3: Scars Remain Ch. 05

Scratching the back of his head, eyes cast downward, a small smile crept up on his beet-red face.

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XI -- One Last Question

"I don't think I've ever seen the drive-in this packed," Kaylee told Luke while reclining the passenger seat, watching car after car pull in and park.

Luke nodded in agreement and said, "Actually I'm surprised, too."

Kaylee asked him, "What movie are we seeing again?"

After a brief moment of hesitation, presumably trying to recall the name of the movie, Luke answered, "Well, it's something of a romance."

She thought it was odd he didn't remember the name, but casually dismissed it. It had been a long week for both of them. Kaylee considered herself lucky that the college administration allowed her to make most of her classes up, given the extenuating circumstances, but with a full eighteen credits the last thing she wanted to do was think. It was just nice to simply relax with her boyfriend.

Boyfriend... she smirked at herself, realizing how much she had downplayed that term. Luke was so much more than that, but there wasn't a word in the English language to truly explain how much he meant to her.

"You look tired. You're not going to fall asleep, are you, baby," Luke asked her.

Kaylee laughed, "No promises."

"But I heard it's supposed to be really good."

"Well, I'll try hard to stay awake. Just don't play with my hair or rub my forehead or else you'll put me right to sleep," she giggled.

Luke paused, and then asked her, "Well, can I at least put you on my lap before you crash?"

Kaylee slid onto his lap without hesitation and purred, "Ok, cowboy; that I can do. Gladly!"

The drive-in screen went dark and a hush fell over the crowd. Luke said to her, "I think the previews are over. Ready for the movie?"

She smiled, nodding in reply.

As the screen came back to life, a vintage countdown clip appeared, working its way backwards from number ten before momentarily going black again.

Kaylee, a little perplexed, whispered in Luke's ear, "That was different; it doesn't normally do that. Did they change ownership here or something?"

Without so much as a blink, Luke shushed her.

Suddenly, a voice boomed across the drive-in, "Ladies and Gentlemen, tonight's movie isn't just a regular Friday night romance movie. Tonight's movie is the ultimate story of true love, great sacrifice, gradual healing and peaceful restoration."

A bright blue sky progressively came into view on the big screen. The view panned down slowly to a brown brick high school surrounded by trees; the flagpole in front of the school with the Stars and Stripes waving in the wind was the central focus on the screen.

"This is where the beginning of our story takes place," said the narrator as the opening music dramatically began to play.

"Wait..." Kaylee said, taking in the scene. Suddenly it clicked. Her eyes widened and her jaw dropped as she could've sworn she recognized her old school and asked, "Luke, isn't that Remmington High?"

Luke didn't respond.

Inside the high school, students walked the halls actively, many of them hustling as if they were running late for their next class. The screen cut to several overlapping scenes, each one featuring the students of Remmington High. Some of the students were shown in front of their class, solving equations on the board. Others were featured in the chemistry lab, mixing various solutions from one beaker to the next. Another scene showed the Mustangs playing their rivals in soccer while another showed a small group studying in the library.

As the scene switched to a Friday night football game, the camera zoomed in on the cheerleaders -- one cheerleader in particular.

Kaylee gasped, "Luke! Oh my gosh, that's..."

"Kaylee Reed," the narrator announced as the young cheerleading captain rallied her girls, "Freshman and head junior varsity Mustang cheerleader, the desire of every male and envied by every female at Remmington."

"LUKE! What's going on," Kaylee shouted at him. "Is that Aaron's voice? Is he narrating the movie? Luke..."

Luke tried to stifle a smile, focusing his attention on the screen. "Shhh! You're ruining the movie. I love watching that girl, the way her hips move as she does her cheer. That's my favorite part."

Dumbfounded, Kaylee watched intently, wondering why Luke wasn't as surprised as she was. It was like he knew what was going to be on the movie screen.

The camera quickly swept across the football field as the Mustangs scored another touchdown. The voice behind the camera said, "Dammit, Luke, I missed their touchdown thanks to your cheerleader fetish. I'm never gonna be good at this filming thing."

The younger Luke told him, "Well, technically it's not a cheerleader fetish, it's just one girl..."

The camera continued to pan between the cheerleaders and the football game as the movie narrator said, "Adored from afar by Luke Patton, Kaylee had no idea just how much he would turn her life upside-down."

