[ IP ] Said the Stars

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 David got off his bike and walked along the side of the road. It was getting late, and he was still about a mile away from the farm, but he was tired. His argument with Suzi had taken a lot out of him. 
 
 He replayed the events of the day again in his memory. It still hurt, more than it should have. The recent falling of the Towers had sparked a very lively discussion in class that day, of which most were on one side, and few were on the other. Suzi was one of the rebels, declaring that war was pointless even in the face of such a vast terrorist threat. He sulked to himself, recalling the look in her eyes as she called his dad `` a soldier for nothing.'' 
 
 `` Yer dad was a soldier fer nothin','' she had said. `` Government was gon na chew'im up an' spit'im out just to kill good folks in'Nam.'' 
 
 It was n't true, of course. How could it be? Tom Paulson was an honest, hardworking man from an honest, hardworking family that ran an honest, hardworking farm. 
 
 It was n't true. 
 
 Abruptly, David stopped, and kicked his bike into the grass. He seethed. If one were being honest, it was clear to see that he was truly mad at himself. His dad had told him, right from the start, how few people agreed with the action taken in Vietnam. America was divided against its government then, and had been before and would be after. But Tom Paulson taught his family that patriotism was the right way to live. He'd served for his country, and his forefathers before him. He'd be dead and rolling in his grave before one of his three sons refused to serve. 
 
 But he could n't. Despite how close he was to enlistment age, David knew, in his heart of hearts, that he was entirely unable to take up a gun for the cause. It was mostly fear, he found. Fear of pain, fear of gunshots. Shoot, even fear of flying, no matter who was piloting the plane. 
 
 *I'm nothing but a sissy, * he thought to himself. *Do n't know if I can be anything else. * 
 
 A shooting star fell across the sky. It was at the periphery of his vision, and he almost did n't pick it up. Not that it mattered, he mused to himself as he watched the comet arc toward the horizon. `` There ai n't no such thing as magic,'' his mom had remarked once. `` No granted wishes but granted prayers.'' 
 
 He decided to pray then. `` God,'' David said out loud. `` I do n't want to be a soldier for nothing. Make me a good soldier, or no soldier at all.'' He paused, briefly. `` Please.'' 
 
 It was a crude prayer, and somewhat rushed by his nervousness, but it would do; his heart was in the right place. The stars shifted, and more dropped from the sky as a pale green glow passed through the sky. David picked up his bike from the ground, and dusted off the grass from its right side. 
 
 Then he began to walk again, unaware of the events soon to unfold.
