The Call

By: Sincerely Scarlet Rose

Chapter 1: The Call

Song: The Call, Regina Spektor

Summer of 1915

Chicago, Illinois

"What do you mean you're leaving?" I whispered.

"Bella. They called us. It's a draft, we have to go…I'm eighteen." He whispered wiping my tears away. I was three years younger than him, just barely fifteen.

"As of two days ago you're eighteen!" I cried.
"Two days or two years Bella…They called me, my name," He grabbed me in a hug then, "Do you think I want to leave you?"

I started crying harder, "No, but…How long?" I whispered.

"I don't know, but we'll write, and send pictures…right? You'll write me?" He asked a sudden worried glint in his eyes. As if any amount of time in the world could tear me away from him.

"Of course I will, I'll write so much that you'll get sick of it!" I said trying to smile, I knew he was scared to leave now. He shook his head pressing his lips to mine, "Never a chance of that love…As soon as I get back, I'm talking to our parents, I'll talk to them and tell them what I want, and intend to do. I need to know this before I go though, you'll wait, you'll marry me? As selfish as I am for asking this, you'll wait for me?" We were young, but we'd known since the age of five this was how it was to be, we would get married, we would have children, we would live our lives together.

Tears filled my eyes, this hadn't been the first time we'd talked about it, but it was the first time he'd officially asked, "I'll get a ring as soon as I get back, I was intending on waiting until you were older, but I just…I can't leave not knowing…"

I hugged him close to me almost falling off the dock and into Lake Michigan, "Of course I'll wait, of course…There's no one else, there never will be…"

His eyes started to turn moist then, "But…You must let there be someone else if…if I don't…" He started but I glared at him, "Don't even say it!" I yelled at him glaring best I could through my tears.

"Bella, I have to say it, you know I do…" He started.

I shook my head, "I won't listen. Please. Promise me you'll at least see me again. This may change you, you might find someone prettier, better, but at least come back no matter what year it is, no matter how many years in the future it will be, just let me make sure that you're…okay…in one piece."

"There's never going to be anyone more beautiful than you, not in a thousand years…never think that…I promise I'll come back." He promised stroking my cheek; and I believed him.

The next day was horrible, my mother thought I was making a big deal out of nothing, boys come and go like seasons in her mind. But this wasn't just any boy, this was my boy. My Edward. So I stood with Edward's parents waving as the train pulled away bringing them towards New York, and then most likely over sea's. I clutched the paper with all my might that had the address in which I was to send the letters. I would start my first one tomorrow, since tonight I was helping Mrs. Mason cook for the local soup kitchen.

I watched long after the train was out of view, and finally Mrs. Mason pulled my arm and wrapped hers around my shoulders gently smoothing my hair out of my face gently. Mrs. Mason had always been my second mother, a better mother I would say sometimes than my own. My widowed mother was very much so a mistress to many, though no one could ever seem to prove that fact. Currently she was "cleaning Mr. McCarty's home". I was sure Mrs. Mason and Mr. Mason didn't believe it as much as I didn't, yet they never said anything, and thank everything they didn't look down on me for it.

They always were kind to me, and I think now even more than ever I had been there for them. I purposely didn't cry when I watched him pull away, after all it was improper to be involved with someone the way I was Edward, he was a man and I was still considered a child. Not that we'd ever went past a chaste kiss, no Edward had more respect for me than that, he'd told me so himself. He said anything further would be for the first night I would be called Mrs. Isabella Mason, and never before.

And I loved him. I wasn't going to lie to myself, I'd tried that already. He say's he's known for a long time, yet until I was fourteen, and he was seventeen, I seemed to be blind to that thought. He'd just always been my best friend. Always. Since I could remember.
His father and my father had always been the best of friends, I think that's why it was so easy for his mother and father to accept what they knew was happening slowly between their son and I—though they never acknowledged it.

Mrs. Mason offered for me to stay with them tonight, they knew but were careful never to say that my mother wouldn't be home tonight most likely. I politely declined yet Mr. Mason insisted on walking me home. Saying it wasn't safe for such a 'beautiful girl' to walk alone.

Mr. Mason and Edward were so much alike, they spoke the same, they looked very much the same, though Edward had his mother's hair color and eyes, they were made as if from the same general mold. Edward's bronze hair and beautiful green eyes though, there was no denying his mother's features there. Two of his best features in my opinion. Mrs. Mason's hair was shorter only to her shoulders when in the tight spirals it always seemed to hold, it was also always held away from her face by a head band matching whatever she seemed to be wearing. Both Edward's parents were quite young. Edward's mother only fifteen when she married Edward Senior who at the time was nineteen.

They were the most amazing people I knew, the Mason's, and I loved them dearly.

I arrived in my empty house which was pent up very close between two others, yet still elegant, my father was sure we would be left perfectly fine if he were ever to go earlier than expected. And he had. I walked up the stairs my dress not long enough to drag when I walked on normal flat surfaces, yet almost made me stumble a few times while rising up the stairs. It was blue today, Edward's favorite color he said because of the way it made me look. I felt myself very plain. Slightly curled brown hair that was quite long since I had a very hard time allowing myself to cut it, and plain brown/black eyes, that was all there was to me besides very pale skin. Edward's skin wasn't dark, but it was next to mine which was the color of snow.

Edward insisted though that I was beautiful, however I was sure I would never see it. I was a dull light next to him, who was a burning bright candle, my sun. Yet I couldn't tare myself away. I couldn't do it. I wanted to be happy to much to think of what was good for him. Which was for me to leave him alone, and let him love a woman, not a plan little girl.

Age had always been a sensitive thing to me, though it would probably be different once I reached eighteen, until then I knew they way everyone viewed me as a child, and Edward as a man, especially since he had reached the eighteen marker.

I pulled off my dress and loosened the laces on my under garments before sliding into a more comfortable night gown. I walked down the stairs and quickly set a bowl outside for the cat's that always seemed to reside on my porch, much to my mother's disdain.

Then I fell into bed with only one candle in the room to keep it lit, as I started penning my letter to Edward, unable to even wait one full day without him. I was pathetic. Yet a content pathetic I suppose, as long as I had Edward, everything was okay.

I hope you enjoyed Chapter One! Reviews are appreciated. Thank you for your time and I do hope you read more!

Sincerely,

Scarlet Rose