Luke stood against at the rail, fidgeting and nervously adjusting his glasses as he tried to find the right words to say. He was grateful the cheerleaders were watching the game, their backs towards him. It gave him a little time. Summoning up all the courage he could muster, he sputtered, "Uh, h-hi, Kaylee."

Kaylee turned around with a puzzled look on her face as the nerdy kid with the messy hair addressed her. Confused, she raised an eyebrow and said, "Uh, hi?"

Luke opened his mouth to speak, but nothing came out. Kaylee was still baffled, but at least a small smile crept up on her face.

"I'm...," was all Luke could get out.

Kaylee smiled, "Um, right. I hope you enjoy the game... you." As she started to turn around, he shouted, "Luke!"

A goofy smile crossed his face, "I mean, my name is Luke. I think you're doing an amazing job, by the way. You've nailed every move so far."

Kaylee awkwardly laughed and told him, "Thanks, um, Luke. See you around." She quickly turned around. The cheerleader next to her took a quick look at Luke and whispered something in Kaylee's ear, laughing. Kaylee's face turned red; she laughed and shook her head.

Horrified with her freshman-self onscreen actions, Kaylee gasped. Her hand covered her mouth as she recalled what Cindy whispered to her -- "The only thing he wants to nail is you!" And Kaylee's reply of "Never in a billion years" made her not only feel extremely guilty, but part of her actually wished that a billion years had actually passed.

The narrator continued, "Luke knew he could never have an angel like Kaylee. He was simply from a different world. Still, he had no idea that his hard work, intellectual level and ability to understand mathematics better than most teachers would wind up pulling Kaylee into his world."

The camera shifted scenes; Luke had become the focal point. "No way! Kaylee, as in Kaylee Reed? Dude, I can't believe you're going to be tutoring her! Say something for the camera," Aaron excitedly told his friend in hopes of getting an amazing response on film.

"Aaron, put that thing away," was all Luke gave him. "I'm trying to study."

Aaron asked, "What did she say? What did she do? What was she wearing?"

Luke said, "Ok, you want the truth? She's insecure, but she puts on a front like she has it all figured out. That's why she comes across as a spoiled brat. I feel sorry for her because she chooses to be one.

"But she's absolutely gorgeous. I've never seen a smile like hers -- ever. I mean, when she wants to, she can brighten up a room. I'm telling you, Aaron, she might even be the most beautiful girl in the world. Hey, I said put that thing down. You're not actually filming this, are you?"

"No, of course not," Aaron said as the scene came to an end.

With her hands pressed up against her face, Kaylee peeked through her fingers, her eyes glued to the screen. She was fully aware that several hundred people in the drive-in were watching the same exact 'movie' that she was; it wasn't possible for her face to be any more red.

As the scene shifted to the school courtyard where Luke and Aaron sat on the bench, Aaron once again behind the camera, the narrator said, "With an incredible amount of patience, Luke dedicated all of his free time to tutoring Kaylee. As challenging as it was, he enjoyed every single minute studying with the Mustang cheerleader.

"But Kaylee also buckled down and studied hard. Once on the verge of failing math and chemistry, she took a gamble on Luke -- he was her last resort. Kaylee passed her midterms with flying colors, and in both math and chem she earned a 'B'!"

The drive-in erupted with cheers causing Kaylee to blush intensely. Smiling ear to ear, her eyes watering, she couldn't take her eyes off of the screen. Kaylee glanced over at Luke. He had already been looking at her and flashed a very uncharacteristic devious kind of smile. Luke affectionately reached over and put his arm around her shoulders.

The movie continued with Luke and Aaron in the school courtyard. Aaron pointed the camera at Luke and asked him, "So how do you feel now that midterms are over?"

Luke shrugged, "Fine, I guess."

"Fine? That's all you have to say for my documentary?"

"Um... really fine?"

Aaron sighed, unimpressed with his lackluster response. "Dude, you're killing me. I know these tests aren't hard for you, but say something at least. Most people are ecstatic that midterms are over, like they can see the light at the end of the tunnel."

"There's not much to say. I took them, I got an A on all of them," he said casually. "Well, here's something, now that I think about it. Actually I did a lot less studying and preparation for midterms, probably the least amount of my life. I pretty much only had time to study for my college classes."

Aaron sounded surprised, "That's not normal for you, Luke. Why?"

