While he waited, he picked at the pie and mostly daydreamed about what Marissa was like.  He was a bit surprised when she asked if he was ready to go, the time had flown by.  He didn’t expect her to follow through on her promise, but was grateful when she did.  He flashed a big smile and said, “Yeah, I’m ready.”  He grabbed his duffle bag and followed her out.<br/><br/>“Thank you, Marissa.” James said as he matched her pace, walking beside her.  He had no clue where she was leading him to.  He didn’t really care.  His mind was occupied with Marissa and not on bootcamp or the Army.  “Did you have plans? I hope I’m not a bother.  But I’ve been alone for most of my life, and I just wanted someone to talk to before I… I… you know, before I go to war.”  He didn’t want her to pity him, that wasn’t his intention at all.  But he could understand if she did, he would pity him too if he were Marissa.  But feeling sorry for himself wasn’t something he allowed himself to do.  Those feelings didn’t accomplish anything.  They only got in the way.<br/><br/>“So tell me, Marissa, what grade are you in?” James engaged in small talk, asking a question and listening intently on what she had to say before asking another.  He had very little time and he wanted to make a friend out of Marissa before he had to go.  He asked about her family, if she had any brothers or sisters.  What she liked to study in school, if she even liked school.  He asked what she wanted to be when she grew up, her favorite flavor of ice cream, and dozens of other questions someone would ask when getting to know another.  He would share a little about himself as well, even though there wasn't really much to say.  His parents had died when he was seven and his uncle had raised him.  He liked football and cholocate milkshakes, that's about all there was to unravelling the mysteries of James Lloyd.<br/><br/>He discovered where she was taking him to when they rounded a second left turn and saw a beautiful lake, serene and booming with the color of autumn leaves.  There was a pier stretching out over the water.  He imagined it was a summer hot spot for vacationers.  He imagined they would haul their families off to camp at the lake.  He could picture kids running down the pier only to jump in the refreshing cool waters of the lake.  The thought brought a smile to his face.  “Wow this place is so beautiful.” He said as he looked at Marissa, not really talking about the lake.<br/>