Camp NaNo --Week #2

And . . . week #2 has come and gone! And I have a friend staying here, so this post is gonna be a bit on the short side. ;) My total word count is now 24,828 words!
12,837 were written this past week. I have a friend visiting from Washington, so we've been having fun together. So far I've managed to keep up with writing... we'll see if that continues. ;)
So now. Snippets. Enjoy. ;) And I'll have a better blog post come your way sometime in the next few days. xD

The man grinned at him. “Hi again. Looks like we got stuck on the same ship.”
Rafe nodded. “It would appear so.” Out of the hundreds of ships in the navy, and the three hundred or so designated to the pacific, they just would have been stuck on the same ship. He shook his head.
Art pointed at the fighters. “You a pilot?”
“Yeah. You?”
Waving a dismissive hand, Art shook his head. “No. I’m just your normal, ordinary, run-of-the-mill sailor. I specialize in having a peculiar sense of humour, dressing smart, and being handy with the ladies.” He paused, and then put up a finger. “Oh, did I mention sarcasm?”  
Rafe shook his head. “No, no I don’t think you did. Quite the resume.” 
“Isn’t it? I worked quite hard to get it just right. I think I’ve perfected it now.”
Shaking his head again, Rafe rolled his eyes heavenward. This guy had an ego the size of the Pacific. 

They met halfway, each holding twelve shoelaces. Quickly they tied the ends together. Two shoelaces for each bunk. They were long enough that they could be tied to either side, making it impossible for the guys to sit up and swing themselves out of bed.

Art glanced at his watch. Two minutes. He quickly started work on the beds nearest to him, and they both finished with thirty seconds to spare. Art grinned, surprised none of the men had awoken. We must be able to be quieter then I thought.

They both stepped out of the room and shut the door behind them. Rafe turned. “You be the commander.”

He nodded. “Okay. Just keep me from getting killed.”

“No promises.”

The wake-up bell rang, its clattering waking even the heaviest of sleepers.

“Now!” Rafe exclaimed in a whisper, pulling the door open and shoving him inside.

“Up, every man at attention, now!” Art did his best to make his voice low, inserting a note of demand. As if by magic, all the men’s eyes shot open, and then scrambled to get to their feet.

Only to be stopped by the shoelaces.

Art couldn’t help it any longer. He doubled over, slapping his knee as he roared with laughter. The guys went to work trying to free themselves. Rafe walked into the room and stood behind him, a merry grin on his face. “Mornin’, fellows.”

“Aww, come on!” a frown creased Darren;s face. “Seriously? Our shoelaces?”

Art shrugged. “Well, as the old saying goes, you gotta pull yourself up by your bootstraps. We decided to teach y’all how to do that today.”

Gus slid out from under the shoelace, and busied himself with untying the knots. “Apparently I’ve got to get up with you guys if I want my possessions to stay intact.”

She started down the sidewalk, and signs of the little town waking up from its sleep were everywhere. Strains of Don’t sit under the Apple Tree drifted out from the cafe, where the strong smell of coffee was wafting its enticing aroma into the street. Lily slowed as she walked past it, and then stopped and turned. Coffee sounded heavily before heading home. The door opened into the small shop that was tucked close to the hospital. Lily was quite sure that the owners benefitted greatly from the business that was brought to them by the doctors and nurses. She slid into a seat up at the counter, and the waited for the waiter to turn to her. “Well, what can I get you this fine morning, dearie? Long night?” Glancing down at her uniform, Lily nodded. It was a symbol of long nights and service. And that was fine. “I’ll just take coffee, please. A little cream, no sugar.” “Comin’ right up.” Lily brought up a hand to smother a yawn. It had been a while since she’d worked the night shift, and had forgotten how demanding it could be. Her eyes strayed to the cinnamon buns that were so fresh they were still steaming. Her mouth watered. She really shouldn’t buy one when she could grab one at home . . . Her stomach defied common sense, and when the waiter brought the coffee, she pointed to the rolls. ‘May I have one of those, too, please?” The waiter nodded and grinned. “Sure look good, don’t they.” She reached over and used a napkin to grab one of the steamy pastries and set it on a late in front of Lily. ‘There ya go. Enjoy.” Lily pulled the outside of the bun away, eating the outer layer first and making her way to the sweet, gooey middle. Nothing made her day quite like one of these heavenly things. Wiping her hands on her napkin, she reached for the coffee. Taking a sip, she winced. It was good, but hot. She blew on it before taking the next sip, and then closing her eyes to enjoy the blissful taste. The song on the speakers changed to The White Cliffs of Dover. There'll be bluebirds over The white cliffs of dover Tomorrow Just you wait and see I'll never forget the people I met Braving those angry skies I remember well as the shadows fell The light of hope in their eyes The words were slow and peaceful, yet wistful and sad, too. I’ll never forget the people I met, braving those angry skies. The words made her mind travel to London. And the bombings. The planes. And Gil. She turned back to her coffee with a sigh. The morning seemed empty, somehow. A picture of what her life was becoming, And what she was trying hard to not let it become. Eating alone is just wrong. The thought came to her out of the blue, and she almost laughed. Apparently, her brain couldn’t decide whether to be serious, or random. She was tired. The sound of someone clearing their throat behind her startled her, and she turned. A uniformed man stood there, his crush cap held in his hands and a hopeful look in his eyes. “Can I join you for breakfast, Ma’am?” Lily smiled, trying her best not to let her mind wander to where life would soon send this young man. She nodded. “I’m almost finished, but sure.” The man gave a boyish grin, and slid into the seat next to her. “Are you married?” “Holding up her left hand, Lily smiled. “I was. Now I’m engaged.” “Ahh, well, hopefully your intended doesn’t mind me keeping you company this morning.” The man motioned the waiter. ‘I’ll take what she had.” “Oh, following my example, eh?” The man leaned back and grinned. ‘I’ve learned that women end to have the best tastes in food. So I try and do my best to follow their example in that respect.” She nodded. “That sounds like a good idea. My name’s Lily Wilson, by the way.” She popped the last bite of the cinnamon roll into her mouth and savoured the flavor. “What’s your name? Oh, and where are you headed?” “Oh, I’m sorry, forgive my manners.” He put out a hand to shake hers. “My name is Evan. Evan Pedersen. As to where I’m headed? The pacific. Sometime this next week.” The sparkle left his eyes for a moment as he spoke, but the look quickly passed and he turned to her. “How about you? Where’s the lucky guy who’s got his ring on your finger?” Lily sipped the last of the coffee before answer. “He’s in the pacific, too. He’s a pilot on a carrier.” She pushed the cup away and smiled. “Maybe You’ll meet him.” Evan took the coffee the waiter gave him, and downed the whole thing in nearly one gulp. “Maybe. If I meet him, I’ll be sure to tell him he's got himself the prettiest woman in the state of Kansas.” Lily smiled and glanced down. She’d gotten used to the compliments of guys in uniform. For the most part, they were grasping for any and every sense of normalcy. And pretty girls, well, they were just a part of normal life. They chatted for a moment longer, and Lily waited until he finished before bidding him farewell and good luck. And promising to pray for him. He seemed a bit more cheerful when they parted, and Lily had a new spring in her step as she made her way toward the car.Thank you for giving me the chance to brighten his life. The prayer was heartfelt. It was what she had needed this morning.

So . . . there they are. *cringes* I know, they're not the best. xD Tell me, how is camp NaNo coming for you?