"Probably because I've focused most of my time tutoring Kaylee. Probably more than all of the other students I've tutored combined. As a result, I stayed up later catching up on my own homework, but I didn't put in as many hours as I normally would."

Aaron snickered childishly, "I bet you 'tutored' her. Way to go, Luke! How was she?"

Luke rolled his eyes, "It's not like that. She wouldn't give me the time of day if I asked to kiss her high heels." He narrowed his eyes and looked down and to the side, engaging in deeper thought, "Don't get me wrong, though; she's a nice girl whenever she stops thinking about popularity and social circles. Lately she's reminded me more of that carefree first-grader I used to be friends with. She puts up a front so she can be one of the popular girls, but deep down you can tell she is kind and giving and compassionate. Kaylee's really a sweetheart."

"Then why is she with that douchebag, Brad, over there? I'm sorry, I mean 'Bradley', the more feminine version of the name Brad," Aaron said, swinging his camera to the large senior on the other side of the courtyard with his arm draped around Kaylee. The camera swept back to Luke, capturing a great look of disappointment on his face, almost wincing as if in pain. He couldn't take his eyes off of Bradley and Kaylee; they looked so happy together. Aaron's question didn't seem to sink in.

A bunch of "Aww's" and "Ohh's" echoed throughout the drive-in as Luke seemed to win over the hearts of the majority of the female audience. Kaylee would have slumped further into her seat if Luke didn't stop her. "I don't remember doing that... I hate that part," she pouted with a guilty look on her face, but she held Luke's hand tighter.

"Just keep watching," Luke calmly told her, even though he seemed a little awkward watching that scene himself.

But onscreen, she seemed so happy; she was talking and laughing with Bradley, Audrey, Cindy, and Mick.

"Well, I guess now that midterms are over, things are back to normal. No more tutoring, no more Kaylee. At least until finals come around, huh, Luke?"

Luke shrugged, "It seems that way. At least my body will be less sore from now on without her Nazi-style boot camp. Well, it's great to see her so cheerful; she obviously didn't fail any of the classes she was worried about. I'm happy for her." A slight upward curve arose on his lips, breaking the crestfallen look on his face, despite his head hanging low.

Aaron got quiet for a second and lowered his camera. "Dude, I hate being the one to tell you, but you know she's using you. Right?"

Luke didn't respond.

"I mean," Aaron continued, "she's not in our league, man. And there's nothing wrong with that. You're a good guy, man. Just don't get your hopes up about her. It'll never happen, and I'm telling you as a friend. A girl like that... she's not from our world."

Luke gave him a delayed nod, "Maybe. You're probably right. I know at first she started out using me, and that's fine, but I just can't quite tell if she was or not at the end. She probably was, but only subconsciously at least. I mean, she definitely reciprocated, buying me clothes and taking me to the gym. The human mind can be a tricky thing. Did I tell you she apologized to me once?"

Aaron was shocked, "Really? For what?"

Luke smiled, "Long story."

The narrator continued, "But was Kaylee really using Luke for her grades, or was the angel -- as Luke called her -- developing feelings for the Remmington Mustang recluse?"

The scene shifted once again. "So what did you get for Christmas," Kaylee exclaimed, obviously on Christmas morning a few years past. This time, the view of Kaylee was somewhat distorted; the camera didn't appear to be focusing directly on her as she was only halfway in the frame and a little out of focus. The audio was much clearer.

"This phone, for starters," Audrey said, fumbling with the buttons. "I love it, but I can't figure out how the camera mode works. What about you?"

"Oh, the usual stuff from my parents," she calmly said. Her voice quickly turned into a squeal as she told Audrey, "but Luke got me the most adorable stuffed yorkie! He even bought a little plaid collar for him with a cute silver name tag!"

Kaylee came into view of the camera; Audrey must have set it down, unknowingly recording her best friend. Audrey asked, "That sounds adorable! So what did you decide to name it?"

Kaylee blushed, "Luke named it, actually. As kind of a joke. He even inscribed on the tag, 'Veruca', and on the back, 'Since you always wanted a sister, here you go. Just like her big sister, Veruca is beautiful, playful, loving, and SPOILED.'"

The audience laughed. "Rotten... spoiled rotten. But I couldn't get all of the lettering to fit on the tag." Luke whispered, unable to contain his smirk. Kaylee punched his shoulder.

Audrey laughed hysterically, "Veruca, as in the spoiled brat with the rich dad in Willy Wonka? I guess Luke does have you pegged. And he has a sense of humor!"

