Air Raid: A Short Story

“If you found out that the Japanese are planning an air raid in this community, would you completely abandon it? Remember, no one in the town would believe you. You would be on your own,” I said. “Dude, there is no chance that the Japanese even know about this place,” my friend Andy replied. I sigh. “Just answer my question dude,” I said. “Since the Japanese don’t even know about this, we don’t need to be thinking about it!” Andy insisted. “Ok, ok,” I said to shut him up. Andy generally opposed my “What if” questions. He always said that they drive him crazy, but I did it a lot anyway because I knew it got on his nerves. Recently, he had not been acting, well, normal. Even after all of these years of our friendship, he still didn’t invite me to his house, but up ‘til then, I had always let it slide, but not anymore.

I want to come one day!” I yelled, standing up to Andy. What he said, surprised me. “Maybe sooner than you think,” he revealed. What? Was this a new attitude? He had never done this in the past. I had to get a straight answer from him so I asked a different question. “How many more days will I have to wait before I can come to your house?” I figured he would have to give me a specific answer. I was wrong. “Fewer than you think,” he remarked again in his matter of a fact tone. I was getting angry. If I couldn’t get a straight answer out of him, then I would ask for a straight answer. “Andy, give me a date of when I can come over to your house,” I said confidently because I knew that Andy couldn’t avoid this question. But instead of answering my question, he asked his own question. “Is there a reason why you want to come to my house?” Andy was my friend. There was no reason he should have been avoiding my questions. I was getting suspicious, and so I blurted out. “Can I come to your house? If not, then just tell me why. You're not trying to keep things from me are