High Noon

Ch11

I looked down at the ground as the line moved up, thinking about everything that had happened last night, the news of Papa, Mama's rage, the soldier that was billeting at our house, and the conversation I had.

When I was next in line I noticed Antoine as he was talking to a tall man, seeing him give the man a slip of paper, which you would barely notice unless you had been paying close attention.

He looked at me and so did the man and I frowned, took the meat I had received, and walked away. Making sure I was making it clear to Antoine that I was still I was angry at him from the last time I had seen him.

At the corner of my eye, I saw him following me, running up beside me.

"Sophie, can we talk?" He asked.

"There's nothing to talk about," I snapped angrily.

"Please, let me explain," Antoine begged, grabbing my arm, and forcing me to look at him.

"Then explain," I ordered. 

He glanced quickly around and shook his head.

"Not here, come with me."

I sighed sharply but allowed him to guide me away my curiosity getting the better of me.

We walked down the street passing soldiers at every corner, down an alleyway. He opened a door and slipped inside.

I saw it was the same room he had taken me to when I had first seen him after the bombings.

"Is this where you live or something?" I asked setting the meat down on the table and folding my arms across my chest.

"For now, I may have to move again at any moment." He told me as he lit an oil lamp.

I sat down at the edge of his bed and frowned.

"Are you gonna tell me anything or are you going to try to protect me again?"

He sighed and paced the room as skimmed his fingers through his hair as if he was considering what he was about to say.

"You don't understand Sophie, it's a danger to even be seen with me if I'm caught...." He trailed off and I could see the color in his face drain with nervousness.

He didn't need to explain anymore, I knew what he was doing.

 I had heard of the Revolters and had seen their anti-Nazism pamphlets shoved into people's mailboxes or underneath people's doors. The Nazis had put up pamphlets as well saying that if anyone knew any information about the revolters they would be paid for any valuable information they give and for any they turn in for questioning. They called it questioning but everyone knew they were going to be killed or tortured to the point of death.

"You are with the revolters," I told him, filling in the blank.

He nodded his head.

"Now do you understand, I can't be seen with you, I can't put you in danger." 

There was silence and I did understand, but I didn't want him to protect me. I was sick of being protected, I wanted to be brave and not scared.

"Antoine, do you know that there's a soldier billeted at my house?" I told him.

"Mostly everyone has a soldier living with them." He said with a nod.

"Do you know that my Papa isn't coming home because he's at a Prisoner of war camp?"

He looked up at me and he shook his head.

"You want to protect me Antoine, and yet you know nothing about me, what if I don't want you to protect me," I told him as I stood up.

"Then you would be a very stupid girl." He said.

I frowned fury filling up my chest as I stood up and Antoine stood as well, realizing his mistake.

"Sophie, I didn't mean it like that." He told me.

"Then what did you mean? Dumb, maybe?" I snapped.

"No, I just...I want you to be safe, you have a family, I have no one the only person's life I'm risking is myself." Antoine told me as he took my hand into his.

"What happened to your family?" I asked him my voice softening.

He sighed and his eyes filled with sadness.

"Dead, they died during the bombings a couple of months ago, they never made it out of the house." 

My chest filled with sympathy for him and I knew that he was fighting because his family was dead, he thought he had no one but himself.

I hugged him in comfort, knowing that he needed that.

Antoine pulled off of me.

 "Which is why I can't be seen with you anymore, you have to be safe."

I sighed and looked into his green eyes and whispered, "And if I still don't want you to protect me?"

He skimmed his fingertips against my cheeks and then pressed his forehead against mine.

"Let me protect you." He told me.

I took a breath and nodded my head and he smiled softly.

When I had left I felt empty, he was leaving me, pushing me out, just to protect me from the soldiers that I was surrounded by, trying to save me from the evil that surrounded me. Doesn't he know how impossible that is?

He couldn't protect me for long, I didn't want to be protected, but the thought of doing anything against the Nazis terrified me.

Maybe it was better if I just remained in the shadows being protected and not doing anything that might endanger me or Mama.

It was better this way.