Clearly embarrassed, Kaylee ran her fingers bashfully through her hair and said, "Even when he sees my flaws, he understands me and accepts it. He called me Veruca a long time ago and I had no idea what he meant or who that was. I was furious when I Googled it two weeks later and realized I was being insulted, even if it was in a playful manner. I would have torn his head off if I weren't so worried about chasing him away. He's lucky my grades were still suffering."

Audrey laughed again, "Even back then I think there was something deep down inside you that wouldn't let go of Luke! Don't even try to pretend it was for your grades."

Kaylee sat down at the table and didn't say a word. Instead she placed her chin in her hand, wearing a smile from ear to ear, seemingly daydreaming thoughts of happiness.

Squinting through a tiny slit between two fingers, yet unable to take her eyes off of the movie, Kaylee exclaimed, "I... remember that! I had no idea Audrey recorded that!"

Audrey and Kaylee vanished as the scene slowly faded into black.

The music slowly morphed into a somber tune, foretelling that the entire movie was about to change. The narrator solemnly said, "Their recent discovery of how they felt about each other wouldn't have a chance to blossom."

An American Flag against a backdrop of a blood-red sky slowly waved in the invisible wind. "Now an adult in his own right, Luke joined the United States Air Force." The flag faded away, replaced with U.S. fighter jets soaring across the sky.

The screen flashed with miscellaneous back-to-back images. The night sky exploded in bright green as flares deployed from a C-130, the scene filmed through a night vision lens. Bombs dropped on enemy targets with precision guided by crosshairs. Artillery filled the night sky with tracer fire guiding a steady stream of ammunition. Soldiers fired while being fired upon. Missiles launched from the underbellies of pair of F-22 Raptors. A flight of HH-60 Pave Hawks deployed Special Operations forces fifty feet down the cable and to the desert floor within seconds; other Spec Ops soldiers simultaneously laid down cover fire from the door.

The helicopters hovered over the desert sand as the narrator announced, "Luke Patton would leave Kaylee before they even had a chance to explore their feelings and adoration for each other. Luke found his way across the vast blue ocean and into a foreign land, and on the other side of the world as Kaylee. His nation called and he answered. Luke would serve and defend, fighting enemy forces and risking his life for his brothers and sisters in arms. He would face the greatest tragedy of all, witnessing the fall of his brethren. Shot down over enemy territory, he ran for his life, narrowly escaping the clutches of the adversary. For weeks, the United States Armed Forces launched the biggest search and recovery operation in history. They were unsuccessful."

The screen went black.

"All that was found were his dog tags. Luke Patton was declared dead."

Kaylee's eyes flooded over causing mascara to run down her face. She looked over at Luke, noticing his head pointed towards the movie screen but his eyes settling below it, deliberately focusing elsewhere to avoid the painful memories.

A KC-10, a military tanker and cargo jet, appeared against the backdrop of a bright blue California sky. The narrator said, "But there was still hope. After evading the enemy for weeks, Airman Patton found a way to reach out to his rescuers, reminding them he was still out there."

"He suffered injuries but his heart still beat strong. He was alive. And soon, he would be brought safely home."

After the jet landed and pulled up to the red carpet, the door opened and out came Luke, one arm waving to the crowd while the other remained in a sling. He was immediately greeted with an emotional, tearful embrace by his parents and sister.

The entire audience began to cheer, both on-screen and off-screen, celebrating Luke's return. Several car horns echoed throughout the drive-in parking lot. For Kaylee, it was like celebrating his return all over again. Watching him come off of that plane a second time was enough to make her heart skip a beat. Kaylee smiled as she watched the events unfolding, reaching over to Luke's hand, already on her shoulder, and squeezed it tightly.

"Luke Patton was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross for his actions of heroism and the Purple Heart for his sustained injuries from enemy forces," the narrator continued. "The impact he made against terrorists who would seek to find a way to destroy the United States was nothing short of devastating. He served his country proudly, destroyed enemy insurgents, and protected those he loved.

"Now, finally, he was home. And he was safe."

The tone of the voice turned somber as the picture once again faded to black, "But his war was not over."

Kaylee held her breath, dreading what was coming next. She was afraid. All of the best and worst moments of her life were highlighted on the movie screen for all the world to see. Why was she being tortured like this? She could barely control her emotions -- good, bad... all of her emotions.