Manuel immediately put his phone down on the table. "When do you go out for deployment?"
Jacob slammed the letter onto the table, his face red with his fury. "The end of the week." He was livid. He had already served in the army, and now they were putting him back out?
Manuel was stuttering, trying to take in the news. Jacob stormed into his room, Manuel following close behind him.
"How long is it?" Manuel asked?
"Indefinite. They told me that they own me now. That's it. No questions asked."
"Can they even do that?" Manuel was floored. Jacob had only been out for six months, and was still under the control of the army. He began to pack his bags, stuffing clothing that he had hoped to never wear again into his duffel bag. The camo uniforms he had shed less than a year ago taunted him from the bottom of the bag.
"Oh, shut up." Jacob shoved some daily wear on top of the uniforms, covering them with a few pairs of jeans and t-shirts. Manuel watched from the doorway, considering how to console his roommate, but he knew so little about Jacob that he decided to just slip out of the room and give Jacob some space.
The day that Jacob left for Louisiana, Manuel drove him to the airport. Manuel stopped the car outside of Jacob's gate, and turned to him after turning the car off.
"You know you can always call me, right? If you need to vent, I'll be open to talk. I hope you Know that." Jacob's stern gaze at the doors into the airport softened as they turned towards his former roommate.
"Manuel, even though we've only known each other for six months, I think it's safe to say that I'll call you often." Jacob reached over the center console and hugged his friend tight. Manuel's large frame made it hard for him to move in the small car. His elbow bumped the dash as he struggled to hug Jacob back.
"See you around, Jacob!" Manuel waved as he drove off into the airport traffic. Jacob turned and walked into the airport, resigned to spend the next few years in whatever hell on earth that America wanted to "protect" next.