he watched her.

"I don't have anyone to write to, except my parents. Would you mind if I sent a few letters here, to you?" he asked her, feeling shy again. Alice looked up, and then she nodded.

"Yeah, you can write to me." she said, smiling again and then she gave his hand a little squeeze. Jasper looked down at his watch again and groaned.

"We'd better get back." He said, letting go of her hand and getting to his feet, then offering his hand to help her up. She took it, but didn't let go when she was back on her feet.

"May I?" she asked, indicating their hands. He chuckled softly and let go of her hand and put his arm around her shoulders, then reached across and took her hand again with his opposite hand.

They walked back down the pier in silence, both much more serious now. They got back just in time, and Jasper ran back into the diner to get his bag. Alice waited outside.

"Well, Miss Alice. I thank you for keeping me company today and I'm sorry to say goodbye." Then he pulled her out of the view of the diner's windows and kissed her, before his head could remind him that he'd just met her a few hours ago. It surprised her, but after a moment, she kissed him back.

Then, the driver of the bus honked, and Jasper had to pull away.

"Be safe." She said as she watched him climb on, wondering if he'd even heard her.

Jasper walked to the first empty seat he saw, set his bag down, and started waving to her. She waved back, choking on a combination of a sob and a laugh. She waved until she couldn't see the bus anymore, then dried her tears and started on the walk home.

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